Anna Maria College

Anna Maria College is a private Catholic college in Paxton, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded in 1946 as a women's college, but has been coeducational since 1973. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Anna Maria College

Motto	Lux et Veritas
Motto in English	Light and Truth
Type	Private college
Established	September 17, 1946 (1946-09-17)
Accreditation	NECHE
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic (Sisters of Saint Anne)
Academic affiliation	HECCMA
Endowment	$7.2 million (2022)[1]
President	Mary Lou Retelle
Academic staff	42 full-time 145 part-time[2]
Undergraduates	1,104 (2019)
Postgraduates	333 (2019)
Location	Paxton , Massachusetts , United States 42.3294°N 71.9194°W / 42.3294; -71.9194
Campus	Rural, 190 acres
Colors	Cardinal and white
Nickname	AMCATS
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division III GNAC ECFC
Website	annamaria.edu

History

View of Socquet Hall, the location of the Office of the President, in 2016

Anna Maria College was founded in 1946 as a women's college by the Sisters of Saint Anne, after receiving formal approval from Richard Cushing, the Archbishop of Boston. The original campus was in Marlborough, Massachusetts. In 1951, the college moved to its present location in Paxton.^[3] Four years later, accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges was issued.

In 1973, Anna Maria College became coeducational and began graduate degree programs a year later.^[4] On April 3, 1980, the Sisters of Saint Anne ceased involvement in running the school, and a Board of Trustees was established.

In 2004, the college established the Molly Bish Center for the Protection of Children and the Elderly.^[5]

Academics

Anna Maria College has an average annual enrollment of around 1,500 students, mostly undergraduate and graduate students, and some continuing education learners.^[6] Rooted in the traditions of Catholic education, the college combines liberal arts and sciences education with career preparation.

The college is divided into six academic schools: the School of Business, the School of Education, the School of Justice and Social Sciences, the School of Fire and Health Sciences, the School of Visual and Performing Arts, and the School of Humanities.^[7]

Athletics

Main article: Anna Maria Amcats

Anna Maria College has thirteen Division III athletic teams, known as the AMCATS (Anna Maria College Athletic Team Sports), in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), including men's baseball, basketball, cross country, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, and soccer; and women's basketball, cross country, field hockey, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball. The school is a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) member. Football is played in the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC). Anna Maria was also a charter member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), which it competed in from 1984 to 2011 before joining the GNAC.

Notable faculty

View of the Madonna Hall residences in 2016.

• Craig Blais (English)
• Mark Eshbaugh (art)
• Thomas Lewis (art)
• Brian Mitchell (history)

Notable alumni

• Geraldo Alicea, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
• Catherine Cool Rumsey, member of the Rhode Island Senate
• James M. Cummings, sheriff of Barnstable County
• Ed Davis, Police Commissioner of the Boston Police Department
• Brendan Doherty, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police
• Shawn Dooley, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
• James J. Dwyer, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
• William B. Evans, Police Commissioner of the Boston Police Department
• Raymond Hull, member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
• Brian Patrick Kennedy, member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
• Frederica Williams, President of the Whittier Street Health Center
• Steven Xiarhos, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives