Motto | Religio Moralitas Scientia |
---|---|
Motto in English
|
Divinity, Morality, Knowledge |
Type | Private, liberal arts college |
Active | 1889–2017 |
Affiliation | Roman Catholic Church (Missionaries of the Precious Blood) |
President | Robert Pastoor |
Academic staff
|
Green |
Students | 1,100 |
Location |
Rensselaer, IN, United States 40°55′11″N 87°09′21″W / 40.919611°N 87.155955°WCoordinates: 40°55′11″N 87°09′21″W / 40.919611°N 87.155955°W |
Campus | 180 acres (72.8 ha) rural |
Colors |
Purple and Cardinal |
Athletics | 18 NCAA Division II teams |
Nickname | Pumas |
Website | Official Website |
Saint Joseph's College (SJC; colloquially, Saint Joe) is a coeducational, private, Catholic liberal arts college located in Rensselaer, Indiana, United States. Around 1,100 students currently attend the College. Saint Joseph's College is ranked as a "Best Midwestern College" by The Princeton Review and U.S. News. On Feb. 3, 2017, the school announced it will temporarily suspend operations at the end of the 2016-2017 academic year.
The College was founded in 1889 by Father Joseph A. Stephan, a missionary from Germany as a secondary school to educate Native Americans. In 1962, President Eisenhower dedicated the Halleck Center (named after Republican representative Charles Halleck).
From 1944 to 1974, the Chicago Bears held their training camp at Saint Joseph's College. The 1971 film Brian's Song—about Brian Piccolo, a Chicago Bears running back who died from carcinoma in the 1970s—was filmed on campus. And a charity game for Joy Piccolo, the Bears vs college all-stars, was played on July 23, 1971. During training camp one year, Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus was reportedly seen out on a tractor in the cornfield adjacent to the campus. The College football all-star game was played at the College's football stadium, Alumni Stadium, for many years.
The main academic building burned to the ground in a disastrous fire in February 3, 1973. At the time, many thought the fire would close the school, but the school recovered.