Holy Names University

Holy Names University was a private Roman Catholic university in Oakland, California. It was founded in 1868 by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary with which the university remained affiliated until it closed in 2023. History The university was originally established as the Convent of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in 1868 by six members of the Sisters of the Holy Names, a teaching order from Quebec, Canada. They were invited to Oakland by Father Michael King, pastor of Saint Mary's Church to establish a school for girls and to provide means to train future teachers. The original site of the convent was on the shores of Lake Merritt. By 1908 the convent began to offer classes at a post-secondary level and was renamed the College of the Holy Names. In 1949 the college became one of the charter members of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The coeducation graduate division was formally established in 1955. Soon afterward in 1957, the original site was purchased by Henry J. Kaiser where he constructed the Kaiser Building, and the school moved to its present location in the Oakland Hills. In 1971, Holy Names became coeducational at the undergraduate level and was renamed Holy Names College. The Julia Morgan School for Girls held classes for its first two years, from 1999 through 2001, at Holy Names. The school took its present name on May 10, 2004, and became known as the "newest Catholic university in California." In December 2022, the university announced plans to close after the spring 2023 semester. It cited "rising operational costs, declining enrollment, and an increased need for institutional aid", particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic downturn. It formed a relationship with Dominican University of California to allow students to continue their studies there. In 2023, it was reported that Holy Names University was facing dire financial problems and was in default on debt for its huge property holdings. The campus was sold to BH Properties in June 2023.