COLUMBIA COLLEGE

COLUMBIA COLLEGE. Plans for the construction of a diocesan college began immediately with the arrival of Bishop Mathias LORAS in 1839. Father Samuel MAZZUCHELLI spent much of his time that year supervising the construction of a college building at the rear of SAINT RAPHAEL'S CATHEDRAL. The school was originally known as St. Raphael's Seminary, but was later called St. Raphael's Academy.

The first students of the college were four seminarians who accompanied Bishop Loras to Dubuque. Gradually the student body grew to include local boys of high school age and theological students from various foreign countries. There were even occasionally SIOUX boys and half-breeds from Minnesota.

Not satisfied with the school, Bishop Loras planned a new institution with higher standards. This became MOUNT ST. BERNARD'S COLLEGE AND SEMINARY that existed for a short period from 1850 to 1860.

Bishop John HENNESSY was unable to immediately begin work on another diocesan college in the confusing period immediately following the CIVIL WAR. Instruction which had been given students at the former residence of Judge Pollock on Julien Avenue (Clarke Drive) was transferred in 1873 to a building constructed by Bishop Loras in 1854 as a Marine Hospital. This was renamed St. Joseph's College.

The school opened with six students and increased rapidly in enrollment. Additional building was done by the Rev. P. J. McGrath in 1878 and Father Roger Ryan in 1882. In 1893 the college was incorporated under Iowa laws and was approved to confer academic degrees-a privilege first exercised in June 1895, with six of fifteen graduates receiving the Bachelor of Arts degree. Further expansion of the campus continued. A four-year academic program was begun in 1915. In 1917 the college was admitted into the North Central Association of Colleges.

Between 1914 and 1919, when the college became co-educational, the diocesan college was known as Dubuque College. In 1917 a normal school for the training of teachers was announced. Classes were held on Saturday and lasted for twelve weeks so that prospective teachers could receive their certificates in time to obtain a teaching position in the fall.

The name was formally changed to Columbia College in 1920. In 1928 the college was added to the approved list of the Association of American Universities. The college was later renamed LORAS COLLEGE.