Mission
Saint Anselm is a Catholic, Benedictine College providing all its students a distinctive liberal arts education that incorporates opportunities for professional and career preparation. It does so in a learning community that encourages the lifelong pursuit of the truth and fosters intellectual, moral and spiritual growth to sustain and enrich its graduates’ personal lives, work, and engagement within local, national, and global communities.
History
Saint Anselm College was founded in 1889 by the Benedictine monks of St. Mary’s Abbey of Newark, New Jersey, at the invitation of Bishop Denis M. Bradley, the first bishop of Manchester. A six-year classical course, with curricula in philosophical and theological studies, was opened to qualified students. In 1895, the General Court of the State of New Hampshire empowered the new institution to grant the standard academic degrees. From its beginning, Saint Anselm has been, and desires to remain, a small college. The school is moved to this decision not only because it wishes to accept only those students whom it can prepare efficiently for their life’s work, but also because it wishes to retain the family spirit characteristic of a Benedictine institution.
Facilities
The Abbey is the home of the Benedictine monks who conduct the College.
Saint Anselm Abbey Church is the liturgical center of the College. The spacious upper church allows the College community to join with the monastic community for daily celebration of the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours. The lower church permits smaller groups of the community to assemble for worship and houses the Lady Chapel, and the St. Basil Byzantine Chapel.
Alumni Hall, the first building erected on campus, houses the administrative offices and some classrooms.
Bradley House, named in honor of Bishop Denis M. Bradley, the first bishop of Manchester, contains faculty offices.
The Carr Center, named in honor of John Maurus Carr ‘34, is a multipurpose complex housing intramural and recreational sports facilities, and the 9.000 square foot Spagnuolo Fitness Center that opened in 2009. The center also houses athletic offices and is used for concerts and social events.
Alva de Mars Megan Chapel Art Center is the College’s gallery for the exhibition of fine art. Founded in 1967, this facility is a gracious setting for specially curated exhibitions and also houses a small permanent collection. Formerly the College’s chapel, the gallery has a beautifully decorated vaulted ceiling with allegorical lunettes, and magnificent stained glass windows. Its uniquely serene ambiance and rich historical significance make for the perfect cultural setting for fine arts exhibitions, lectures, tours, concerts, and recitals.
The Coffee Shop and Pub offers dining and snack services to students, faculty and staff.
Comiskey Center, named in honor of Professor Edward J. Comiskey, Jr., features classroom space, fine arts studios and a small theater.
The Roger & Francine Jean Student Center Complex contains the Campus Mail Center, Academic Resource Center, Student Government Assoc., Student Engagement and Leadership, the Career Development Center, the Meelia Center for Community Engagement, International Programs, Father Jonathan DeFelice, O.S.B. Center for Intercultural Learning and Inclusion, Campus Ministry, the Office of Academic Advisement, Health Services, the Walter and Julie Gallo Café, recreational and meeting rooms and the bookstore.
Dana Center for the Humanities includes the 575 seat Ann and Joseph Koonz Theatre, seminar rooms, the office of the music department, the offices of Academic Core Curriculum, and the office of Campus Events.
Davison Hall, named in honor of Robert C. and Lucille E. Davison, contains the College dining facilities, the offices of Dining Services and Office of Residential Life and Education.
Gadbois Hall, named in honor of Edgar L. Gadbois, contains facilities for the Department of Nursing, including classrooms, laboratories, and faculty offices.
Geisel Library was constructed in 1960 and subsequently underwent addition/renovation projects in 1973 and 1992. The initial project was the result of a large gift from the Honorable Joseph H. Geisel of Manchester. It currently houses more than 210,000 print volumes as well as offering access to approximately 230,000 digital volumes. Some 4,100 physical periodical titles are available, and as we continue to build through digital collections, we now provide access to more than 85,000 serials - primarily though our 134 online databases listed on the Library’s Webpage. The collections also include 5,900 DVD and VHS recordings, 75,000 microforms, and 2,600 CDs. Special Collections include the O’Rourke/Saint Anselm Collection and the Franco-American Collection. Geisel Library also houses the Information Technology help desk and sports a number of recent physical and technological updates
Goulet Science Center, named in honor of Leon and Elizabeth Goulet, houses the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Psychology. The center contains modern laboratories and classrooms, the Weiler Computer Center, Perini Lecture Hall, a science reading room, library and green houses.
Grappone Stadium, named in honor of John and Ruth Grappone, is an outdoor athletic stadium which allows for a capacity crowd of 4,500 including 2,500 grandstand seats. It also includes a two-story, state-of-the art press box, a 1,400 square foot President’s box, private locker rooms, training area, concessions, and administration rooms. An artificial turf field was installed prior to the 2011-12 athletics season, allowing for practices and athletics contests to be conducted during and immediately after inclement weather.
The Gregory J. Grappone Humanities Institute (“The Humanities Institute”), named in honor of Alumnus Gregory J. Grappone 04’, was completed in the spring of 2023. This facility revitalized a piece of history on the Hilltop, having repurposed the original central heating plant on campus. As a permanent home for the Humanities Department, it offers traditional classroom function and supports events bringing the Hilltop community together for collegial discord. Beyond the traditional structure and function, the building provides unique exterior spaces, booked as alternative venue, boasting an outdoor granite stage, balcony/stage and integrated seating areas within the landscape.
The Izart Observatory, named in honor of J. Henry Izart, provides facilities for celestial observation and instruction in astronomy.
Joseph Hall, named in honor of Bishop Joseph J. Gerry, O.S.B., houses the departments of Economics and Business, Education, History, the Father Peter Guerin, O.S.B., Center for Teaching Excellence, classrooms and meeting rooms.
