About Fontbonne University · Saint Louis, Missouri
Fontbonne University was a private Catholic university in Clayton, Missouri, an inner-ring suburb of Saint Louis. Founded in 1923 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJ) and named for Mother St. John Fontbonne, who refounded the Sisters of St. Joseph in France in 1808, Fontbonne began as a women's college and grew into a co-educational university that granted its first baccalaureate degrees in 1927. Its campus ministry, rooted in the CSJ charism of 'unioning love' and service to 'the dear neighbor without distinction,' welcomed students of all faiths through worship, retreats, interfaith dialogue, and community service. In March 2024 the Board of Trustees announced that Fontbonne would cease operations after summer 2025, with Washington University in St. Louis purchasing the 16-acre Clayton campus and Saint Louis University taking custody of student records.
- Established
- 1923
- Patron
- Mother St. John Fontbonne (namesake); St. Joseph (through the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis
Why belong here
Fontbonne's Service and Spirituality office welcomed students of every religious background to grow in relationship with God, others, and themselves. Guided by the Catholic tradition and the CSJ charism of 'unioning love,' campus ministry nurtured faith through Sunday and weekday Mass in Doerr Chapel, retreats, works of justice, immersion experiences, interfaith dialogue, and direct service, while also honoring non-Christian practice through an Islamic Prayer Room in the Jack C. Taylor Library.
Mass times at Fontbonne University
Weekly Mass schedule
Our Story & CSJ Heritage
Fontbonne University takes its name from Mother St. John Fontbonne, who in 1808 refounded the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph (CSJ) in France after the French Revolution had scattered the community. Six Sisters of St. Joseph came to the United States in 1836 and established American roots at Carondelet in south St. Louis; five years later they opened St. Joseph's Academy for girls, the seedbed of what would become Fontbonne. The CSJ values that still define the university — quality, respect, diversity, community, justice, service, faith, and Catholic presence — run continuously through the order's founding documents.
- Mother St. John Fontbonne, refounder of the Sisters of St. Joseph (1808)
- Six Sisters arrived in the U.S. from France in 1836
- St. Joseph's Academy for girls opened in Carondelet in 1841
Founding and the Clayton Campus
Mother Mary Agnes Rossiter, CSJ, who served as the Carondelet province's Superior General from 1917 to 1936, founded Fontbonne College in 1923. For its first two years classes were held at St. Joseph's Academy in Carondelet while the new campus was built. Mother Agnes broke ground at Wydown Boulevard and Big Bend in April 1924; just eighteen months later five brick buildings stood on the new site, and classes moved to Clayton in 1925. The first eight baccalaureate degrees were awarded in 1927. John Ryan, brother of Mother Agnes Gonzaga Ryan (who had purchased the property in 1908), donated over $1.4 million to the CSJs in his lifetime, designating $150,000 for Fontbonne's campus; Ryan Hall is named in his honor.
- First classes: 1923 at Carondelet
- Groundbreaking at Wydown & Big Bend: April 1924
- Moved to Clayton: 1925
- First baccalaureate degrees: 1927
Key Milestones in Fontbonne's History
Through the mid-twentieth century Fontbonne developed a comprehensive liberal arts curriculum, expanded education and home economics, dedicated Medaille Hall (the first residence hall), and earned North Central accreditation. The 1950s and 1960s added programs in special education, deaf education, and communication disorders. The 1960s and 1970s brought the admission of male students, a predominantly lay Board of Trustees, and the dedication of the Fontbonne Library.
- Comprehensive liberal arts curriculum developed
- Special education, deaf education, and communication disorders programs added
- Male students admitted for the first time
- Fontbonne Library dedicated
The 1970 Library Occupation
On October 24, 1970, a group of eight African American women — Yolande Nicholson, Antoinette Smith, Rita Hunt, Jeannette Gauda, Collette Lemelle, and three others — entered Fontbonne's library, chained the doors shut, and began their homework as they occupied the space. Their manifesto demanded an African American administrator, an African American officer in Financial Aid and Admissions, an African American counselor, an African American-oriented orientation program, African American cultural education experiences, a designated library area, an African American artist series fund, and wage and working-condition improvements for African American workers at the university.
- Eight African American women participated
- Demanded African American administrators, officers, and counselor
- Demanded wage increases and improved working conditions for African American workers
Growth, Accreditation, and University Status
The 1980s and 1990s brought expansion in business and graduate programs, growth in nontraditional (OPTIONS) programs for working adults, the Heritage Club for endowment donors, NCAA Division III athletics, and the inauguration of Dr. Dennis C. Golden as Fontbonne's first male and first lay president in September 1995. On March 14, 2002, Fontbonne College became Fontbonne University, and the 2000s brought renovated facilities, three distinct colleges, the Bosnia Memory Project, Fontbonne Community Connection, and Mustard Seed Theatre.
