History : University of Dayton, Ohio

Built on a Promise

The University of Dayton's history is one of perseverance, tenacity, ingenuity and transformation. The school began with an act of faith more than 175 years ago, and our Catholic, Marianist spirit continues to drive us to bravely face the unknown, engage in exploration and make new discoveries.

1850 1861 1869 1870 1882 1892 1913 1917 1920 1923 1925 1926 1930 1935 1937 1939 1941 1956 1962 1963 1964 1969 1971 1985 1990 1998 1999 2001 2003 2005 2009 2010 2013 2014 2016 2017 2019 2020 2021 2025

Historical photo of a man standing with a dog and dozens of chickens

March 19, 1850

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.

Black and white photo representing a classroom in St. Mary's School for Boys

July 1, 1850

St. Mary's School for Boys opened its doors, offering a vacation school to 14 primary students from Dayton. The fall term began Sept. 3, 1850.

Black and white photo of dozens of males on a canal boat in the water

1861

College preparatory classes began.

Black and white historic photo of the inside of the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception

June 24, 1869

The Chapel of the Immaculate Conception was consecrated by Archbishop John Baptist Purcell.

Historic black and white photo of St. Mary's Hall

1870

The cornerstone of St. Mary's Hall was laid in spring 1870. When the $85,000, five-story structure opened 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., UD's president at that time. Today, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Black and white photo of 15 males standing on the steps in front of a building

1882

St. Mary's School was incorporated and empowered to confer collegiate degrees.

Historic black and white photo of six males standing in front of a building; five are dressed for basketball

1892

Basketball was introduced by Brother Adam Perth. The men's basketball team dressed in shirts featuring an interlocking S and M to reflect the school's religious heritage.

Historic image showing a flooded street, with Dayton residents in a boat, while others stand on drier banks

March 1913

St. Mary's College gave refuge to 800 victims of the Great Flood in Dayton.

Black and white photo of eight males dressed in ROTC uniforms; six are holding firearms

1917

Military training was introduced at the University. ROTC was officially established in April 1919.

Black and white photo of an arch on campus depicting the University of Dayton name

July 7, 1920

The institution applied to be named the University of Dayton, intentionally connecting our identity to the city. The petition was granted Sept. 2, 1920.

Vintage depiction of the Dayton Flyers nickname, with a cartoon aviator standing on golden wings that read FLYERS

1923

Our athletic teams adopted the "Dayton Flyers" nickname in 1923 as a nod to the city's aviation heritage.

Portrait of John Alexander in his cap and gown

June 8, 1925

John Alexander, the first Black student to graduate from UD, earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering.

June 14, 1926

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, third row from bottom, fourth from left; and Mildred McCarthy, third row from bottom, fourth from right) received a bachelor of laws.

Two images of Charles Pederson; in his cap and gown when graduating from UD (left) and during his professional career (right)

June 14, 1926

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.

Portrait of Jessie S. Hathcock wearing her cap and gown

June 9, 1930

Jessie Hathcock became the first Black woman to graduate from UD with a bachelor's degree in education. In 1978, she was awarded an honorary doctorate in humanities from the University — the first Black woman to receive this honor. In her words of thanks to the University, she stated, "May the University of Dayton continue to grow in influence for the betterment of our city and may its doors of learning be forever open to all races, creeds and nationalities, for the Glory of God, who taught us the meaning of brotherhood and the oneness of mankind." In 2004, the Jessie V. Scott Hathcock Memorial Scholarship was established. On Oct. 22, 2021, Jesse S. Hathcock Hall was dedicated. The 58,000-square-foot building includes an enclosed walkway connecting to Kettering Labs.

Group of 28 female coeds standing on the stairs outside of a campus building

September 18, 1935

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.

Four males and one female student work on a hands-on project

September 16, 1937

The University became fully coeducational.

Black and white photo of nine males in a classroom

1939

Graduate studies began.

Black and white photo of a female student dressed in a cap and gown, receiving her degree

June 4, 1939

Twenty-one women received four-year degrees, including nine who were part of the first cohort of full-time coeds in the Fall of 1935.

Page from a commencement program that notes the names of the University's first master's degree recipients

June 8, 1941

The University's first master's degrees were awarded to Roland Willard Myers, Thomas Michael Ryan and Martha K. Schauer.

Image of a newspaper article about the formation of UD's Research Center

September 1, 1956

With annual research volume of $1 million and 20 active projects, UD established the "Research Center." John R. Westerheide is named Director. In 1958, the name is changed to University of Dayton Research Institute.

Black and white photo depicting the early days of the University's computer science program

June 1, 1962

UD announced it would offer an undergraduate degree in computer science — making it among the first in the country to do so. Classes began Aug. 30, 1963.

Black and white photo of a live nativity scene on campus

December 1963

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 Dec. 8, 1964.

Composite image of a flyer promoting Martin Luther King Jr.'s visit to Dayton and four images of him speaking at the event

November 29, 1964

Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to a crowd of more than 6,200 at the University of Dayton Fieldhouse (now the Frericks Center) as part of the Dayton Freedom Forum. His appearance was delayed by two hours because he was travelling from Cincinnati, where he had spoken the night before, to Dayton during a blizzard.

Vintage photo of a UD women's basketball team

1969

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.

Virginia W. Kettering (left) and Bette Rogge Morse (right)

June 4, 1971

Virginia W. Kettering (left) and Bette Rogge Morse ('44, '77) (right) were the first women appointed to the board of trustees. Kettering served until 1980; Morse served until 1981. The Virginia W. Kettering Residence Hall was dedicated in Fall 1987.

January 1985

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. During his tenure at UD, he held numerous roles, including Dean of the School of Business Administration.

January 1985

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.

January 5, 1990

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.

May 1, 1998

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 Richard P. and Susan P. Davis Center for Portfolio Management.

Image of the Flyer News from Oct. 16, 1998, with the headline: Leaders in human rights education

May 21, 1999

UD announced it would offer one of the nation's first undergraduate degree program in human rights.

Brother Raymond L. Fitz, S.M., with two students

July 2001

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.

Large group photo of DECA students and educators

August 18, 2003

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.

Outdoor image of land and building acquired from NCR

June 13, 2005

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.

Aerial view of the back side of former NCR headquarters and surrounding land

December 21, 2009

UD purchased the former NCR headquarters and 115 acres of surrounding land, including Old River Park.

November 22, 2010

GE Aviation announced it would locate its new Electrical Power Integrated Systems Center on the University of Dayton campus.

Two students studying at a table in the library

August 2013

The University debuted the Common Academic Program, a major revision to the undergraduate curriculum.

Fall leaves outside a building on campus

June 23, 2014

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.

Aerial image of Emerson Climate Technologies building

July 30, 2014

Copeland (then Emerson Climate Technologies) announced its intent to build an innovation center at the University to advance research and education for the HVACR industry.

December 12, 2016

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.

September 7, 2017

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.

May 12, 2019

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.

Incubator sign hangs outside the building in downtown Dayton

March 2, 2020

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.

Students and instructor wear masks while distancing in a classroom

March 20, 2020

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.

March 20, 2020

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).

Exterior view of the entrance to the Hub

March 4, 2021

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 Aug. 23, 2021.

Large group image of Flyer Promise Scholars with UD President Eric Spina

May 2021

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). The program has since expanded to more than a dozen partner schools.

UD President Eric Spina presents at the We Soar campaign launch

June 30, 2025

UD closed a historic comprehensive campaign, which surpassed its goals for engagement, participation and fundraising. More than $453 million was raised during the campaign, which ran from April 2023 to June 2025.