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The University of San Francisco is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic university in the United States. Located in San Francisco, California, it was founded by the Society of Jesus. Today, the university is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The University is known for its high standard and serious academic rigor.
History
Founded as Saint Ignatius Academy by the Italian Jesuits Anthony Maraschi and Michael Accolti in 1855, USF began life in a wood frame building along Market Street in what later became downtown San Francisco. A charter from the state of California in 1859 changed the school's name to Saint Ignatius College and granted it the power to confer degrees. The original curriculum included Greek, Spanish, Latin, English, French, Italian, algebra, arithmetic, history, geography, elocution, and bookkeeping.
A new building was constructed in 1862 to replace the first frame building and the first degree was awarded a year later. In 1880, the college moved from Market Street to a new site on the corner of Hayes Street and Van Ness Avenue (currently occupied by the Davies Symphony Hall). The third Saint Ignatius College was destroyed in the earthquake and fire of 1906 and the campus moved further westward to the corner of Hayes and Shrader Streets, close to Golden Gate Park. The college moved to its present site, a 51 acre (206,000 m²) campus on the south slope of Lone Mountain, in 1927.
To celebrate its diamond jubilee in 1930, Saint Ignatius College became the University of San Francisco. A male-only school for most of its history, USF became fully coeducational in 1964.
Today USF is organized into six academic divisions, with 7,487 students and 506 faculty members. The university also operates five regional campuses around northern California. USF is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Structure and degrees
Students enjoy a sunny day in Harney Plaza. In the background is the Harney Science Center. The university's academic divisions (with dates of establishment):
- College of Arts and Sciences (Originally the whole university; became a distinct entity in 1926, reorganized 1982)
- College of Professional Studies (1981)
- School of Business and Management (1947, reorganized 1999)
- School of Education (1972)
- School of Law (1912)
- School of Nursing (1954)
The university offers the following degrees:
- Bachelor of Arts (BA)
- Bachelor of Sciences (BS)
- Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA)
- Master of Arts (MA)
- Master of Sciences (MS)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Juris Doctor (JD)
As of Fall 2003, university enrollment is 4,031 undergraduate students and 3,456 graduate students.
Miscellany
Bill Russell being carried off the court after leading USF to its first NCAA basketball tournament title in 1955. - Because of its location on one of San Francisco's major hills, USF's nickname is "The Hilltop." The present university is built on the site of several former cemeteries.
- Reflecting its close historical ties with San Francisco, the university's motto is Pro Urbe et Universitate.
- Anthony Maraschi, SJ, the university's first president, was also a professor and the college's treasurer, and served as Saint Ignatius Church's first pastor.
- The university mascot is the Don and USF's athletic teams compete in NCAA Division 1 with the West Coast Conference. USF is one of the founding members of the WCC.
- USF athletics have won nine collegiate titles: three in basketball, five in soccer (including a co-championship with Penn State in 1949) and an individual title in tennis.
- The 1951 USF football team has the unfortunate distinction of being one of the few undefeated college teams in history not to be invited to a postseason bowl game, because USF included African-American players on their team in a time when this was not a widely accepted practice in college football.
- The first ever Flash mob computing event took place at USF on April 7, 2004.
- Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the President of the Republic of the Philippines was awarded an honorary doctorate from USF on November 18, 2004.
Notable alumni
- Bill Cartwright, former NBA player
- Barbara Clara, beauty queen
- Heather Fong, San Francisco police chief
- Kimberly Guilfoyle-Newsom, former assistant San Francisco district attorney and television personality
- David Herlihy, historian
- K.C. Jones, Basketball Hall of Famer
- Gino Marchetti, Pro Football Hall of Famer
- Ollie Matson, Pro Football Hall of Famer
- James D. Phelan, former mayor of San Francisco and United States Senator
- Pete Rozelle, former NFL commissioner and Pro Football Hall of Famer
- Bill Russell, Basketball Hall of Famer
- Pierre Salinger, former press secretary under President John F. Kennedy and United States Senator
- Bob St. Clair, Pro Football Hall of Famer
- Alejandro Toledo, president of Peru (BA)
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