Marist College

Founded in 1929, Marist University is a comprehensive, independent four-year institution whose signature educational approach blends the liberal arts with pre-professional studies and emphasizes experiential learning to enrich classroom instruction. With its main campus in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and branch campus in Florence, Italy, plus over 70 programs offering a variety of international study, Marist is a portal to the world and is devoted to nurturing a welcoming, inclusive community.

Through its six schools offering almost 50 majors, Marist cultivates the intellectual growth and well-being of its more than 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students. They are encouraged to create a unique and personalized combination of coursework and experiences in and out of the classroom that provide valuable personal growth and occupational expertise to reflect their individual passions.

Marist can trace its roots to 1905, when the Marist Brothers purchased property and a house from Thomas McPherson along the eastern shore of the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, NY. The Brothers named the building and property St. Ann's Hermitage. In 1908, the Brothers purchased the Edward Bech estate to enable the Hermitage to expand. Marist purchased additional property to the north and east and now consists of more than 150 acres.

In 1929, college-level courses were first offered. In 1946, the State of New York granted the institution an official, four-year charter under the leadership of founding president Brother Paul Ambrose Fontaine, FMS. The Brothers set about to construct several buildings on the grounds of what was then called Marian College: a gymnasium (now Marian Hall, a student residence) in 1947; Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel in 1953; the Brothers' residence, located on the site of the James A. Cannavino Library, in 1954; and Adrian Hall in 1957 (which was demolished in 2000).

Dr. Linus Richard Foy became president in 1958 and became, at age 28, the youngest college president in the United States. Marian College became Marist College in 1960. In that same year, the mission of the College was broadened to include the wider community. Lay male students were admitted to pursue undergraduate studies. An evening division was also introduced to serve the educational needs of the surrounding communities.

Sheahan Hall opened as the first campus residence hall in 1962. It was named for a long-time pastor of St. Peter's Church in Poughkeepsie, which was then the parish church of the Brothers and the College. It was followed in 1963 by Leo Hall, named for Brother Leo Brouilette, a former provincial of the Marist Brothers who was responsible for securing the 1929 charter for the Marist Normal Training School, the forerunner of modern-day Marist College, and Champagnat Hall, named for the founder of the Marist Brothers, Saint Marcellin Champagnat, in 1965. All three of these residence halls, which house first-year students, were recently renovated. Leonidoff Field, the College's first major athletic field, was named for benefactor Dr. Alexi Leonidoff and dedicated in 1968.

Women were admitted to the evening division in 1966. In 1968, women entered the day division, making the College fully coeducational. Ownership of the College was transferred in 1969 to the Marist College Educational Corporation with an independent, predominantly lay board of trustees. Nonetheless, the Marist Brothers' legacy of service and striving for excellence continues to inspire and enrich the academic life of the College. Donnelly Hall was built by the Brothers in 1962 and named for Brother Nilus Donnelly, who supervised construction of the 12 major campus facilities built by the Brothers. Donnelly Hall was renovated between 1989 and 1991 to house classrooms, lecture halls, a science center, the Fashion Program, the College's information technology facilities, a computer lab and administrative offices.

Under President Foy's leadership in the late 1960s, the College expanded programs for the educationally disadvantaged, added a computer center, instituted graduate programs in business administration and community psychology, and completed the James J. McCann Recreation Center.

In 1973, Marist began a cooperative program with area secondary schools in which selected high school seniors take first-year college courses through Marist and "bridge" into college. The following year, the College expanded its commitment to continuing education by increasing course offerings in the evening division and summer session. With the naming of Dr. Dennis J. Murray in 1979 to the presidency, Marist entered the 1980s as a vital coeducational liberal arts institution holding fast to the timeless values of its rich heritage while embracing advanced technology in the service of education. Another period of significant growth and development began and continues to this day.

To accommodate its rapidly growing student population, Marist built its first set of townhouses for upper-class students in 1982 and named them in honor of President Foy in 2003. Also in 1982, the former gymnasium was renovated to create a new residence called Marian Hall. Gartland Commons, a garden apartment complex for upper-class students overlooking the Hudson River at the north end of campus, was named for life trustee and benefactor John J. Gartland, Jr., and completed in 1985.

