Motto | Ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus |
---|---|
Motto in English
|
That in all things God may be glorified |
Type | Private liberal arts college |
Established | April 21, 1876 |
Affiliation | Roman Catholic (Benedictine) |
Endowment | $8.02 million (2014) |
Chancellor | Abbot Placid Solari |
President | Dr. William K. Thierfelder |
Academic staff
|
75 full-time |
Students | 1,493 (2015) |
Location | Belmont, North Carolina, USA |
Campus | Suburban |
Newspaper | The Crusader |
Colors |
Crimson and cream |
Athletics | NCAA Division II – Conference Carolinas |
Nickname | Crusaders |
Mascot | Crusader |
Affiliations |
ACCU ABCU CIC NAICU |
Website | BelmontAbbeyCollege.edu |
|
|
Belmont Abbey Historic District
|
|
Location | 100 Belmont--Mt. Holly Rd. Belmont, North Carolina |
Area | 37.5 acres (15.2 ha) |
Built | 1876 |
Architectural style | Other, Gothic Revival, American Benedictine |
NRHP Reference # | 93000584 |
Added to NRHP | July 14, 1993 |
Belmont Abbey College is a private liberal-arts Catholic college located in Belmont, North Carolina, USA, about 15 miles (24 km) west of Uptown Charlotte. It was founded in 1876 by the Benedictine monks of Belmont Abbey. The school is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church and the Order of Saint Benedict. It is endorsed by The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College.
Offering an undergraduate education, the college enrolls students from diverse ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds.
As a result of the closing of Sacred Heart College (see below), Belmont Abbey is the only college in North Carolina affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church.
Belmont Abbey College was founded in 1876 as St. Mary's College by Benedictine monks from Saint Vincent Archabbey in Pennsylvania. Father Jeremiah O'Connell purchased Caldwell farm and donated the land to the Benedictines, hoping the community would found a Catholic educational institution in the Carolinas. On April 21, 1876, Father Herman Wolfe, from St. Vincent's, arrived with two students to take possession of the property and begin classes. In 1878, the college held its first commencement exercises. Katharine Drexel, a benefactor of the monastery and college, visited Belmont Abbey in 1904. The present name of the college was adopted in 1913. In 1967 John Oetgen, college president and Benedictine priest, conferred an honorary degree on the Protestant evangelist Billy Graham, marking what was at the time seen as a bold ecumenical gesture. Originally a college for young men, Belmont Abbey became a coeducational institution in 1972. In 1987, Sacred Heart College for women merged with the Abbey, and its campus began to host a variety of Abbey classes and programs.