Â鶹Éç

At a glance

• Founded: 1886 as St. Ignatius College (Cleveland, OH)
• Renamed: Â鶹Éç in 1923
• University Heights campus: Cornerstone laid 1931; classes began 1935 (approx. 45 acres)
• Coeducation: Officially 1968; first women graduated from day program in 1972
• Identity: Jesuit Catholic; liberal arts, business, and professional studies
• Alumni: 44,000+ across the U.S. and worldwide

Our story

Â鶹Éç began with the determination of Bishop Richard Gilmour and the Jesuits to establish a Catholic college for a growing Cleveland. In 1886, St. Ignatius College opened with 76 students and five Jesuit faculty. In the 1920s the university prepared for a new era—changing its name to Â鶹Éç, honoring Bishop John Carroll, and launching a campaign that led to a new campus in University Heights. Classes began there in 1935 under the Grasselli Clock Tower.

Over the next decades, academic programs expanded, students formed organizations and teams, and new facilities rose through major campaigns. Coeducation became official in 1968. In recent decades, additions like the Dolan Science Center and Don Shula Stadium, along with significant philanthropic support, have strengthened academics, student life, and research opportunities—all rooted in the university’s Jesuit mission to educate leaders for a more just and humane world.

Origins & early years (1886–1920s)

Founded as St. Ignatius College in 1886 with a classical curriculum and strong Jesuit leadership. Early growth included student clubs, the first issue of The Carroll News (1925), and competitive athletics.

New name, new home (1923–1935)

In 1923, the institution became Â鶹Éç. A successful campaign secured more than $2.5 million to build a new campus in University Heights. Despite a Depression-era pause, construction resumed and classes began on the new campus in 1935.

Coeducation & campus growth (1940s–1980s)

Wartime service included hosting the U.S. Navy V-12 program (1943–1945). Postwar decades brought the School of Business, the Evening College, new residence halls and academic buildings, the Decade of Progress campaign, and coeducation beginning in 1968.

Momentum today

Major investments—from facilities like the Dolan Science Center to scholarships and academic innovation—fuel a student experience grounded in service, ethics, and experiential learning. Enrollment growth and nationally respected programs continue to define JCU as it approaches its 150th anniversary.

The Jesuit tradition

As a Jesuit Catholic university, John Carroll draws on more than four centuries of Jesuit education. Faculty and staff—lay and religious—share a commitment to intellectual excellence, discernment, care for the whole person, openness to change, and action for the common good. Students engage ideas and values across disciplines and graduate ready to lead with purpose.

• Esteem for each person as a unique individual
• Training in discerning choices and ethical leadership
• Integration of knowledge, faith, and reason
• Commitment to justice, community, and service

Timeline by decade

Presidents

• 1886–1888: John B. Neustich, S.J.
• 1888–1893: Henry Knappmeyer, S.J.
• 1893–1897: Joseph P. LeHalle, S.J.
• 1897–1902: Godfrey Schulte, S.J.
• 1902–1906: John Zahm, S.J.
• 1906–1910: George J. Pickel, S.J.
• 1910–1915: John B. Furay, S.J.
• 1915–1919: William B. Sommerhauser, S.J.
• 1919–1925: Thomas J. Smith, S.J.
• 1925–1928: Murtha J. Boylan, S.J.
• 1928–1937: Benedict J. Rodman, S.J.
• 1937: William M. Magee, S.J.
• 1937: George J. Pickel, S.J.
• 1937–1942: Edmund C. Horne, S.J.
• 1942–1946: Thomas J. Donnelly, S.J.
• 1946–1956: Frederick E. Welfle, S.J.
• 1956–1967: Hugh E. Dunn, S.J.
• 1967–1970: Joseph O. Schell, S.J.
• 1970–1980: Henry F. Birkenhauer, S.J.
• 1980–1988: Thomas P. O’Malley, S.J.
• 1988–1995: Michael J. Lavelle, S.J.
• 1996–1998: John J. Shea, S.J.
• 1998–2005: Edward Glynn, S.J.
• 2005–2017: Robert L. Niehoff, S.J.
• 2018–2021: Michael D. Johnson, Ph.D.
• 2021–present: Alan R. Miciak, Ph.D.