Annhurst College

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Annhurst College
Former name
Ker-Anna Junior College
Motto
Deus Primus Serviatur[1]
Active1941 (1941)–1980 (1980)
FounderMother Marie-Louis du Sacré-Coeur, D.H.S.
Religious affiliation
Catholic
Location
South Woodstock
,
Connecticut
,
United States

41°55′41″N 71°57′25″W / 41.928°N 71.957°W / 41.928; -71.957

Annhurst College was a private American Catholic college in South Woodstock, Connecticut, which operated from 1941 to 1980. The school was founded and administered by the Daughters of the Holy Spirit (at that time known as the Daughters of the Holy Ghost), a religious congregation of women founded in France in 1706, who are primarily dedicated to education. The college's curriculum was career-focused.

Annhurst was a women's college for most of its history, and began accepting male students for full-time studies in the fall of 1972.[2]

History[edit]

A vintage postcard of Annhurst College.

Annhurst College was founded in 1940 by Mother Marie-Louis du Sacré-Coeur, D.H.S., the Provincial Superior of the American Province of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit, as Ker-Anna Junior College, an all-women's institution. The name honored a major French shrine to Saint Ann located in the village of Sainte-Anne-d'Auray in Brittany, the region of France where the Sisters had been founded and first served. The first classes were held on September 23, 1941.[3] The name was changed two years later, when the school was accredited as a full four-year college by the State of Connecticut.[4] The new name was created as a combination of "Ann" with the Old English suffix "-hurst," referring to the grove-like setting of the campus.[5]

Student life on campus included a newspaper called The Heather, a yearbook called The Sylvan, and athletic programs.[6][7] An alumnae association was formed in 1945 by the first graduating class.[8] Students called their college "Annie U."[9]

Annhurst had an active arts community. The college sponsored and housed the Eastern Connecticut Performing Arts Group, which had 50 members at the time of the college's closure.[10] In 1967, the college decided to construct a new fine arts building to meet demand;[11] it opened in 1970 as the Annhurst College Cultural Center.[12][13] Although a private, Catholic college, Annhurst had received state funding for its cultural center's construction.[14] This was found not to be in violation of the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution by the Supreme Court of the United States in Tilton v. Richardson (1970).[15][16]

In its final years, administrators tried multiple approaches to counter the college's mounting debt, which reached $4 million (USD) by 1980.[17] Co-educational evening and part-time students were accepted by 1971,[18] with men admitted as full students starting in 1972.[2] The Annhurst International Institute provided English as a second language education to international students.[19] In 1977, the college began offering admission to students with learning disabilities who were unable to complete high school.[20] In an appeal to Catholic students, administrators emphasized philosophy and religion in the curriculum.[10] A month before closing, the college auctioned off physical assets, including its sign.[17]

At its closing in May 1980,[21] Annhurst had 350 students,[17] 25 of whom were male.[citation needed].

Former campus[edit]

The rural 180-acre (0.73 km2) campus[17] was sold to Data General Corporation, headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts.[22] The Data General Facilities group, led by Roland Quillia, converted the college to a Field Engineering training center. The converted Data General field engineering training center opened in November 1981.

In 1997, the campus was sold to Hyde School, based in Bath, Maine.

In 2017, the campus was purchased by the locally based Woodstock Academy.[23] The former Annhurst College Student Center is named Annhurst Hall.[9]

Notable people[edit]

Notable alumni include:

Notable faculty and administrators included:

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Annhurst College in Connecticut Among Few In Nation Offering Lithuanian Courses". The Anchor. Diocese of Fall River. February 1, 1962. p. 15. Retrieved September 12, 2018 – via issuu.
  2. ^ a b "Annhurst Opens College to Men". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. July 25, 1972. p. 10. Retrieved September 12, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "KER-ANNA". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. April 28, 1941. p. 2. Retrieved September 12, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "New Women's College". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. April 7, 1943. p. 18. Retrieved September 12, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "State Board Accredits New College". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. May 26, 1944. p. 2. Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Society and Clubs". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. October 31, 1945. p. 13. Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Society and Clubs". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. November 15, 1945. p. 17. Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Annhurst College Forms Association of Alumni". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. June 3, 1945. p. 6A. Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b "Annhurst College Alumni Go Home". Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  10. ^ a b "Performing Arts Group Seeks 6-Month Extension". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. February 12, 1980. p. E24. Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Advertisement for Bids". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. August 19, 1967. p. 9. Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Selectmen View 1970 As Year of Achievement". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. January 3, 1971. p. 10B. Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Director Praises Theater Facilities". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. March 25, 1971. p. 34. Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Ringle, William (February 16, 1971). "Parochial Aid Cases Going to Top". Binghamton Press. Binghamton, New York. p. 7B. Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "TILTON v. RICHARDSON". Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  16. ^ "High court rules out private school aids". Kenosha News. Kenosha, Wisconsin. June 28, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  17. ^ a b c d Kelley, Dan (April 14, 1980). "College's Property Becomes Memorabilia". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. p. 17. Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Extension Course". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. January 1, 1971. p. 18. Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "33 Students Get Awards At Institute". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. May 14, 1978. p. 19C. Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Annhurst Committee to Investigate Rules". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. April 8, 1977. p. 26. Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  21. ^ McGrath, Mark (May 26, 1980). "Annhurst College Closes With 36th Graduation". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. p. 1. Retrieved September 12, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Bettis, Rebecca M. (November 26, 1981). "Data General Taking Hold At Annhurst". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. p. B5. Retrieved September 12, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "History of Woodstock Academy". Retrieved September 12, 2018.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

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