The Administration Building and Lake Mennith, ca 1886
On September 8, 1885, the St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary (now known as the University of St. Thomas) celebrated its opening day. The five faculty and sixty-two students lived, studied and attended classes in the only building on campus, the Administration Building. This building sat on what is now the upper quad of the Saint Paul campus. Board and tuition for the year was $180.00 with an addition $20.00 for the washing and mending of clothes.
John Quinlan studying in the Administration Building, 1906
Unlike the many majors students have to choose from in 2014, the first students of St. Thomas followed a strictly regimented course of study. Courses in Latin, Greek, German, Mathematics, Natural Science, English and Christian Doctrine were required for all students. Classes in Drawing, Instrumental Music and French were offered as optional courses.
For more information on the history of the University of St. Thomas, browse through the Timeline of UST History.