On the Feast of St. Joseph, Father Leo Meyer, S.M., purchased the 125-acre Dewberry Farm in exchange for a medal of St. Joseph and a promise of $12,000 at 6% interest. The Marianists renamed the property Nazareth.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1850-b.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "1", "month": "7", "year": "1850" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "St. Mary's School for Boys opened its doors, offering a vacation school to 14 primary students from Dayton. The fall term began September 3, 1850.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1861.jpg" }, "start_date": { "year": "1861" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "College preparatory classes began.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1869.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "24", "month": "6", "year": "1869" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "The Chapel of the Immaculate Conception was consecrated by Archbishop John Baptist Purcell.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1870.jpg" }, "start_date": { "year": "1870" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "The cornerstone of St. Mary's Hall was laid in spring 1870. When the $85,000, five-story structure opened on May 1, 1871, it was the tallest and largest building in Dayton. Due to its large size, the building was often called 'Zehler's Folly,' after Brother Maximin Zehler, S.M., the president at that time. Today, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1882.jpg" }, "start_date": { "year": "1882" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "St. Mary's School was incorporated and empowered to confer collegiate degrees.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1892.jpg" }, "start_date": { "year": "1892" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "Basketball was introduced by Brother Adam Peth.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1913.jpg" }, "start_date": { "month": "3", "year": "1913" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "St. Mary's College gave refuge to 800 victims of the Great Flood in Dayton.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1917.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "18", "month": "4", "year": "1917" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "Military training was introduced at the University. ROTC was officially established in April 1919.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1920.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "7", "month": "7", "year": "1920" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "The institution applied to be named the University of Dayton, intentionally connecting our identity to the city. The petition was granted September 2, 1920.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1923.jpg" }, "start_date": { "year": "1923" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "Our athletic teams adopted the 'Dayton Flyers' nickname in 1923 as a nod to the city's aviation heritage.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1925.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "8", "month": "6", "year": "1925" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "John Alexander, the first Black student to graduate from UD, earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1926-b.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "14", "month": "6", "year": "1926" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "The University awarded its first bachelor's degrees to women. Fifteen nuns received a bachelor's degree in education, and two lay women (Viola Allen and Mildred McCarthy) received a bachelor of laws.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1926-a.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "14", "month": "6", "year": "1926" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "Charles Pedersen graduated from UD with a degree in chemical engineering. In 1987, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry and received UD's Distinguished Alumnus Award.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1930.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "9", "month": "6", "year": "1930" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "Jessie Hathcock became the first Black woman to graduate from UD with a bachelor's degree. In 1978, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University - the first Black woman to receive this honor.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1935.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "18", "month": "9", "year": "1935" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "Thirty-one women became the first 'coeds' to attend day classes at the University of Dayton. Sister Marie St. Eleanor served as the first dean of women.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1937.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "16", "month": "9", "year": "1937" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "The University became fully coeducational.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1939-a.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "4", "month": "6", "year": "1939" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "Twenty-one women received four-year degrees, including nine who were part of the first cohort of full-time coeds.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1939-b.jpg" }, "start_date": { "year": "1939" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "Graduate studies began.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1941.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "8", "month": "6", "year": "1941" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "The first master's degrees were awarded to Roland Willard Myers, Thomas Michael Ryan and Martha K. Schauer.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1956.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "1", "month": "9", "year": "1956" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "The University of Dayton Research Institute was established.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1962.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "1", "month": "6", "year": "1962" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "UD announced it would offer an undergraduate degree in computer science — making it among the first in the country to do so. Classes began August 30, 1963.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1963.jpg" }, "start_date": { "month": "12", "year": "1963" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "Ellie Kurtz gathered a small group for Mass and a party before winter break — and the idea for Christmas on Campus was born. The first campus-wide event was held December 8, 1964.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1964.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "29", "month": "11", "year": "1964" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the University of Dayton Fieldhouse.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1969.jpg" }, "start_date": { "year": "1969" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "Women's sports moved to varsity status; UD was one of the first schools in the nation to establish women's athletics under the umbrella of intercollegiate athletics.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1971.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "4", "month": "6", "year": "1971" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "Virginia W. Kettering and Bette Rogge Morse were the first women appointed to the board of trustees.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1985.jpg" }, "start_date": { "month": "1", "year": "1985" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "William Hoben was named the first recipient of the Lackner Award, which honors a lay member of the UD faculty or staff who, over a long period of time, has made a significant contribution to the Catholic and Marianist character of the University of Dayton.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1987.jpg" }, "start_date": { "month": "1", "year": "1985" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "LaShea Smith was named the first recipient of the W.S. McIntosh Memorial Leadership award. Sponsored by the city of Dayton and the University of Dayton, the award is a combination scholarship and internship that commemorates the values and vision of W.S. McIntosh, a community leader and civil rights activist.