In 1984, Marist received $2.5 million in equipment and almost $2 million in software from the IBM Corporation to expand academic and administrative uses of computers on campus. Marist and IBM initiated a joint study in 1988 that has placed Marist among the most technologically advanced liberal arts institutions in the country. The study has given IBM an opportunity to test concepts and applications that IBM believes will be of value in business, education, and other fields. The joint study enabled Marist to put advanced computer and telecommunications technology to work in support of instructional, research, and administrative goals. Marist students actively take part in these research projects, giving them work experience and preparing them for the high-tech work force upon their graduation from Marist.

The Lowell Thomas Communications Center opened in 1987, allowing students to combine the disciplines of communications, math, and computer science in a state-of-the-art environment. The center is named for the legendary broadcast pioneer and explorer and Dutchess County neighbour who received an honorary doctorate from Marist in 1981. Displays of artifacts from the life and times of Lowell Thomas are on display, including rare photographs and mementos of a trip to Tibet made by Lowell Thomas and his son, Lowell, Jr., in 1949.

The opening of the Margaret M. and Charles H. Dyson Center in 1990 provided a home for the School of Management and the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, as well as the School of Professional Programs and Graduate & Adult Enrollment. In 1994, construction was completed on a $27 million project to create a new Student Center with an expansive bookstore, new dining facilities, and a Cabaret. The building also houses a dramatic rotunda and the Admissions Office. A mid-rise residence hall housing 382 students in suites, and new offices for Student Affairs and Student Government, were also included in the project. A new set of townhouses for 144 students opened that same year.

In 1995, the campus theatre in the Student Center was renovated through the generosity of Frank Fusco and was renamed the Nelly Goletti Theatre in memory of Mr. Fusco's late wife, a noted performer in the United States and Europe. The campus green adjacent to the Student Center was also completed in 1995 and presents a magnificent venue for outdoor performances and other student activities overlooking the Hudson River. It is also the site of Commencement ceremonies each May and was the setting for the opening ceremonies of the 2005 Empire State Games.

The McCann Center was expanded and renovated in 1997, adding 20,000 square feet to the existing center to accommodate the growing Marist student population and interest in recreational, intramural, and intercollegiate athletics. The addition includes a multi-purpose gym, cardiovascular center, weight training facility, and locker rooms. A new office complex in the original structure houses team coaches, a conference room, and the sports information department. A Plaza of Champions graces the entrance to the McCann Center, which is also the home to the country's first online athletics Hall of Fame.

Two new sets of townhouses for nearly 500 upper-class students opened in 1997 and 2000 on West Cedar Street, a short walk from the Marist campus. Another new townhouse complex on Fulton Street opened in fall 2005, with each townhouse offering individual bedrooms for 250 students. Marist also operates Talmadge Court, housing 37 students in apartments near the main campus.

In 2000, the 83,000-square-foot James A. Cannavino Library opened to national acclaim for its classic design and high-tech infrastructure. The library has more ports-per-student than any other academic library in the country, houses Marist's archival collections and a multimedia presentation room, and hosts several student academic services offices, including the Center for Career Services, the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), the Office of International Education, and the Writing Center.

Fontaine Hall, an academic building with classrooms, faculty and administrative offices, meeting space and a black box theater, replaced a building of the same name that had been located on the site of the Cannavino Library. Named for the founding president of modern-day Marist, Fontaine Hall houses multimedia classrooms, a black box theatre, a conference room overlooking the Hudson River, the School of Liberal Arts, the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, and the Office of Advancement, including the offices of Alumni Relations. Historic photographs documenting the life of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt are displayed on the first floor of Fontaine Hall, reminding the Marist community and visitors of the close affiliation between Marist and the FDR Presidential Library in neighboring Hyde Park.

Longview Park, a 12-acre parcel along the banks of the Hudson, opened to the general public in the fall of 2006. The park, which also houses two boathouses, was the site of the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Regatta, the national championships of rowing, from the late 19th century until 1949. The site, the home of the champion Marist men's and women's crew teams, still hosts intercollegiate and interscholastic crew meets and provides visitors with scenic vistas of the historic Hudson River Valley that have inspired presidents, painters, and poets.

Over the past century, Marist has transformed itself from a training ground for future Marist Brothers to a nationally ranked academy preparing leaders in business, industry, professions, and community and public service. A new chapter in the history of Marist was announced in 2006 - a master plan for the development of the campus. Marist has retained the services of the noted architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill with the goal of taking advantage of the picturesque location on the eastern shore of the Hudson River, further transforming the campus into one of the most scenic institutions of higher education in America.

