Carroll College - 1601 North Benton
Avenue, Helena, Montana 59625.
LOCATION: The Carroll College Campus
is located in the center of Helena, just a few blocks from downtown
Helena.
HISTORY/ DESCRIPTION:
Bishop John Patrick Carroll's quest
to open a Catholic college in Western Montana became a reality when
50 acres on Capitol Hill were donated to the Diocese for the future
college. The other land needed for the college was bought by 100,000
dollar fundraising monies and 50,000 dollars donated by Mr. Hill, president
of the Great Northern Railroad. The cornerstone of this college was
laid on September 1909 by President Taft himself.
Mount St. Charles College opened
on September 22nd, 1910, offering preparatory classes for boys 10 and
older, four years of high school. The first college students entered
the college studies program on September 12, 1911.
The college picked up the nick name
of Jack's castle!
Bishop John Patrick Carroll celebrated
his silver jubilee of his joining the priesthood in 1914. When he was
given $22,000 on this grand occasion, the good Bishop immediately turned
the money over to the president of the college to pay off the debt still
owed on the school!
The college was ready to grow in
both size and areas of study. Throughout the 1920s', the college added
pre-law, pre-medicine, a two year basic engineering curriculum and a
Dept. of Education. New buildings which were built on campus housed
the gym and Science Department, a chapel, the library more residents'
rooms and a convent which was built behind the original buildings.
When World War I began to drain
the school of students, Bishop Carroll jumped into action and the school
signed up to be a training center to keep the doors open.
When Bishop Carroll died in 1925,
Bishop Finnigan who took over continued to nourish and enlarged the
dreams for the college of his predecessors. He took many trips to personally
recruit students and solicit funds. To boast the athletic department,
Bishop Finnigan recruited the assistant football coach at Notre Dame.
In 1931, Bishop Finnigan had the name of the college changed to Carroll
College, in honor of Bishop Carrolll.
Hard times hit the college because
of the depression years, but the college stayed open because of the
generosity of the faculty, who agreed to drastic salary cuts. To make
things harder, destructive earthquakes hit Helena, causing building
woes which had to be worked out. From all the fallen stones, a new astronomy
building was constructed by students under the direction of Dr. Edward
Neuman.
In 1936, Carroll College became
officially a libral arts college for men, after the high school moved
to another location.
Again, during WW 2, the college
missed the lethal financial bullet by becoming a V-5 NAval Training
Center, setting up a V 12 program for young men in the Navy to study
and live there. After the war, the college became a civilian school
once more and expereinced great growth.
In 1946, the first women entered
Carroll College to participate in a three year nursing education program
in cooperation with the Sisters of Charity. The college continued to
grow for the next 40 years.
In 1989 a huge explosion in a railroad
car near the campus caused serious damage from the blast and from the
loss of electrical power. Despite all the inconvenience the college
continued to function with gusto. Because of considerable effort, all
was repaired by the fall of 1989!
MANIFESTATIONS:
Besides housing and educating hard
working students who attend this Catholic College, other entities seen
and unseen make this place their home.
