150 years for NDNU

Much has changed since NDNU was founded, but the school has always been a diverse and inclusive institution that proudly embraces social change, said Executive Director of Marketing and Communications Karen Schornstein.

During the 1960s and 1970s, the school welcomed peaceful protests against the Vietnam War and, recently, demonstrations in support of gun control.

In addition to being one of the first women’s colleges in the West, the school constructed a chapel in the early 1960s that features images of strong female figures from the First and New testaments, which was unusual for that time.

Schornstein said NDNU also welcomed students from Mexico and Central America since its inception, and its first classes in 1851 were offered in both English and Spanish.

Testament to the school’s dedication to accessible education, Schornstein said more than half of undergraduates are first-generation college students, and 95 percent of students have received some form of financial aid or scholarship.

“It’s been true since the beginning of the university that students of all income levels attended here,” she said.

NDNU’s 150th anniversary exhibit includes memorabilia such as stereoscopes, or 3-D glasses, as well as microscope slides and school brochures from the 1920s, and two first edition books by Charles Darwin, which were used as textbooks.

“The sisters were very forward thinking,” said Assistant Director of Communications and Media Relations Zack Rogow.

Ralston Hall, the historic landmark located on campus, also celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. Originally the mansion of Bank of California founder, William Chapman Ralston, the estate changed hands several times following Ralston’s death in 1875 before The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur purchased it for the NDNU campus in 1922.

The renovation for Ralston Hall is scheduled to begin this spring, after which the lower level will be designated event space, while the second and third floors will be home to university offices as well as a student center.

While NDNU has been a Belmont institution for 96 years, it was originally founded in San Jose by Sister Marie Catherine, Sister Mary Cornelia and Sister Loyola, who hailed from Belgium.

Until the 1970s, sisters comprised the majority of the school’s faculty, and the school’s president was a sister until 1993.

Sister Roseanne Murphy, who still lives on campus, was on the school staff through 2016, and is still an active fundraiser for the school. Nearly 20 sisters still live on campus, and some are current board members and occasionally speak at school events.

“The sisters still have a strong presence at the school today,” Rogow said.

In celebration of the anniversary, NDNU is co-sponsoring a 5 and 10-k race on Oct. 13 that begins on campus and extends to Water Dog Lake. The school is also assembling a “time capsule,” a collection of images and artifacts meant to represent the year 2018, which will be on display. The idea is to reopen the “time capsule” sometime in the future, perhaps in 50 years, to provide a window into the past just as the 150th anniversary exhibit offers a glimpse into the early years of the university.

zachary@smdailyjournal.com

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