SMWC Timeline
1840
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin and five Sisters of Providence leave France for the Indiana wilderness to establish Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
1846
SMWC is granted the first charter for women's higher education in Indiana.
1888
The first issue of The Aurora Magazine is published.
1899
The first Bachelor of Arts degree at SMWC is conferred.
1913
The first College building, Guerin Hall and the Conservatory of Music, are completed.
1916
The first edition of the student newspaper, now known as The Woods, is published.
1919
Bachelor of Science degree is introduced for the first time at SMWC.
1922
The Woods Ring tradition begins with this senior class.
1924
Le Fer Hall is erected.
1926
First issue of Alumnae News, the predecessor of Onyx, is published.
1930
For the very first time, water flows from the iconic SMWC fountain.
1937
First ever performance in Guerin Hall's "Little Theatre" takes place.
1941
Students aid the war effort in defense and relief committess.
1951
The College is approved for training veterans under the G.I. Bill
1966
Campus enrollment reaches a record breaking 530 students.
1969
Hulman Hall is completed.
1973
The Women's External Degree program (WED), one of the nation's first distance programs, is launched.
1990
Mari Hulman George School of Equine Studies is established.
1990
Madrigals perform at Carnegie Hall.
1994
The first scholarship basketball team began.
1995
The first scholarship softball team began.
1998
The first non-SP president, Sister Joan Lescinski, CSJ, becomes the college's 14th president.
2000
The first scholarship soccer team began.
2004
The College is awarded a $1 million dollar Lilly grant.
2004
The equestrian team wins its first individual national championship.
2005
The WED program goes co-ed and is renamed Woods External Degree.
2006
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, foundress of SMWC, is canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.
2007
David G. Behrs, Ph.D., became the first male president of the College.
2008
The first scholarship golf team began.
2009
The first scholarship cross country team began and wins the national championship during its inaugural year.
2010
SMWC is recognized for the fourth time in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Colleges" list.
2011
Dottie L. King, Ph.D., named as the 16th president.
2011
Master of Art Therapy program scored a coveted blue ribbon of excellence-educational approval from the American Art Therapy Association.
2012
SMWC named "military friendly" school.
2013
In commemoration of their 100th anniversary Guerin Hall and the Conservatory of Music are blessed by Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R.
2013
SMWC breaks ground on $11M Jeanne Knoerle Sports and Recreation Center.
2014
SMWC is recognized for the 7th consecutive year in the U.S. News & World Report "Best Colleges" list.
2015
SMWC Board of Trustees makes historic decision to go co-ed.