Saint Francis University

Catholic university in Loretto, Pennsylvania, US.

This article is about the university in Pennsylvania. For the college in New York, see St. Francis College. For the university in Indiana, see University of Saint Francis (Indiana). For the university in Hong Kong, see Saint Francis University (Hong Kong). For other uses, see University of Saint Francis.

Saint Francis University

Former name

| Saint Francis College (1847–2001)
Type| Private university
Established| 1847; 178 years ago (1847)

Religious affiliation

| Catholic Church
Endowment| $51.9 million (2020)[1]
President| Malachi Van Tassell

Academic staff

| 131[2]
Undergraduates| 1,691[3]
Postgraduates| 540[3]
Location|

Loretto

Pennsylvania

United States

40°30′15″N 78°38′15″W﻿ / ﻿40.50417°N 78.63750°W﻿ / 40.50417; -78.63750
Campus| Rural, 600 acres (243 ha)
Colors| Red and White
Nickname| Red Flash

Sporting affiliations

* NCAA Division I – NEC
CWPA

Website| www.francis.edu

Saint Francis University (SFU) is a private Catholic university in Loretto, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1847 and conducted under the tradition of the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular. The university is situated on 600 acres (243 ha) in the forests and farmland of Loretto.

## History

[edit]

Saint Francis College was established in 1847 by six Franciscan teaching Brothers from Mountbellew, Ireland, who had been given land in Loretto by Michael O'Connor, the first Bishop of Pittsburgh, to establish a school.[4] The university was one of the first Catholic universities in the United States and the first Franciscan college in the nation. Although it originally only admitted males, it became one of the first Catholic Universities to become co-educational. Loretto is the site of the first English-language Roman Catholic settlement established west of the Allegheny Front, in what is now the United States, by Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin in 1799.

In 2001, Saint Francis College was approved to become a university by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and renamed "Saint Francis University".

## Academics

[edit]

Saint Francis University enrolls approximately 1,658 undergraduate students (of whom 1,392 are traditional students and 266 are continuing education students) and 527 graduate students.[5] The university offers 25 undergraduate majors and 7 graduate fields of study (including Physical Therapy, in which the university awards a doctorate) to its students.[4] The university maintains an average graduation rate of 70.3%.[2]

## Campus

[edit]

The main building for the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, which also has a number of smaller facilities across the local region, is located on campus. Also on the campus are The DiSepio Institute for Rural Health and Wellness,[6] the Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation (CSOR),[7] Center for Watershed Research & Service,[8] and The Institute for Contemporary Franciscan Life.[9]

Immergrün Golf Course is a semi-private, nine-hole, regulation-length 3,234-yard, par-36 course on rye grass located on the campus of Saint Francis University at 105 Saint Elizabeth Street. Immergrün has not been altered since Donald Ross built it for the steel magnate Charles M. Schwab in 1917.[10]

Saint Francis University also runs a campus at Ambialet France in the Midi-Pyrénées.[11] All classes are in English.

Saint Francis University campus

* The John F. Kennedy Center

* DeGol Field

* North Campus

* Mt. Assisi Gardens, which are located on the former Schwab Estate.

## Athletics

[edit]

Main article: Saint Francis Red Flash

See also: Saint Francis Red Flash men's basketball and Saint Francis Red Flash football

Saint Francis's NCAA Division I program includes 22 varsity teams, with 9 sports for men and 13 for women. The school is a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC).

On March 25, 2025, Saint Francis announced that it would move to NCAA Division III beginning with the 2026–27 athletic year.[12]

## Notable alumni

[edit]

