Fontbonne University

Fontbonne University, founded in 1923 as a women's only college, takes its name from Mother St. John Fontbonne, who, in 1808 after the French Revolution, refounded the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph (CSJ). More than a century and a half before, in 1650, the Sisters of St. Joseph had been founded in LePuy, France. During the French Revolution, the sisters were forced to return to their homes and the community was dispersed. Some 28 years after the re-founding, six Sisters of St. Joseph came to the United States in 1836 and established American roots at Carondelet, a small community in south St. Louis, Missouri within the Archdiocese of St. Louis.[3] Five years later, in 1841, they opened St. Joseph's Academy for girls.[4]

First classes began at Carondelet following World War I, with the first eight baccalaureate degrees given in 1927. Over the next 20 years a liberal arts curriculum was developed. A cafeteria, swimming pool, and gymnasium were added to the original buildings (Ryan Hall, Science Building, Fine Arts Building). Medaille Hall, the university's first residence hall, was dedicated. The school received North Central accreditation.[4]

In the 1950s the department of education was expanded to include special education, behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, and mental handicaps. A major in deaf education linked Fontbonne with St. Joseph's Institute for the Deaf. The department of communication disorders was established to prepare teachers for speech-impaired children and adults.[4]

On October 24, 1970, a group of eight African American women entered the library of Fontbonne University with a common goal. Yolande Nicholson, Antoinette Smith, Rita Hunt, Jeannette Gauda, Collette Lemelle and three others chained the doors of the library shut and began to do their homework as they occupied the space. Their goal was to see the points in their previously written manifesto come to reality. These young women aimed to make known the rights of African Americans and to bring about positive change at Fontbonne. In their manifesto they asked the following changes to be made at Fontbonne: to have an African American administrator, an African American officer in both Financial Aid and Admissions, an African American counselor, an orientation program more geared towards African Americans, African American cultural education experiences, a specific area in the library for African American students and an establishment of an African American artist series fund. Along with these demands, their manifesto demanded wage increases and an improvement of working conditions for African American workers at Fontbonne. Overall, the demands of these women were an effort to more fully integrate African American students and workers with the Fontbonne Community, and to address their concerns about exclusion.[5]

Fontbonne College became co-educational in the 1970s. Service programs were expanded to areas such as dietetics, special education, communication disorders and deaf education. A predominantly lay board of trustees was formed. The Fontbonne Library was dedicated, along with two more residence halls.[4]

The first male president, Dr. Dennis C. Golden, was inaugurated in September 1995. The school celebrated its 75th anniversary during the 1998–99 academic year. March 14, 2002 marked the change in status from Fontbonne College to Fontbonne University. On February 1, 2014, J. Michael (Mike) Pressimone, Ed.D., was selected the 14th president of Fontbonne University. He assumed office on July 1, 2014.[6]

On September 10, 2019, it was announced that Dr. Nancy Blattner, PhD, had been selected to serve as Fontbonne University's 15th President, effective July 1, 2020. Dr. Blattner has served as the President of Caldwell University in New Jersey since 2009, and had previously served Fontbonne as the Vice President of Academic Affairs from 2004 to 2009.[7]