Encyclopedia  |   World Factbook  |   World Flags  |   Reference Tables  |   List of Lists     
   Academic Disciplines  |   Historical Timeline  |   Themed Timelines  |   Biographies  |   How-Tos     
Your Ad Here
Sponsor by The Tattoo Collection


University of San Francisco
Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index

University of San Francisco

University of San Francisco is a private, co-educational Roman Catholic university in the United States. Located in San Francisco, California, it was founded by the Society of Jesus. Today, the university is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.

Table of contents
1 History
2 Structure and Degrees
3 Miscellany
4 Famous Alumni
5 External link

History

Founded as Saint Ignatius Academy by the Italian Jesuits Anthony Maraschi and Michael Accolti in 1855, USF began life in a wood frame building along Market Street in what later became downtown San Francisco. A charter from the state of California in 1859 changed the school's name to Saint Ignatius College. The original curriculum included Greek, Spanish, Latin, English, French, Italian, algebra, arithmetic, history, geography, elocution, and bookkeeping.

A new building was constructed in 1862 to replace the first frame building and the first degree was conferred a year later. In 1880, the college moved from Market Street to a new site on Van Ness Avenue. The third Saint Ignatius College was destroyed in the earthquake and fire of 1906 and the campus moved further westward to the corner of Hayes and Shrader Streets, close to Golden Gate Park. The college moved to its present site in 1927.

To celebrate its diamond jubilee in 1930, Saint Ignatius College became the University of San Francisco. A male-only school for most of its history, USF became fully coeducational in 1964.

Structure and Degrees

USF is divided into six major academic units (with dates of establishment):

The university offers the following degrees:

As of Fall 2003, university enrollment is 8,221 undergraduate and graduate students.

Miscellany

Because of its location on one of San Francisco's major hills, USF's nickname is "The Hilltop." The university mascot is the Don and USF's athletic teams compete in NCAA Division 1 with the West Coast Conference. USF athletics have won nine collegiate titles: three in basketball, five in soccer (including a co-championship with Pennsylvania State University in 1949) and an individual title in tennis.

Famous Alumni

External link