The East Campus Tennis Pavilion opened in 2006 and features eight lighted, regulation-sized courts, a center walkway, and a pergola-covered spectator area. Marist joins the United State Military Academy and the United States Tennis Center in Queens, New York, host site of the U.S. Open, as the only tennis venues in the area that can boast a Deco II playing surface. Marist's Longview Park was completed in 2007 with a bike/walk path along the Hudson's shore, a fishing pier, the renovation of the historic Cornell boathouse, and better access to scenic vistas, particularly from the gazebo built on a promontory in the center of the park.

Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field, named for Marist Trustee Tim Tenney, whose leadership gift led to the construction of the facility, opened in October 2007, featuring a new grandstand with a large media facility and reception area, concession stand, restrooms and team rooms, plus state-of-the-art field turf, a new scoreboard, and amphitheater-style seating on the west side of the field for lawn chairs and blankets.

New student townhouses opened in 2008 as a result of the demolition of two smaller residence halls, Benoit and Gregory. In their place was built, in 2011, the Hancock Center, named for Marist Trustee Ellen Hancock, who provided the lead gift for the facility. Designed by noted firm Robert A.M. Stern Architects, the building is a stunning example of the Hudson River Valley vernacular, using the stone and brick that are signature elements of many of the region's great estates and institutions, such as the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. 

At the same time, it is a uniquely advanced building in its infrastructure and functionality, featuring a green roof and advanced teaching and research technology in its classrooms, the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, the School of Computer Science and Mathematics and its computer research labs, and a New York State-funded business development incubator. In concert with the project, nearby roadways were reconfigured and new green spaces were created.

Also in 2011, Marist, in partnership with the New York State Department of Transportation, undertook an ambitious project to create a beautiful new pedestrian underpass to link the Marist's main and east campuses such that students no longer have to cross busy Route 9.

In 2013, Marist undertook a hugely complex project, involving the construction of a new academic building to house the music programs and a complete renovation of the adjoining Student Center. The result is a Robert A.M. Stern-designed building that includes: a choral rehearsal and recital hall with tiered seating, a band rehearsal and recital hall with seating for over 300 people, three classrooms, a music library and conference room, string ensemble room, piano lab, computer lab, practive rooms, and faculty offices.

The new building connects seamlessly with the renovated Student Center, the centerpiece of which is a grand dining hall built around a former exterior courtyard, which was enclosed with a cathedral ceiling and features three, brass, custom-made chandeliers. The dining hall also includes a quiet dining area that can be used for group meals, and a patio for al fresco dining. Elsewhere in the Student Center, the Nelly Goletti Theatre and student activity spaces were all extensively renovated, and new activity spaces were added. The buildings began opening in phases, starting in August 2013, and were fully operational by November 2013.

Marist University's MBA program has received national recognition for its quality and flexibility. Notably, U.S. News and World Report ranked Marist's online MBA program among the top 50 in the nation, highlighting its academic rigour and accessibility . Additionally, Marist's MBA program holds accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, a distinction awarded to fewer than 5% of business schools worldwide.
 

The program offers an online format with five start terms annually, catering to working professionals seeking flexibility. Students can choose from concentrations in Ethical Leadership, Healthcare Administration, and Financial Management. Marist's MBA program accommodates the schedules of working adults, with over 90% of students completing their degree while employed full-time. The program's structure emphasizes practical application and leadership development, preparing graduates for advancement in various industries .

Marist University, formerly known as Marist College, demonstrates strong post-graduation success, underlining its focus on student achievement. For undergraduate students from the classes of 2018 to 2022, about 95.4% were either employed or pursuing further education within six months of graduating. This high placement rate is supported by comprehensive career services such as resume support, career coaching, and networking, with graduates securing roles at leading organisations including Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, NBCUniversal, and the NFL.

The university’s graduate programs also show positive outcomes. In the 2023–2024 academic year, 93% of Master of Public Administration (MPA) graduates who responded to surveys were employed, working across sectors such as government, nonprofits, and education. This reflects the relevance and effectiveness of the program in preparing students for diverse career paths. Marist’s MBA program maintains a 95% job placement rate overall, with particularly high employment in healthcare (97%), marketing (95%), technology (92%), and finance (90%). These results highlight Marist University’s strong career support and the ability of its academic programs to equip graduates for successful professional opportunities.

• Marist Branding Manual & Style Guide (PDF). 
• "History Marist Brothers". The Marist Brothers. 

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