* Jeff Bower – professional basketball manager and college basketball coach.[13][14]
* Captain Paul Boyton (1848–1924) - author, inventor, and member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame.[15]
* James Casorio (Master's Degree in 1995) – Representative Pennsylvania House of Representatives 1997–2010.[16]
* Dominic Joseph Mike Ryba (1903–1971) – professional baseball player.[17]
* Calvin Fowler (1940–2013) – professional and Olympic basketball player.[18]
* Mike Iuzzolino – professional basketball player and coach.[19]
* Lorenzo Jerome \- professional football player.[20]
* Nick Kolarac – professional soccer player.[21]
* Rob Krimmel – college basketball coach.[22]
* John Michael Kudrick – Eastern Catholic prelate and the current bishop of Parma for the Byzantines.
* Scott Layden – professional basketball manager and team owner.[23]
* Brennan Manning (christened Richard Francis Xavier Manning) (1934–2013) – Christian author (e. g., The Ragamuffin Gospel), friar, priest and speaker.
* John A. Nagy – author on espionage and mutinies of the American Revolution.
* John Naioti (1921–1990) – professional football player.[24]
* Steve Oroho – Republican Party politician, who has served since January 2008 in the New Jersey Senate, where he represents the 24th Legislative District.
* Tadeusz Piotrowski – author and sociologist.[25]
* Kevin Porter – professional basketball player.[26]
* Charles M. Schwab (1862–1939) – industrialist and member of the American Metal Market Steel Hall of Fame.[27]
* Brian Sell – Distance runner and member of USA 2008 Olympic men's marathon team.[28]
* Maurice Stokes (1933–1970) – professional basketball player; the NBA Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award is named in his honor.[29]
* Thomas Joseph Tobin – current bishop of Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island.
* Norm Van Lier (1947–2009) – "Stormin' Norman," professional basketball player.[30]
* Jason M. Walsh \- District Attorney of Washington County, Pennsylvania.
* Justin Walsh \- Court of Common Pleas Judge in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ As of June 30, 2020. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2020 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY19 to FY20 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
2. ^ a b "Flash Facts, Rankings, and More – Saint Francis University". francis.edu. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
3. ^ a b As Fall 2019."Institutional Research & Effectiveness". Retrieved 2020-12-01.
4. ^ a b History of Saint Francis University Archived 2007-07-12 at the Wayback Machine
5. ^ As 2019-20."2019-20 SFU student body fast facts". Retrieved 2019-12-02.
6. ^ [1] Archived August 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
7. ^ "CSOR - SFU launches Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation". francis.edu. Retrieved 2016-10-07.
8. ^ "Center for Watershed Research & Service". Francis.edu. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
9. ^ "Institute for Contemporary Franciscan Life". Francis.edu. 2015-06-30. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
10. ^ "immergrungolfclub.com". immergrungolfclub.com. 2012-01-06. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
11. ^ "Semester in France". Francis.edu. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
12. ^ "First Four's St. Francis moving to D-III in 2026". ESPN.com. 2025-03-25. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
13. ^ "Marist hires Jeff Bower as new basketball coach". 10 April 2013. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
14. ^ Farrell, Perry A. "Pistons GM Jeff Bower honored in sports Hall of Fame in Pennsylvania". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
15. ^ Tobin Center Staff (2010-05-01). "Boyton (Captain Paul) Collection". St. Francis University Tobin Center Archives Collections. (Information submitted by Nagy, John A. to the archive center via email on May 1, 2010): Additional Information – via Margaret M. Tobin Center for Archives and Special Collections.
16. ^ "The Pennsylvania House of Representatives". 2008-06-04. Archived from the original on 4 June 2008. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
17. ^ "Mike Ryba Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
18. ^ "Amateur Athletic Union Basketball". Apbr.org. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
19. ^ "Mike Iuzzolino (2001) - Saint Francis University Athletics Hall of Fame". Saint Francis University Athletics. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
20. ^ Staff Reports (2019-01-08). "Former St. Francis (Pa.) standout Lorenzo Jerome signs with Calgary of CFL". Trib LIVE. Trib Total Media. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
21. ^ "Saint Francis U Alum Nick Kolarac Signs With Philadelphia Fury". northeastconference.org. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
22. ^ "Rob Krimmel - Head Coach - Staff Directory". Saint Francis University Athletics. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
23. ^ "NBA.com Scott Layden". www.nba.com.
24. ^ Beal, Barry (2014-05-16). "Saint Francis Has a History with the NFL". Saint Francis University Athletics. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
25. ^ "Thaddeus Piotrowski | University of New Hampshire at Manchester". 2013-07-21. Archived from the original on 2013-07-21. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
26. ^ "Kevin Porter (2003) - Saint Francis University Athletics Hall of Fame". Saint Francis University Athletics. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
27. ^ "Charles M. Schwab – Steel & Mining Magnate – Legends of America". www.legendsofamerica.com. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
28. ^ "Athlete bio: Brian Sell". USA Track & Field.
29. ^ "Maurice Stokes (1996) - Saint Francis University Athletics Hall of Fame". Saint Francis University Athletics. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
30. ^ "Norm Van Lier (1999) - Saint Francis University Athletics Hall of Fame". Saint Francis University Athletics. Retrieved 2022-03-14.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Saint Francis Athletics website

* v
* t
* e

Private colleges and universities in Pennsylvania

Liberal arts
colleges|

* Albright
* Allegheny
* Bryn Mawr
* Cedar Crest
* Chatham
* Dickinson
* Elizabethtown
* Franklin & Marshall
* Geneva
* Gettysburg
* Grove City
* Haverford
* Juniata
* King's
* Lafayette
* Lebanon Valley
* Lycoming
* Marywood
* Mercyhurst
* Moravian
* Muhlenberg
* Saint Vincent
* Susquehanna
* Swarthmore
* Ursinus
* Washington & Jefferson
* Waynesburg
* Westminster
* Wilson
* York

