1868
Foundation of Convent of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at Lake Merritt Campus, Oakland, California
1880
Empowered by the State of California to grant higher degrees
1908
Name of the institution changes to Convent and College of the Holy Names
1910
Secular students admitted to college-level classes for the first time, and the Alumnae Office opens with its new constitution decreeing that the annual meeting should coincide with Founders’ Day (May 10)
1917
Holy Names Junior College formally inaugurated
1925
The senior college opens
1929
First baccalaureate degrees awarded
1930
The first College of the Holy Names’ teacher candidates were credentialed by the State of California
1949
College of the Holy Names becomes one of the charter members of the the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
1955
The co-educational graduate division formally established
1957
The entire college moves from Lake Merritt to the new campus on Mountain Boulevard
1960
Raskob Learning Institute opens
1969
The Kodály music education program opens
1971
The College name changes to Holy Names College and becomes totally co-educational
1977
An interdisciplinary, team-taught program in Humanistic Studies becomes the cornerstone of the undergraduate curriculum
1981
The Weekend College (WECO) opens, offering working adults classes on Friday nights and Saturdays – the first such program west of the Rockies for working adults
1987
The writing across the curriculum program is adopted to ensure that development in writing is a component of all undergraduate programs
1994
The Valley Center for the Performing Arts opens, providing the campus and community with a state-of-the-art facility
1997
The Sophia Center graduate program in Culture and Creation Spirituality begins
2004
The name of the institution is changed to Holy Names University
2007
HNU celebrates its 50th anniversary in the Oakland Hills
2008
HNU celebrates its 140th anniversary in Oakland
2012
HNU’s application to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Division II is accepted
