Anna Maria College

Anna Maria College
Motto	Lux et Veritas
Motto in English	Light and Truth
Type	Private college
Established	September 17, 1946
Accreditation	NECHE
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic
Academic affiliation	HECCMA
Endowment	$7.2 million (2022)
President	Mary Lou Retelle
Academic staff	42 full-time; 145 part-time
Undergraduates	1,104 (2019)
Postgraduates	333 (2019)
Location	Paxton, Massachusetts, United States; 42°19′46″N 71°55′10″W / 42.3294°N 71.9194°W
Campus	Rural, 190 acres
Colors	Cardinal and white
Nickname	AMCATS
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division III; GNAC; ECFC
Website	annamaria.edu

Anna Maria College is a private Roman Catholic college in Paxton, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1946 as a women's college, but has been coeducational since 1973. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

History

Anna Maria College was founded in 1946 as a women's college by the Sisters of Saint Anne, after receiving formal approval from Richard Cushing, the Archbishop of Boston. The original campus was in Marlborough, Massachusetts. In 1951, the college moved to its present location in Paxton.^[3] Four years later, accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges was issued.

In 1973, Anna Maria College became coeducational, and a year later, began graduate degree programs.^[4] On April 3, 1980, the Sisters of Saint Anne parted ways from running the school, and a Board of Trustees was established.

In 2004, the college established the Molly Bish Center for the Protection of Children and the Elderly.^[5]

Academics

Anna Maria College has an average annual enrollment of around 1,500 students, which consist of mostly undergraduate and graduate students, as well as some continuing education learners.^[6] Rooted in the traditions of Catholic education, the college combines liberal arts and sciences education with career preparation.

The college is divided among six academic schools: the School of Business; the School of Education; the School of Justice and Social Sciences; the School of Fire and Health Sciences; the School of Visual and Performing Arts; and the School of Humanities.^[7]

Athletics

Anna Maria College has thirteen Division III athletic teams, known as the AMCATS (Anna Maria College Athletic Team Sports), in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), including men's baseball, basketball, cross country, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, and soccer; and women's basketball, cross country, field hockey, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball. The school is a member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). Football is played in the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC). Anna Maria was also a charter member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), which it competed in from 1984 to 2011 before joining the GNAC.

Notable faculty

Craig Blais (English)
Mark Eshbaugh (art)
Thomas Lewis (art)
Brian Mitchell (history)

Notable alumni

Geraldo Alicea, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Catherine Cool Rumsey, member of the Rhode Island Senate
James M. Cummings, sheriff of Barnstable County
Ed Davis, Police Commissioner of the Boston Police Department
Brendan Doherty, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police
Shawn Dooley, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
James J. Dwyer, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
William B. Evans, Police Commissioner of the Boston Police Department
Raymond Hull, member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
Brian Patrick Kennedy, member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
Frederica Williams, President of the Whittier Street Health Center
Steven Xiarhos, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives

References

^ "Worcester area college endowments. Holy Cross pushes past $1 billion". Worcester Telegram. March 21, 2022. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
^ "College Navigator - Anna Maria College". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
^ O'Connell, Scott (January 6, 2021). "College Town: Anna Maria College marking 75th anniversary". Worcester Telegram. Archived from the original on August 6, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
^ "About". Archived from the original on 2022-05-20. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
^ "Molly Bish Center". Archived from the original on 2022-08-17. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
^ "Enrollment Dashboard". Archived from the original on 2022-09-26. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
^ "Home". Anna Maria College. Archived from the original on 2007-05-27. Retrieved 2007-05-21.