The College of the Holy Cross is an exclusively undergraduate college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. Founded by Bishop Benedict Joseph Fenwick as a school for boys under the auspices of the Society of Jesus, it was the first Catholic college in New England. The land was purchased in 1836 by the Rev. James Fitton , and the cornerstone was laid in 1843. The first class graduated in 1849, led by their valedictorian James Augustine Healy. Fenwick Hall, the school's major building, was completely destroyed by fire in 1852 and rebuilt in 1853.
At first, the college could not obtain a charter from the anti-Jesuit Massachusetts state legislature, and the diplomas were signed by the President of Georgetown University, another Jesuit college, until a charter was finally granted in 1865. Today, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The college has approximately 2,800 students.
Notable alumni
- Clarence Thomas, United States Supreme Court Justice;
- Tim Bishop, US House Representative United States;
- Bob Casey, Sr., Pennsylvania governor;
- Billy Collins,Poet Laureate;
- Bob Cousy, Basketball Hall of Fame member and former Boston Celtics player;
- Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institutes of Health;
- Tom Heinsohn, Basketball Hall of Fame member and former Boston Celtics player;
- Joseph P. Kerwin, astronaut;
- Chris Matthews, talk show host;
- Michael R. McNulty, US House Representative United States;
- James P. Moran, US House Representative United States;
- James David Power III , US House Representative United States;
- Robert C. Wright, NBC Chief Executive Officer.
- Joseph A. Califano, Jr., former United States government official
- Edward P. Jones, 2004 Pulitzer Prize winner in fiction for writing The Known World
- Patrick Francis Healy, former President of Georgetown University;
- James Augustine Healy, first African American Bishop in the United States
(LSD pioneer Timothy Leary also attended, albeit briefly.)
The college is part of a consortium with other Worcester colleges, including Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Clark University.
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