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  • J. Spencer & Patricia Standish Library
    Siena College
    515 Loudon Rd.,
    Loudonville NY 12211
    Phone: 518-782-6717 FAX: 783-2570

 

Standish Library Archives Timeline

 J. Spencer & Patricia Standish Library Logo

Archives Department:

Fr. Julian Davies
O.F.M., College Archivist
(518) 783 - 2357
davies@siena.edu

 

Siena College Historical Highlights

 

Garret Mansion 
Garrett Mansion, the original college building.

 

 1937  Seven Franciscan friars establish St. Bernardine of Siena College in Loudonville, New York, outside Albany, under the direction of President Rev. Cyprian Mensing, O.F.M.
1938  Siena Hall is dedicated.
1939  Siena's first major baccalaureate degree programs are Biology, Chemistry, Classics (Latin), Economics, English, French, History, Mathematics, Physics, Sociology (Social Science), Spanish. The college also offers a certificate in Accounting
1940

 The cornerstone for the new gym, Gibbons Hall (now known as the Foy Hall), is laid.

Bowling in Gibbons
Bowling lanes in Gibbons Hall basement.

1941  First commencement. Seventy-six degrees are awarded. 
1942 Absolute charter for Siena granted by the New York State Board of Regents
1943  Rev. Mark Kennedy, O.F.M., becomes the second president of the College.
1948-1952 The Indians, Siena's nationally ranked basketball team (#11 in the U.S. in 1952), garnered 20 wins in three of four seasons, and won the National Catholic Invitational Tournament in 1952. (Team name was changed to Saints in 1989.)
1949   Cornerstone is laid for St. Bernardine of Siena Friary. Finance major established.
1950  Siena is authorized to grant Master's degrees in Arts, Science, Business Administration, and Education.
1952  Rev. Bertrand J. Campbell, O.F.M., becomes the third president of the College.
1954
 

 Cornerstone is laid for the Jerome Dawson Memorial Library. (Later to become the Gene and Mary Sarazen Student Union.)

Dawson Library Reading Room
Dawson Library Reading Room

 1955  Rev. Edmund F. Christy, O.F.M., becomes the fourth president of the College.
 1958  Publication of the first Greyfriar Lectures.
 1959  Plassmann Hall and Serra Dining Hall become part of campus facilities.
 1960  Campus radio station WVCR begins broadcasting.
 1962  A new dormitory, Ryan Hall, is dedicated.  Accounting major is established.
 1964  Rev. Brian Duffy, O.F.M., becomes the fifth president of the College.
 1966  Marketing and Management major is established.
 1968  Another dormitory, Hennepin Hall, is dedicated. St. Bernardine of Siena College officially changes its name to Siena College. Philosophy major is established.
 1969  Siena welcomes the first of many women resident students. Political Science major is established.
 1970  Rev. Matthew T. Conlin, O.F.M., becomes the sixth president of the College.
 1971

                                                        Old Chapel before fire

Old Chapel

Religious Studies major established.

 1972  Psychology major established.
 1973   Revisions in the academic program result in the "core" curriculum. American Studies major established.
 1974  Alumni Recreation Center (ARC) opens and the 1974-75 basketball games are played there.
 1976  Rev. Hugh F. Hines, O.F.M., becomes the seventh president of the College.
 1979  Computer Science major established.
 1984  Social Work major established.
 1985  The Siena College/Albany Medical College Program in Science, Humanities and Medicine is established.
 1986  New townhouses are opened, housing seven students in each unit.
 1987  50th Jubilee celebration, October 16-19.
 1988  Rev. Roberto Gonzalez, O.F.M., Siena '72, is ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Boston.
 1989  Measles epidemic breaks out in February and March. No classes are lost, but everyone under 30 is vaccinated. Men's basketball team goes to NCAA tournament and upsets Stanford. A new academic building, Kiernan Hall, is opened. Rev. William E. McConville, O.F.M., becomes the eighth president of the College.
1990-1992  Three houses were acquired and renovated: the Kiernan house, named St. Francis House (The Yates Gallery there provides an excellent space for art exhibits). The Reynolds House (now Colbeth Hall), the McGuirk house (now the Clare Center). A second and third group of townhouses, Cushing Village, opened soon thereafter.
 1990  New Rev. Benjamin J. Kuhn Alumni House is dedicated.
 1992  Marcelle Athletic Complex opens on February 10.
 1994  Siena men's basketball wins third place in NIT at Madison Square Garden. Women's team wins the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
 1995  Siena M.B.A. program in accounting is inaugurated.
 1996  The Siena Family Business Institute is created to help small businesses in the area. Siena men's baseball team wins Metro Atlantic League championship.  Rev. Kevin E. Mackin, O.F.M., is installed as the ninth president as the college. Fr. Kevin announces a major leadership gift from J. Spencer and Patricia Standish towards a new campus library.
 1997  College observes its 60th anniversary on October 7. A major in Environmental Studies is established.
 1999

 Siena men's basketball team wins the MAAC, gains automatic bid to NCAA tournament. Men's baseball team also goes to NCAA tournament.   J. Spencer and Patricia Standish library dedicated October 2.  
 


 

Moving In Day August 1999

In July, a Ceremonial Moving In event was lead by Patricia Standish and Fr. Kevin Mackin, ofm.  Mrs. Standish, a former English teacher at Siena, and her husband, J. Spencer Standish, substantially contributed to the building of the library named in their honor.



MacClosky Square is dedicated on October 9.  Siena College established the Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy with a  $500,000 grant from Holy Name Province of Franciscans.

 2000  Siena discontinued Master's program to focus on quality undergraduate experience.
 2001

Padua Residence Hall   Padua Residence Hall

 

The Siena women’s basketball team wins the MAAC and received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.  The Sarazen Student Center opened in April.  Majors are established in Biochemistry and Creative Arts.  The Morrell Science is dedicated October 5th. Padua Hall, a new residence facility, is dedicated October 6th.

 2002  Siena Men’s Basketball team won the MAAC tournament and went to the NCAA tournament.  Roger Bacon Hall renovated.
 2003  First phase of major renovations of Siena Hall  was completed.
 2004  Siena Hall rededicated; Hickey Financial Technology Center dedicated.  Center for the Study of Government and Politics is inaugurated.
2005 Education program accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education in March
2007 Fr. Kevin Mullen, O.F.M., '75, inaugurated as tenth President of Siena College on October 1.