Dominican University of California

Bishop Joseph Alemany In 1850, Joseph Sadoc Alemany was appointed Bishop of Monterey . While in France that year, Alemany sought Dominican sisters to join him in California to establish a convent and school in Monterey. Years later, Mother Mary Goemaere and Mother Louis O'Donnell moved the congregation from Monterey to Benicia, and then to San Rafael in 1889. In 1890, the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael formally registered their school with the State of California . The school became a junior college in 1915. In 1917, it became known as Dominican College. [ 4 ] Dominican College became the first Catholic college in California to grant the bachelor's degree to women. Originally a female-only institution, Dominican College became coeducational in 1971. In 2000, the school changed its name from Dominican College to Dominican University of California. [ 4 ]

Dominican occupies approximately 80 acres (32 ha) in central Marin County in the City of San Rafael . It is situated in a residential neighborhood at the base of San Pedro Mountain. [ 5 ] [ 6 ] Notable buildings Angelico Hall Angelico Hall Angelico Hall features an auditorium with seating for 800 people. It was designed by Morris Brude and completed in 1921. It currently houses the Liberal Arts & Education offices, music practice rooms and the auditorium. [ 7 ] The auditorium regularly hosts concerts, symphonies, and lecture series. [ 8 ] [ 9 ] The 2010 California gubernatorial debate between Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman took place at Angelico Hall. [ 10 ]

Meadowlands Hall Meadowlands Hall currently serves as the offices and classrooms for the Departments of Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Public Health and Health Sciences. The building was originally built in 1888 as a summer home for Michael de Young , a San Francisco journalist and businessman. It was acquired by the Dominican Sisters in 1918. At that time the first floor was converted into classrooms, while the upper floors served as student residences. [ 7 ] In 2015, the building underwent major renovations to create space for labs and offices, while maintaining its historical integrity and improving its fire safety. [ 11 ]

In 2002, Dominican University of California exhibited a long-unseen cache of more than 70 Ansel Adams photographs that had been found on campus years earlier. The images, originally created by Adams for the college, became part of Dominican’s collection. [ 12 ] Forest Meadows Amphitheater is an amphitheater on Dominican's Campus. It has been used to hold the university's Commencement ceremonies. [ citation needed ] The amphitheater is now used by the Marin Shakespeare Company during the Shakespeare Festival in the fall. The company has been using the amphitheater since 1989. [ 13 ]