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1990.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "5", "month": "1", "year": "1990" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "Rudy's Fly-Buy, a convenience store owned and operated by students, opened on campus. This venture led to the development of Flyer Enterprises, one of the largest student-run corporations in the nation.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1998-a.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "1", "month": "5", "year": "1998" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "The board of trustees approved $1 million of the University's endowment could be used to create the Flyer Investment Fund. The fund is completely managed by students in the Davis Center for Portfolio Management, and it had grown to $49.6 million as of February 2021.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/1999.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "21", "month": "5", "year": "1999" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "UD announced it would offer the nation's first undergraduate degree program in human rights.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/2001.jpg" }, "start_date": { "month": "7", "year": "2001" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "The Center for Leadership in Community was established. In April 2002, it was renamed the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community, in honor of Brother Raymond L. Fitz, S.M., UD's 17th president.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/2003.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "18", "month": "8", "year": "2003" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "The University launched the Dayton Early College Academy, a charter school that allows students to earn a high school diploma and college credits at the same time. DECA was the first early college high school in Ohio and 10th in the nation.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/2005-a.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "13", "month": "6", "year": "2005" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "The University acquired a 49-acre parcel of land from NCR Corp.; the purchase extended UD's boundaries west to the Great Miami River and increased the size of campus to a total of 216 acres.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/2009.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "21", "month": "12", "year": "2009" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "UD purchased the former NCR headquarters and 115 acres of surrounding land, including Old River Park.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/2010.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "22", "month": "11", "year": "2010" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "GE Aviation announced it would locate its new Electrical Power Integrated Systems Center on the University of Dayton campus.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/2013-b.jpg" }, "start_date": { "month": "8", "year": "2013" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "The University debuted the Common Academic Program, a major revision to the undergraduate curriculum.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/2014-a.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "23", "month": "6", "year": "2014" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "UD became the first Catholic university in the nation to align its investment strategy with sound stewardship of the earth. This is one of the many ways UD strives to care for our common home - and embodies the Marianist educational philosophy.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/2014-b.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "30", "month": "7", "year": "2014" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "Emerson Climate Technologies announced its intent to build an innovation center at the University to advance research and education for the HVACR industry.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/2016.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "12", "month": "12", "year": "2016" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "The University partnered with Premier Health to purchase the former Montgomery County fairgrounds. The 38-acre site will become onMain: Dayton's Imagination District, a place that fosters imagination, innovation and inclusivity.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "" }, "start_date": { "day": "7", "month": "9", "year": "2017" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "UD joined the American Talent Initiative, a diverse set of public and private institutions united in a shared goal of educating high-achieving, lower-income students.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/2019-a.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "12", "month": "5", "year": "2019" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "Maria Loyd became the first student to graduate from the UD Sinclair Academy, a partnership with Sinclair Community College that eases the pathway to a four-year degree.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/2020-a.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "2", "month": "3", "year": "2020" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "UD announced the creation of the Greater West Dayton Incubator — developed in partnership with community leaders and with support from the Entrepreneurs' Center. The incubator aims to be a catalyst for an equitable startup ecosystem by supporting Greater West Dayton entrepreneurs with resources including networking, micro-lending, consulting, training and education.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/2020-b.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "20", "month": "3", "year": "2020" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the University moved to remote, online learning. While many college campuses began the fall 2020 semester with remote or hybrid learning, UD worked diligently to keep students on campus. These efforts led to innovative approaches to teaching and learning and new campus life programming.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "" }, "start_date": { "day": "20", "month": "3", "year": "2020" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "UD received a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, which honored the establishment of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (2016), launch of the Inclusive Excellence Academy (2017) and creation of The Flyers Plan for Community Excellence (2020).
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/2021.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "4", "month": "3", "year": "2021" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "After years of planning and collaboration, UD held the grand opening for The Hub Powered by PNC Bank at the Dayton Arcade. A joint venture with the Entrepreneurs' Center, the 95,000-square-foot Hub is among the largest university-anchored innovation hubs in the country. The space aims to fuel economic growth and spark creativity by enabling students, faculty and staff to work alongside local entrepreneurs. Students began taking classes at The Hub on August 23, 2021.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/2021-b.jpg" }, "start_date": { "month": "5", "year": "2021" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "The first Flyer Promise Scholars graduated, cementing the success of the program created to remove financial barriers and offer support for underrepresented and underserved students. The program launched in 2017 with 42 students from the Dayton Early College Academy, Chaminade Julienne High School (Dayton) and Colegio San Jose High School (Puerto Rico). Today, the program has expanded to more than a dozen partner schools.
" }},{ "media": { "url": "/_resources/img/new-times-timeline/2023.jpg" }, "start_date": { "day": "19", "month": "4", "year": "2023" }, "text": { "headline": "", "text": "UD publicly launched a historic comprehensive campaign, with a philanthropic goal of $400 million.
" }}]}