Aquinas College

The beginning of Aquinas College was the vision of Mother M. Aquinata, OP. She first came to Traverse City in 1875 with a group of Dominican nuns to carry on educational, charitable and nursing work in the area.
In 1887 her dream saw fruition when she established the Novitiate Normal School for training candidates to become nuns.
In 1922 the normal school was merged with the college for lay women that was founded that year at Marywood Academy on East Fulton Road. The school was incorporated in Michigan. In 1931 the school was transferred to 69 Ransom NE where the sister conducted a girls' high school known as Sacred Heart Academy. Co-education was inaugurated on a two-year basis. It became known as Catholic Junior College. It soon became a four-year college.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The University of Grand Rapids

(September, 1941 Article) The University of Grand Rapids, organized five years ago, will start its sixth year September 8 and advance enrollment indicates a capacity attendance at this new institution.
    It is interesting to note that the freshman enrollment at the University has practically doubled each year during the past five.   The total enrollment last year was over the four hundred mark.
    Last year's student body was composed of young people from practically every county in the state including Wayne.  Quite a large number are drawn from the Upper Peninsula and a few from other states.
    The University specializes in practical courses such as Pharmacy, Chemistry, Business Administration, Merchandising, Journalism, Collegiate Secretarial Practice, Advanced Accounting, etc., although the A. B. degree is granted upon the completion of the Liberal Arts curriculum.  Spanish is also offered for the Fall term.  Instruction will be under Prof. Jose Aponte, a native of Porto (sp) Rico and a regular member of the pharmacy faculty.
    Other instructors added to the faculty are: Mrs. Edith Kostoff, English and Speech; Marguerite Carver, Librarian; George Jablon, Accounting and Business Administration.
    (NOTE: The location of the school was on Robinson Road.  This eventually became Aquinas College.)