Saint Joseph's College of Maine: A Century of Tradition and Transformation
Saint Joseph's College of Maine, a private Catholic institution nestled on the shores of Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine, boasts a rich history rooted in the values of the Sisters of Mercy. Founded in 1912, the college has evolved from a small school for women into a co-educational institution offering a diverse range of academic programs and a vibrant campus life. This article delves into the college's history, exploring its founding, evolution, unique traditions, and its vision for the future.
Founding and Early Years
Saint Joseph's College was established in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, an Irish Catholic order founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin in 1831. McAuley's focus was on the education of young women. The Sisters of Mercy, now in locations worldwide, continue to emphasize education and hospitality. They hold spirituality, community, service, and social justice as their core values. Initially located on the grounds of the Sisters of Mercy convent in Portland, it was the first college in that city. Archival records and alumni recollections paint a picture of the college's early days. Sister Mary George O’Toole ’51, the college archivist, suggests that students at the Saint Joseph’s Academy high school on the convent grounds desired further education to become teachers.
A 1916 transcript identifies the college as the Saint Joseph’s Normal School for Girls. The curriculum included philosophy and theology, mirroring the academic requirements of today. Gloria Gallant ’49 recalls strict in-room study halls supervised by the nuns, with limited social opportunities. For much of its early years, the college was financed by the Motherhouse. Most of the faculty members were Sisters, and their salaries were recorded as “contributed services” - a common practice at Mercy-sponsored colleges. But in the 1980s, the Sisters decided that the college was old enough to support itself - much like a college student who has matured and gone on to earn a salary.
Transition and Growth
In 1956, Saint Joseph's moved to its present lakeside location on Whites Bridge Road in Standish. Before this move, it was briefly renamed the College of Our Lady of Mercy for seven years beginning in 1949 before reverting to its original title. A significant turning point came in 1970 when Saint Joseph’s (affectionately called Saint Joe’s) became co-educational, opening its doors to male students. This transition broadened the college's appeal and laid the foundation for its future growth. In 1976, the college further expanded its reach by offering distance-based education for working adults.
Once known primarily for its business, education, and nursing programs, the college now offers 40 majors, in areas such as sports management and radiologic science administration. The school has 1,000 undergraduates. Today, Saint Joseph's College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. The nursing program is also approved by the Maine State Board of Nursing and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Sigma Theta Tau International is the nursing honor society and exists to promote the development, dissemination and utilization of nursing knowledge. Sigma Theta Tau is committed to improving the health of people worldwide through increasing the scientific base of nursing practice.
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"The Monks": A Unique Athletic Identity
Saint Joseph's College is the only college or university in the United States, in any division, to have "The Monks" as its nickname. The history of Saint Joseph's College becoming "The Monks" dates back to 1970. It was only one year after the Board of Trustees decided that the College would become co-educational that then-College President Bernard P. Chris Kiernan was challenged to make the change to varsity sports and was literally starting from square one with no budget. The first big question -- where would he get uniforms? From his time at Assumption College, Kiernan knew that Assumption Prep was about to close its doors, so he called the prep school and asked if he could have their team uniforms.
What is a "Monk"? The term "Monk" describes a priest or religious who has dedicated his life to the church. Throughout history, traits common to Monks the world over include: "togetherness," "a group coming together with one purpose," "the struggles and importance of self-sacrifice," "physical and mental discipline," and "inner energy" - all traits that make for a good teammate, a good student-athlete.
One of the earliest Monk keepsakes in the Saint Joseph's College Athletics Department came from friends of President Currier. Fr. Edmond Haughey, C.S.C., Dean of Admissions at Stonehill College, and Fr. John Corr, C.S.C., President of Stonehill College, who was also a member of Saint Joseph's Board of Trustees, were traveling in Ireland one summer and purchased the small wooden replica of a Monk for President Currier. President Currier kept the Monk statue in his office until he passed away in December 1978, when it was given to Chris Kiernan by President Currier's widow. Kiernan returned the Monk to Saint Joseph's at the inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony in November 2000.
The Monk logo has seen many versions, one was put to cartoon form in the 1970s and revised in 1999 by local cartoonist Steve Meyers. In April 2007, a new version of the Monk logo was unveiled. In the summer of 2019, the latest iteration of the Monks logo was revealed. Eric Rickabaugh, owner and creative director at Rickabaugh Graphics, an Ohio based company with extensive experience in collegiate athletics branding, was the principal designer behind the artwork. Rickabaugh worked closely with several members of the SJC Athletics staff to create new marks that both modernize the former iteration and assist in differentiating "Saint Joseph's College of Maine" from other similarly named institutions.
"After nearly 15 years with our former logo, the time was right to modernize our marks," said Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications Corey McCarthy. "In the last four years our student-athletes have brought distinction to our athletic programs by capturing 12 conference championships with 13 national tournament appearances while earning numerous academic, conference, regional and national honors. We have also witnessed growth in our fundraising support, sponsorships participation, and attendance at our games. Current and former student-athletes know they are unique and know they carry a special tradition when they don the Saint Joseph's College royal blue and white.
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St. Saint Joseph's College teams are known as the Monks. The college fields NCAA Division III sport in soccer, track and field, volleyball (women only), swimming, basketball, golf, field hockey, baseball, softball, lacrosse, and cross country. The college is a member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). The 2012 SJC baseball team was ranked 14th in the country in the DIII NCAA ranking. The baseball rankings for the 2013 season was projecting SJC at 12th in the country.
