The College in a Castle: A History of Salve Regina

This class will look at Salve Regina’s history from its 1934 acquisition of a state charter to 1991 when the school changed its name to “Salve Regina University.” We will examine why Salve was established in Newport and explore its early expansion as it acquired additional properties in the 1950s and constructed new buildings on campus in the 1960s. We will then consider the late ‘60s, when the school fell into crisis, facing student unrest and mounting financial problems. In 1973, the college turned to a young sister from Chicago, Lucille McKillop, who immediately moved to make Salve co-educational and would go on to make a host of other major changes during her 21-year tenure as president.

John Quinn holds an A.B. degree from Georgetown University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Notre Dame University. John is chairman of the history department at Salve Regina University and specializes in Irish and American Catholic history. He is presently working on a history of the College.