- Dr. Dennis C. Golden inaugurated as first lay president, September 1995
- College-to-university status change: March 14, 2002
- Three distinct colleges developed within the university
Presidents and the Centennial
After Dr. Golden's retirement, Dr. J. Michael (Mike) Pressimone, Ed.D., became Fontbonne's 14th president on July 1, 2014, and Dr. Nancy Blattner — previously Fontbonne's Vice President of Academic Affairs (2004–2009) and later president of Caldwell University — became the 15th president in 2020. The 2022–23 academic year was the Centennial, marked by religious, academic, athletic, and social celebrations, a heritage trip to France (the home of Mother St. John Fontbonne), and a student service encounter in Peru where the CSJs continue their mission.
- 14th president: Dr. J. Michael Pressimone (2014–2020)
- 15th president: Dr. Nancy Blattner (2020–2025)
- Centennial celebrated 2022–23
Closure of Fontbonne (2024 Announcement)
On March 11, 2024, President Nancy Blattner announced that, after many years of declining enrollments and a shrinking endowment, Fontbonne would not admit a fall 2024 freshman class and would cease operations after summer 2025. Enrollment had fallen from 2,293 in 2011 to 874 by November 2023, and the university had run at a deficit for the past decade. Washington University in St. Louis agreed to purchase the 16-acre Clayton campus, and Saint Louis University assumed responsibility for maintaining Fontbonne student records. Degrees conferred by Fontbonne remain valid because the institution was fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission at the time of closure.
- Closure announced March 11, 2024
- Final term: summer 2025
- Washington University purchased the 16-acre campus
- Saint Louis University assumed student records
- Degrees remain valid through HLC accreditation
Campus Ministry & Service and Spirituality
Service and Spirituality is Fontbonne's campus ministry office, located on the fourth floor of Medaille Hall. Rooted in the Catholic tradition and the CSJ charism of unioning love, the office welcomed students of all religious backgrounds and traditions to grow spiritually. Through retreats, works of justice, worship, reflection, interfaith dialogue, and immersion experiences, the ministry invited students into an awareness of the presence and inspiration of a God who loves us and calls us to the fullness of life.
- Campus Ministry office: fourth floor of Medaille Hall
- Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
- Phone: 314-889-4788
Doerr Chapel & Worship
Doerr Chapel, located in Ryan Hall, is the spiritual center of the Fontbonne community and the place where the community comes together to celebrate Masses and special services. Mass on campus is celebrated during the academic year (August through May). Its hours follow Ryan Hall's building hours, and its Wednesday 11:45 a.m. liturgy was a regular gathering point for students.
- Doerr Chapel located in Ryan Hall
- Mass on campus when school is in session (August–May)
- Wednesday 11:45 a.m. Mass; Sunday 7 p.m. Mass; First Friday 11:45 a.m. Mass
Sacred Spaces on Campus
In addition to Doerr Chapel, Fontbonne maintained an Islamic Prayer Room in room L11C in the basement of the Jack C. Taylor Library. Its hours followed the Library's hours and provided individual prayer space for Muslim students throughout the day, reflecting Fontbonne's commitment to ecumenical and interfaith relationships.
- Islamic Prayer Room in Jack C. Taylor Library, room L11C
- Hours follow Library hours
Faith Development & Programs
Service and Spirituality offered programs to nurture the faith community at Fontbonne. Students were encouraged to pray, gather in fellowship, learn about their own faith, explore other faith traditions, and have companions for their journey in faith. The office also referred graduating students to post-graduate volunteer service organizations including the Catholic Volunteer Network, the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Peace Corps, and the International Volunteer Programs Association.
- Retreats and faith formation programs
- Interfaith dialogue and exploration
- Post-graduate service referrals (Catholic Volunteer Network, Peace Corps, CNCS, IVPA)
University Identity, Seal, and Colors
Fontbonne's motto is the Latin 'Virtus et Scientia' — 'Virtue and Knowledge.' The university seal includes six fleurs-de-lis representing the first six Sisters of St. Joseph who came to the United States in 1836, and a figure called 'The Founding Spirit' who reaches upward holding a book to the heavens, representing the Sisters of St. Joseph, their teachers, and Mother St. John Fontbonne. The school's colors — purple and gold — were adopted in 1946, with the purple taken from the episcopal colors of Archbishop John J. Glennon of St. Louis and the gold from the papal colors of Pope Pius XI. Fontbonne's athletic teams are known as the Griffins.
- Motto: Virtus et Scientia (Virtue and Knowledge)
- Six fleurs-de-lis on the seal honor the first six U.S. Sisters (1836)
- Purple from Archbishop Glennon's episcopal colors; gold from Pope Pius XI's papal colors
- Athletic teams: the Griffins