Campus Life and Learning Environment
Saint Joseph’s College emphasizes the importance of making connections with others while on campus and with having practical life experiences that may lead to future employment. Students are given business cards with their names on them when they arrive as freshmen and are encouraged to use these for networking purposes. They also participate in the Connections program, which gives them access to career development workshops.
Saint Joseph's College is billed as the place "where community grows," its focused curriculum, values-centered environment, and rich student life programs grow leaders with the confidence to pursue their calling. Classes across Saint Joseph's academic programs are small, hands-on, and career-focused. Internships, community service projects, lab research and field work are a regular part of the learning experience.
The college provides a welcoming environment with a strong sense of community. Administrative buildings constructed in the French Normandy style share space with seventies-era concrete block dormitories and the ultramodern Harold Alfond Center sports complex. Adirondack chairs dot the lawns and a large firepit in the center of the campus speaks to the close-knit nature of this school. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the natural lakefront setting, which features a view of Mount Washington and the White Mountains in the distance. They can rent kayaks and paddleboards, take a ski bus to nearby resorts in winter, or hike the forested trails.
More than 35 percent of Saint Joseph’s undergraduates are varsity athletes, excelling in sports such as basketball and baseball. Team players are known as the Monks.
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Saint Joseph's incredible Maine location is worth a visit. Perched on Sebago Lake with its own private beach and breathtaking views of the White Mountains, Portland is just 30 minutes away and Boston is just two hours. Open houses are a great way to explore Saint Joe's. Prospective students will have the chance to take a tour, meet with faculty and current students, and hear about the admission process.
Pearson's Town Farm: A Commitment to Sustainability
With the need for future athletic fields in mind, the school bought the property across Whites Bridge Road from their main campus in 2000. Then, Dlugos explains, fate intervened in the form of a difficult economy. “The property was sitting idle and some folks on campus said, ‘We like to garden. Can we go over there and plant some tomatoes?,’” recalls Dlugos. In the summer of 2005, the on-campus dining service general manager, Stuart Leckie, and Saint Joseph’s graduate Matthew Olson began a small garden project at the Whites Bridge property. By 2009, a full-time farm manager had been hired and the garden was supplying produce to students at meals. “From there, the farm just grew organically,” says Dlugos. “We have to be thankful for the little accidents of history.”
Pearson’s Town Farm is now licensed to sell everything it produces, including vegetables, sheep, goats, alpacas, and chickens. The farm, which is in the process of expanding its fields from one to five acres, operates on the principles of permaculture. Permaculture attempts to draw from what is available in the local ecosystem. “Agriculture is so intensely dependent on foreign inputs,” says Russell. “Fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, feed, seeds-these things most farms have to ship in, so there’s a carbon footprint. When we look at nature, by and large it’s in balance. If something goes a little out of whack, it corrects itself very quickly.” Pearson’s Town Farm has an active composting system, returning nutrients to the soil through the recycling of food scraps and discarded plant matter. The school is particularly proud of its “farm-to-fork” model. What it can’t grow at Pearson’s Town Farm, it sources from carefully chosen local vendors. “Forty-four percent of our food comes from within 300 miles,” says Dlugos. During a recent visit to the campus, the menu featured Peppermint Fields Beef from Fryeburg, bread from Botto’s Bakery in Portland, and tomatoes from Backyard Farms in Madison.
A Vision for the Future
The principles of permaculture, and the importance of the regional ecosystem, have made their way into a larger discussion about the future of Saint Joseph’s. “The challenges in education are the same everywhere,” says Dlugos. “But the solutions are local.” Dlugos believes that utilizing what the college already has access to-474 acres of farms and forest, 2,100 feet of Sebago Lake shorefront, and a strong student and alumni base with high-level educational programs-is the key to its future. “The traditional business model for higher education, which has been ‘one size fits all,’ has probably never really worked for smaller colleges,” says Dlugos.
In collaboration with the Knickerbocker Group, Saint Joseph’s has created plans for what they are calling the Westerlea complex: a lakeside four-season lodge, cottages, and residential housing for those 55 and older and a multi-age learning center. The college also plans to convert the Pearson’s Town Farm stone barn into a wedding and event venue. “The cross-cutting themes in our strategic plan are wellness and sustainability,” Dlugos continues. “Wellness is the human name for sustainability. When we talk about that, we don’t just mean recycling and we don’t just mean buying produce locally, although these are important. If we care about philosophy, if we care about the classics, if we care about the liberal arts tradition, what are we doing today to ensure that they will be here 50 or 100 years from now? Saint Joseph’s continues to invest in the future, through programs such as Pearson’s Town Farm and the Westerlea project, with the mission of the Sisters of Mercy firmly in mind.
For Russell, the importance of community can’t be overemphasized and reflects the connectivity principles of permaculture that he holds dear. “Farming is important and sustainability is important, but community building is the most important,” says Russell.
Core Values and Mission
The school’s original mission, as identified by the nuns of the Sisters of Mercy who built Saint Joseph’s College, remains important. An Irish Catholic layperson named Catherine McAuley founded the Sisters of Mercy in Dublin in 1831. Her focus was on the education of young women. The Sisters of Mercy, now in locations worldwide, continue to emphasize education and hospitality. They hold spirituality, community, service, and social justice as their core values.
“Intellectual and spiritual development are happening at the same time while students are at Saint Joe’s,” says Sister Michele Aronica. Aronica, an alumna of Saint Joseph’s, worked as a policewoman on Long Island before completing her education in sociology. In 1970 she came to Saint Joe’s to be part of the first coeducational class at the college. She is now the head of the sociology department and advises many students on both academic and life skills.
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