History

Manhattan College was brought into existence in 1853 by a quintet from the Christian Brothers organization, who chose a location at 131st Street’s crossing with Broadway in Manhattanville. Following St. John Baptist de La Salle’s pedagogical legacy, they crafted an instructional program emphasizing pragmatic coursework alongside religious values. While the institution evolved into a modern educational establishment, those founding principles became the bedrock of its signature teaching approach, merging faith-based concepts with practical skill development.

This signified MANHATTAN COLLEGE’s inception

During the first decade, the institution systematically introduced additional collegiate-level coursework. By 1859, the educational offerings had expanded markedly, with the institution adopting its current title two years later. New York’s Regents Board conferred official recognition in 1863, when the foundational program blending humanities with vocational instruction began attracting enrollees and propelling rapid institutional growth throughout these formative years.

Institutional Relocation

The year 1922 saw the institution’s transfer to the Bronx’s Riverdale neighborhood, where the grounds were enhanced with additional structures, the majority still present. This geographic shift proved strategically beneficial, granting enrollees convenient entry to metropolitan New York’s cultural and scholarly offerings while allowing physical expansion. Such positioning drew a more diverse student population arriving in pursuit of both intellectual advancement and individual development opportunities.

Manhattan College through the 1900s

Following World War II, considerable institutional advancement occurred as fresh academic initiatives emerged to meet evolving demands. A pivotal transformation took place in 1973 with the adoption of coeducation, launching a distinct phase in the institution’s timeline. Concurrently, on-campus housing became available, transforming the college into a genuinely worldwide academic community capable of hosting enrollees from distant geographic areas beyond the tristate zone.

Contemporary Period

Physical campus growth continued throughout the 2000s and 2010s with construction of the O’Malley Library (2002), Lee Hall (2008), and Raymond Kelly Student Center (2014). The institution maintained its religious foundation and Lasallian educational philosophy while embracing increasingly varied populations. Despite the teaching staff becoming progressively less clerical, adaptation to modern educational demands persisted, culminating in 2024 with the commencement of the transition to university classification.