Benedictine College: Colors, Traditions, and Academic Excellence
Benedictine College is a private Benedictine liberal arts college in Atchison, Kansas, United States. Established in 1971, it emerged from the merger of two venerable institutions: St. Benedict's College (founded 1858) for men and Mount St. Scholastica College (1923) for women. Sponsored by St. Benedict's Abbey and Mount St. Scholastica Monastery, the college carries forward a rich legacy of Benedictine values and academic pursuit. Benedictine College celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2008.
A Historical Overview
The story of Benedictine College begins with the arrival of two Benedictine monks in Atchison in 1858. At the request of John Baptist Miège, Vicar Apostolic of Leavenworth, they came from Doniphan and opened St. Benedict's College, a boarding school named for Benedict of Nursia, the founder of Western monasticism. The curriculum was primarily classical, designed to prepare students for the priesthood. The monks subsequently relocated their community to Atchison, establishing the present-day St. Benedict's Abbey. Recognizing the needs of the local population, composed mainly of pioneers and settlers, the college broadened its curriculum to include commerce subjects.
In 1863, the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, named after Scholastica, Benedict of Nursia's twin sister, arrived in Atchison. They founded St. Scholastica's Academy (now Maur Hill - Mount Academy) for young women in the area. To allow these young women to continue their education, Mount St. Scholastica's Junior College was established in 1924.
The Merger
In 1970, Alcuin Hemmen, then president of St. Benedict's College, made the announcement that St. Benedict's would become a co-educational college. Mary Noel Walter, president of Mount St. Scholastica College, had been proposing a merger of the two colleges for over a year. Following Alcuin's announcement, Walter organized discussion of a merger. The merger was agreed upon, and the universities merged on July 1, 1971, to form the current Benedictine College. The separate colleges' corporations remain in existence for scholarships and land ownership purposes and allowed the newly formed college a free 50-year lease of the separate colleges' facilities on their campuses. Benedictine College terminated the lease of the facilities from Mount St. Scholastica College on October 1, 1989, amidst financial hardship and continues to lease property from St. Benedict’s Abbey.
Academics and Programs
Benedictine College offers a wide range of academic programs. The most popular majors at Benedictine are Business, Education, and Theology. The School of Business offers bachelor's degrees and an MBA degree. The college's theology department grew out of St. Benedict's Abbey School of Theology and is the result of a 2007 shift from a Religious Studies program to a Catholic Theology program.
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In 2010, Benedictine College added an Engineering Department in which students earn ABET-accredited degrees. The following year, the college added a nursing program dedicated to Mother Teresa of Calcutta who once visited Mount St. Scholastica.
The college's Discovery Program gives students the opportunity to create and present original projects in any discipline. In 2010, Discovery Day included 80 presentations featuring the works of 145 students, 40 faculty/staff members, and 18 academic departments; "more than 1800 students have participated in Benedictine’s Discovery Day events since its inception in 1996.
Catholic Identity
Benedictine College maintains a strong Catholic identity. To ensure this, college faculty are required to obtain a mandatum from their local bishop and to take the oath of fidelity. The National Catholic Register's Catholic Identity College Guide notes that the president has made a public profession of faith and taken the oath of fidelity; the majority of the board of trustees are Catholic and the school's mandatum requirement is public.
Campus Life and Traditions
The college offers programs in the performing arts, including theatre, dance, and music. The college features two performance spaces: the Mabee Theatre seats approximately 130 and the O'Malley-McAllister Auditorium seats around 545 people. The Abbey Church and St. Scholastica chapel at Mount St. Scholastica Monastery provide space for worship.
The college's music department traces its roots to Mount St. Scholastica Academy, now Maur Hill - Mount Academy, when in 1863 the Benedictine sisters were said to have first purchased a house and then a piano. Mass is offered to students three times daily in several places, including St. Benedict's Abbey in its Abbey Church, St. Benedict's Church (a parish connected to one of the campus dorms, Elizabeth Hall), and Guadalupe chapel (located in the Abbey Crypt under the main church).
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Several active religious groups on campus include Communion and Liberation, Pax Christi, Ravens Respect Life, A Knights of Columbus Council, Partners in Prayer (in conjunction with Mount St. Scholastica Monastery), and the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), which was founded at Benedictine College by Curtis Martin. Campus worship opportunities including Life of Prayer, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, traditional Catholic processions and Guadalupe Day. Many students participate in perpetual adoration at St. Benedict's Parish on the edge of campus. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is recited weekly. Students are invited to pray the Divine Office with the monks in St. Benedict's Abbey or the sisters of Mount St. Scholastica Monastery. There are several places of prayer on or adjacent to campus: St. Martin's Chapel, St. Benedict's Abbey Church, Outdoor Stations of the Cross, Guadalupe Chapel, and St. Joseph Chapel in the Abbey. The school built Mary's Grotto, located in the center of campus, and Archbishop Joseph Naumann dedicated it in 2009. It is one of three outdoor devotional spaces dedicated to Mary located on the campus. In 2014, the school renamed its student union the St. John Paul II Student Union.
Athletics
The Benedictine athletic teams are called the Ravens. Benedictine competes in 20 intercollegiate varsity sports. The mascot "Rocky the Raven" is associated with St. Benedict, as legend has it a raven would bring the sixth-century saint food during his time as a hermit in the mountains near Subiaco, Italy. The legend also has the raven saving St. Benedict from being poisoned.
Benedictine University Eagles Colors
The Benedictine University Eagles colors are White, Black, Orange, and Gray. The Benedictine University Eagles team colors in Hex, RGB, and CMYK can be found below. The Benedictine University Eagles are a team from Lisle, IL.
The Benedictine University Eagles NCAA team Pantone colors are PMS 7436 C for White, PMS Neutral Black C for Black, PMS 1235 C for Orange, and PMS Cool Gray 9 C for Gray.
The Benedictine University Eagles color HEX codes are #FFFFFF for White, #231F20 for Black, #FBBF16 for Orange, and #7B7678 for Gray.
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The Benedictine University Eagles color RGB codes are (255, 255, 255) for White, (35, 31, 32) for Black, (251, 191, 22) for Orange, and (123, 118, 120) for Gray.
The Benedictine University Eagles color CMYK codes are are (0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0) for White, (0.0, 11.43, 8.57, 86.27) for Black, (0.0, 23.9, 91.24, 1.57) for Orange, and (0.0, 4.07, 2.44, 51.76) for Gray.
The Benedictine University Eagles logo colors are White, Black, Orange, and Gray. The White color code for the Benedictine University Eagles logo is Pantone: PMS 7436 C, Hex Color: #FFFFFF, RGB: (255, 255, 255), CMYK: (0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0). The Black color code for the Benedictine University Eagles logo is Pantone: PMS Neutral Black C, Hex Color: #231F20, RGB: (35, 31, 32), CMYK: (0.0, 11.43, 8.57, 86.27). The Orange color code for the Benedictine University Eagles logo is Pantone: PMS 1235 C, Hex Color: #FBBF16, RGB: (251, 191, 22), CMYK: (0.0, 23.9, 91.24, 1.57).
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