History & Mission

History

Merrimack College was founded in 1947 in North Andover, Massachusetts, by the Order of St. Augustine O.S.A.

The Augustinians, at the invitation of Richard Cushing, then Archbishop of Boston, established the College as a direct response to the needs and aspirations of local G.I.'s returning home from World War II.

Merrimack College is a tribute to the man who, more than anyone else, made it all possible, the Reverend Vincent A. McQuade. A native Lawrencian, Reverend McQuade, led the College to eventually become a showcase of the Merrimack Valley, approximately 25 miles north of Boston.

Since that time, the now 220-acre Merrimack College has graduated nearly 22,000 students; has grown to nearly 40 buildings including a 125,000-volume library; four classroom buildings; including the state-of-the-art Gregor Johann Mendel, O.S.A., Science, Engineering and Technology Center; the 130,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Sakowich Campus Center which opened in 2001; the Rogers Center for the Arts; the S. Peter Volpe Athletic Center; Austin Hall, which houses administrative offices; the Collegiate Church of Christ the Teacher; the college's newest residence building, Santagati Hall, named in honor of Merrimack's fifth president, Richard J. Santagati; student apartment buildings, townhouses and residence halls; and the Louis H. Hamel Infirmary. Students at Merrimack College now come from all across the United States and around the globe.

Mission

Merrimack College, a small, comprehensive, modern Catholic center of higher learning in the Northeast, reflects in its policies the teaching traditions of the founding Order of St. Augustine: to provide, in a Christian, values-sensitive environment, the opportunity for its students to develop a mature intellectual, cultural, social, emotional, and moral awareness; to combine professional training of high-quality with a commitment to an integrated liberal arts component in all courses of study; to act as a major educational resource for individuals and for the Merrimack Valley community.

Rev. Raymond Dlugos, OSA, Ph.D., C.Psych serves as vice president for mission and ministry.

Statement of Community Standards

Before all else the students, faculty, staff and administration of Merrimack College form an Augustinian community that supports and challenges its members in the pursuit of Truth.

We declare and celebrate our common purpose, and commit ourselves:

• to serious study, generous service and courageous leadership
• to academic integrity and personal growth
• to civilized discourse in the exchange of ideas
• to friendship, diversity, and mutual respect
• to primacy of conscience and the spiritual life
• to responsibility for the common good, and
• to pride in our school and ourselves.

Merrimack College Non-Discrimination Policy

Merrimack College fully supports a policy of non-discrimination. No person will, on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national or ethnic origin, age, handicap, or disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in any of the activities conducted by the College.