Rochester stood in a strong position at the end of World War II, a center of business and industry, a burgeoning housing market, and home to a vast Catholic population. The Congregation of St. Basil sensed the moment was right to build a new institute of higher education, a Catholic men’s college, for the region.
The task seemed daunting and exciting at the same time. Bishop James E. Kearney, Reverend Father Hugh Haffey, and a handpicked team made their announcement on August 29, 1947, setting in motion their plan to build and open St. John Fisher College high on a commanding rise in Pittsford. The Catholic community of the Diocese of Rochester responded enthusiastically, donating over and above the school’s initial fundraising goal. The school opened with a single building and 110 students in 1951.
St. John Fisher College grew up during the Civil Rights Era under the leadership of Reverend Father John Murphy and Reverend Father Charles Lavery and came to maturity under Presidents Katherine Keough, Donald Bain, and Gerald Rooney. Changes occurred along the way, from the physical growth of the campus to boldly transitioning from an all-male student body to a fully coeducational facility.
Three quarters of a century later, St. John Fisher University — the new name adopted in 2022 — stands proudly on 164 acres with five schools, educating thousands of students annually. It does so under the same mission banners of its founders, having faith and belief in St. John Fisher’s Basilian heritage, its liberal arts tradition, and, most importantly, its students.
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