Chartered on June 4, 1889, Saint Leo College was founded when the Florida legislature authorized the Order of Saint Benedict of Florida to "have and possess the right and power of conferring the usual academic and other degrees granted by any college in this State."
Established initially by monks from Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the Benedictine mission in what was formerly called the “Catholic Colony of San Antonio, Florida” was transferred to the jurisdiction of Mary Help of Christians Abbey (now called Belmont Abbey) in North Carolina in 1888. Saint Leo College and Abbey are named for its first abbot, Leo Haid, the principal founder and first president of the college.
As the first Catholic college in Florida, Saint Leo opened its doors with the dedication of its main building on September 14, 1890. In this pioneer year, Saint Leo enrolled 32 students for classes. The curriculum included a mix of liberal arts and commercial courses leading to the Master of Accounts degree. During its early days, the college went through a military phase, requiring uniforms and daily drills to instill discipline and order among students. On June 20, 1893, Saint Leo conferred the Master of Accounts degree on its first graduating class of five students.
In 1920, the college was phased out when the faculty decided to focus on becoming what one longtime Benedictine called "a serious English-style prep school." A year later, Saint Leo became accredited by the Southern Educational Association. After several name changes, the institution settled on Saint Leo College Preparatory School in 1929 and continued as such until 1964.
Reaching for a larger mission, Saint Leo opened again as a college in 1959. During this transition from preparatory school to college, Saint Leo received a great deal of assistance from the neighboring Benedictine Sisters of Florida at Holy Name Monastery. At first offering only associate degrees, the college moved quickly to offer a four-year program and conferred its first bachelor's degrees in April 1967 on 51 men and 13 women. The college was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in November 1967, retroactive to include the charter Bachelor of Arts class.
In 1969, the college was reorganized when the Order of Saint Benedict of Florida transferred title and control to an independent board of trustees. Shortly after this reform, Saint Leo began to broaden its purpose and build on its military history. In 1973, the college responded to requests from the armed services to offer degree programs on military bases. Today, Saint Leo University is one of the largest providers of higher education to military service members in the United States.
In 1994, the college began to offer the Master of Business Administration and conferred its first MBA degrees in 1996. On August 24, 1999, Saint Leo College became Saint Leo University. Later that year, Saint Leo opened the Center for Online Learning, offering students a flexible and convenient alternative to traditional bachelor’s degree programs. In 2002, the university expanded its online degree offerings to include the MBA program, enrolling 120 students in its first term.
Today, Saint Leo University offers more than 40 academic degree and certificate programs to more than 15,000 students at its main campus, on military bases and community colleges located throughout seven states, and through the university’s Center for Online Learning.
Established initially by monks from Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the Benedictine mission in what was formerly called the “Catholic Colony of San Antonio, Florida” was transferred to the jurisdiction of Mary Help of Christians Abbey (now called Belmont Abbey) in North Carolina in 1888. Saint Leo College and Abbey are named for its first abbot, Leo Haid, the principal founder and first president of the college.
As the first Catholic college in Florida, Saint Leo opened its doors with the dedication of its main building on September 14, 1890. In this pioneer year, Saint Leo enrolled 32 students for classes. The curriculum included a mix of liberal arts and commercial courses leading to the Master of Accounts degree. During its early days, the college went through a military phase, requiring uniforms and daily drills to instill discipline and order among students. On June 20, 1893, Saint Leo conferred the Master of Accounts degree on its first graduating class of five students.
In 1920, the college was phased out when the faculty decided to focus on becoming what one longtime Benedictine called "a serious English-style prep school." A year later, Saint Leo became accredited by the Southern Educational Association. After several name changes, the institution settled on Saint Leo College Preparatory School in 1929 and continued as such until 1964.
Reaching for a larger mission, Saint Leo opened again as a college in 1959. During this transition from preparatory school to college, Saint Leo received a great deal of assistance from the neighboring Benedictine Sisters of Florida at Holy Name Monastery. At first offering only associate degrees, the college moved quickly to offer a four-year program and conferred its first bachelor's degrees in April 1967 on 51 men and 13 women. The college was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in November 1967, retroactive to include the charter Bachelor of Arts class.
In 1969, the college was reorganized when the Order of Saint Benedict of Florida transferred title and control to an independent board of trustees. Shortly after this reform, Saint Leo began to broaden its purpose and build on its military history. In 1973, the college responded to requests from the armed services to offer degree programs on military bases. Today, Saint Leo University is one of the largest providers of higher education to military service members in the United States.
In 1994, the college began to offer the Master of Business Administration and conferred its first MBA degrees in 1996. On August 24, 1999, Saint Leo College became Saint Leo University. Later that year, Saint Leo opened the Center for Online Learning, offering students a flexible and convenient alternative to traditional bachelor’s degree programs. In 2002, the university expanded its online degree offerings to include the MBA program, enrolling 120 students in its first term.
Today, Saint Leo University offers more than 40 academic degree and certificate programs to more than 15,000 students at its main campus, on military bases and community colleges located throughout seven states, and through the university’s Center for Online Learning.