Salve Regina University: Its Recent History

In 1991 Salve Regina reached a milestone when its president, Sr. Lucille McKillop, declared it a university. Sister Lucille accomplished much in her twenty-one-year presidency, but the school was still financially weak when she left office in 1994. Sr. Lucille’s successor, Sr. Therese Antone, worked to build the endowment and restore the Gilded Age mansions on campus. A talented fundraiser, Sr. Therese raised $76 million by 2005. The money she raised made possible the renovation of existing properties along with the construction of a new fieldhouse and chapel, both designed by the renowned architect, Robert A.M. Stern. In 2009, Sr. Jane Gerety, a University Trustee, succeeded Sr. Therese. Sr. Jane oversaw the overhaul of the O’Hare Academic Center and the University’s dining hall. However, when she tried to construct two new dorms on campus, many of the neighbors balked, leading to a lengthy court battle. In 2019, Sr. Jane was succeeded by Dr. Kelli Armstrong, who came from Boston College. Dr. Armstrong has faced many challenges: what to do about the dorms, how to handle COVID, and what to do about the decreasing number of 18-year-olds in New England.

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.