Melucci Field, named in memory of Thomas A. Melucci, Jr., a 1988 graduate of Saint Anselm, provides a permanent home for the Saint Anselm men’s and women’s soccer teams and offers a wide range of practice space for all outdoor sports. The facility also boasts a press box behind the grandstand, a concession and restroom building and a patron courtyard. A new scoreboard was installed at the facility prior to the 2018-19 academic year.
New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College (NHIOP) is located at the intersection of Saint Anselm Drive and Rockland Avenue, on the lower campus. Dedicated in 2001, this 20,000-square foot facility includes a state-of-the-art auditorium, a fully equipped television studio, a research center, multimedia classrooms, seminar rooms, a reading room, Department of Politics academic offices, a computer lab, and the Common Ground Café.
In 2017, New Hampshire Political Library Reading Room underwent a transformation to house a new collection, titled “The Presidency Unfurled: Context, Landmarks, Legacy,“ containing over 2,700 volumes of presidential, vice-presidential and supreme court biographies, memoirs, and monographs.
Savard Welcome Center, named in honor of the Robert ‘71 & Susan Savard. Completed in 2020, the building is home to the College’s Office of Admission and serves as an arrival point for prospective students and new visitors to campus. In addition to a reception area, an outdoor patio, and offices, it includes a large presentation space named in the honor of Sherwood Blake ‘50.
The South Athletics Fields serve as a true jack-of-all-trades complex for Saint Anselm Athletics. Constructed in 1990, the complex spans a total of 20 acres and incorporates five well-manicured and irrigated fields, providing a permanent home for Saint Anselm’s men’s and women’s soccer (Melucci Field) and the softball teams.
Stoutenburgh Gymnasium, named in honor of William J. Stoutenburgh, is the home of men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams playing on Al Grenert Court and provides facilities for some intramural activities, athletic offices, equipment, laundry, training and locker rooms.
Sullivan Park at Kavanagh Fields serves as the home of Saint Anselm baseball. The field itself is meticulously manicured and is tucked in between Grappone Stadium and the bottom of the hill that is overlooked by the Carr Center.
Thomas F. Sullivan Arena, opened in September 2003, stands at 65,000 square feet with a 200-by-85-foot ice rink and is home to Saint Anselm College’s men’s and women’s ice hockey teams. It houses locker rooms, a training room, fully-functional press box and President’s box.
Residence Halls: Housing on campus can accommodate approximately 1,900 students in a variety of living arrangements, from traditional residence facilities to apartment-style living. We have co-educational housing options as well as single sex facilities-all with a limited inter-visitation policy. The residence facilities are Second Street, Third Street, Baroody Hall, Falvey House, Bishop Matthew F. Brady Hall, Abbot Bertrand C. Dolan, O.S.B. Hall, Abbot Hilary Pfraengle, O.S.B. Hall, Father Dominic Scherer, O.S.B. Hall, St. Joan of Arc Hall, St. Mary Hall, Holy Cross Hall and the Living Learning Commons. Croydon Court includes Father Raphael Pfisterer, O.S.B. Hall, Von Dy Rowe House, Annie L. Rowell House, Joseph E. Sullivan House and M. Constance Breck House. Benedict Court consists of Conrad and Millicent Danais Hall, Abbot Gerald McCarthy, O.S.B. Hall, Bishop Ernest J. Primeau Hall, Anthony V. and Helen Mareski Hall, Benjamin S. and Marian C. Cohen Hall. Father Bernard, O.S.B. Court includes Thomas J. Paul Hall, John J. Reilly, Jr., Hall, Sister Nivelle Berning Hall, Joseph E. and Margaret M. Faltin Hall, Maurice Arel Hall, Charles T. L. and Laura Barlow Hall, John and Elizabeth Boutselis Hall, Thomas Curtis Hall, Frank J. and Eileen Kelly Hall, Joseph and Gemma Dupont Hall and William Guerin Hall.
Accreditation and Memberships
Saint Anselm College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. It holds membership in the Association of American Colleges & Universities, the Council of Independent Colleges, the Association of Catholic Colleges & Universities, Campus Compact for NH, the College Board, the New England Council and the Association of Benedictine Colleges and Universities. Education programs are approved by the N.H. Department of Education, Division of Higher Education - Higher Education Commission. Collegiate programs of preparation for the education professions are approved by the N.H. Department of Education, Council for Teacher Education. The College is on the approved list of the American Chemical Society and of the New Hampshire State Board of Education for teacher training. The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Saint Anselm College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org/). The Department of Nursing is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the National League for Nursing, and is approved by the New Hampshire Board of Nursing.
The New Hampshire College and University Council
Saint Anselm College is a member of the New Hampshire College and University Council, a consortium of New Hampshire institutions established for the purpose of institutional cooperation. Members include:
- Antioch University of New England
- Colby-Sawyer College
- Community College System of New Hampshire
- Franklin Pierce University
- Hellenic American University
- Keene State College
- Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
- New England College
- Plymouth State University
- Rivier University
- Southern NH University
- University of New Hampshire
A student exchange program allows students of one Council member institution to register for courses at other participating institutions.
The Alumni Association
The Saint Anselm College Alumni Association was organized in 1906. Membership is open to all holders of academic degrees conferred by the College and all other persons requesting membership who have completed at least one semester at the College. The purpose of the Association is to extend and support the College’s mission, assist the College in building resources necessary to support the continued development of the College’s student body, faculty, facilities and academic programs, and foster mutually beneficial relationships and connections among alumni.
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