Мерсихерст Университеті: Тарихы мен дамуы

Catholic college in Erie, Pennsylvania, US

Mercyhurst University is a private Roman Catholic university in Erie, Pennsylvania.

On September 20, 1926, Mercyhurst College opened its doors just a few blocks away from the city's southern boundary. It was founded by the Sisters of Mercy of the Diocese of Erie, who were led by Mother M. Borgia Egan, who became the first president of Mercyhurst College. The college received its charter on October 5, 1928. In 1963, the college prep department separated to form Mercyhurst Preparatory School, which is located behind the university. On February 3, 1969, the board of trustees voted to make Mercyhurst a coed college. From its foundation in 1926 until 1972, members of the Sisters of Mercy had been presidents of the college. After 1972, lay presidents led the college. On March 27, 1991, Mercyhurst purchased the 100 year old Redemptorist Seminary in North East and turned it into a branch campus, offering associate degrees and one year certificates. The Board of Trustees of Mercyhurst University appointed Michael T. Victor, J. D., LL. D., as the 12th president of Mercyhurst University on May 19, 2015. Victor had served as president of Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, since 2006. Victor served as dean of the Walker School of Business at Mercyhurst from 2002 to 2006. He took office on Aug. 3, 2015. On August 16, 2018, Mercyhurst University opened a $25 million residence hall. Ryan Hall houses more than 350 student suites. It also includes a dining hall, lounge area, convenience store, and a 150 seat banquet hall.

On October 10, 2004, the Erie Times News published a story stating that former president Dr. William Garvey molested grade school boys while serving as a basketball coach at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Erie. The article further stated that "two current Erie residents told the Erie Times News that Garvey paid them to have sex with him in the early to mid 1980s, when both men were minors." On December 17 the paper reported that Garvey "abruptly announced his retirement Thursday, months before the completion of a college ordered investigation Garvey had predicted would exonerate him." Several months after Garvey retired, an investigation conducted by retired Erie County Judge Michael Palmisano, at the instruction of the board of trustees, determined that the allegations against Garvey "appear[ed] to have merit". The campus' central park was once named "Garvey Park" in honor of Garvey, but following the allegations was renamed to "Trinity Green".

The university still maintains its campus 18 mile (29 km) in North East, Pennsylvania at the site of the former St. Mary's Seminary. The university has also operated Mercyhurst Corry, a school offering an associate degree in business administration, for over 25 years. The university's fifth campus, Mercyhurst West, was located in Girard, Pennsylvania, at the site of the former Faith Lutheran Church. Classes began at this location in fall 2006. Due to low enrollment, the campus closed at the end of the 2013–2014 school year.