Universities
and colleges|

* Alvernia
* The American College
* Arcadia
* Art Institute of Philadelphia
* Bucknell
* Bryn Athyn
* Cairn
* Carlow
* Carnegie Mellon
* Chestnut Hill
* Curtis Institute of Music
* Delaware Valley
* DeSales
* Drexel
* Duquesne
* Eastern
* Gannon
* Gratz
* Gwynedd Mercy
* Harcum
* Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
* Holy Family
* Hussian School of Art
* Immaculata
* Keystone
* La Roche
* La Salle
* Lackawanna
* Lancaster Bible
* Lehigh
* Manor
* Marywood
* Messiah
* Misericordia
* Moore College of Art and Design
* Mount Aloysius
* Neumann
* Peirce
* Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
* Philadelphia
* Pittsburgh Institute
* Point Park
* Robert Morris
* Rosemont
* St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
* Saint Francis
* Saint Joseph's
* Salus
* Seton Hill
* Thiel
* Thomas Jefferson
* University of Pennsylvania
* University of Scranton
* University of Valley Forge
* Villanova
* Widener
* Wilkes

* v
* t
* e

Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities

* Alvernia University
* Briar Cliff University
* Felician University
* Franciscan University of Steubenville
* Franciscan School of Theology
* Hilbert College
* Lourdes University
* Madonna University
* Marian University
* Neumann University
* Quincy University
* Siena College
* St. Bonaventure University
* St. Francis College
* St. Francis University
* University of St. Francis (IL)
* University of Saint Francis (IN)
* Viterbo University

* v
* t
* e

Northeast Conference

Full members|

* Central Connecticut Blue Devils
* Chicago State Cougars
* Fairleigh Dickinson Knights
* Le Moyne College Dolphins
* LIU Sharks
* Mercyhurst Lakers
* New Haven Chargers
* Saint Francis Red Flash (leaving in 2026)
* Stonehill Skyhawks
* Wagner Seahawks

Associate members|

* Binghamton Bearcats5 12
* Cleveland State Vikings7
* Coppin State Eagles1
* Daemen Wildcats13
* Delaware State Hornets1 6 8 9
* Detroit Mercy Titans7
* D'Youville Saints13
* Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks1 5 6 13
* Norfolk State Spartans1
* Duquesne Dukes2 4
* Fairfield Stags3
* Howard Bison5 6 8 9 10 11
* Manhattan Jaspers13
* Merrimack Warriors3
* Monmouth Hawks2
* Niagara Purple Eagles2
* North Carolina Central Eagles5 6
* Rider Broncs3
* Robert Morris Colonials4 7
* Sacred Heart Pioneers3
* VMI Keydets7

* 1baseball
* 2bowling
* 3field hockey
* 4football
* 5men's golf
* 6women's golf
* 7men's lacrosse
* 8women's lacrosse
* 9men's soccer
* 10women's soccer
* 11men's / women's swimming
* 12men's / women's tennis
* 13men's volleyball

* v
* t
* e

Presidents' Athletic Conference

Full members|

* Allegheny Gators
* Bethany Bison
* Chatham Cougars
* Franciscan Barons
* Geneva Golden Tornadoes
* Grove City Wolverines
* Hiram Terriers
* Saint Vincent Bearcats
* Thiel Tomcats
* Washington & Jefferson Presidents
* Waynesburg Yellow Jackets
* Westminster Titans

Associate members|

* Case Western Reserve Spartans1

Future members|

* Saint Francis Red Flash (joining in 2026)

* 1football-only member

* v
* t
* e

Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association

Current members|

* Charleston Golden Eagles
* George Mason Patriots
* Harvard Crimson
* NJIT Highlanders
* Penn State Nittany Lions
* Princeton Tigers
* Sacred Heart Pioneers

Former members|

* Concordia Clippers
* East Stroudsburg Warriors
* Juniata Eagles
* New Haven Chargers
* New Paltz Hawks
* NYU Violets
* Queens Knights
* Rutgers–Newark Scarlet Raiders
* St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers
* Saint Francis Red Flash
* Springfield Pride
* Vassar Brewers

* v
* t
* e

Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona–Johnstown

Bishops|

Eugene A. Garvey
John Joseph McCort
Richard Thomas Guilfoyle
Howard Joseph Carroll
Joseph Carroll McCormick
James John Hogan
Joseph Victor Adamec
Mark Leonard Bartchak

Churches|

Cathedrals
Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Altoona
St. John Gualbert Cathedral, Johnstown

Basilica
Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel, Loretto

Education|

Higher education
Mount Aloysius College, Cresson
Saint Francis University (Pennsylvania), Loretto

High schools
Bishop Carroll High School, Ebensburg
Bishop Guilfoyle High School, Altoona
Bishop McCort High School, Johnstown
Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy, Boalsburg

* Catholicism portal

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* United States

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template