The following article appeared in the Centennial Newsletter on January 27th, 2025.

Presidential Ponderings

  

Mother Stephanie Mohun, O.P., Prioress of the Dominican Sisters of Saint Mary’s of the Springs and honorary president of the newly formed Albertus Magnus College, charged Sister Dolorita Carton, O.P. as the first college president, with the monumental task of establishing Albertus Magnus College. Sister Dolorita partnered with influential Connecticut lawyers, bankers, and insurance agents to gain funding and community support for the new college. The Committee of Incorporators and Sr. Dolorita successfully passed the bill of incorporation through the Connecticut Statehouse in July of 1925.  

On September 24, 1925 Sr. Dolorita (1883-1943) welcomed fifty young women, who could meet the strenuous admissions standards, as the first students of Albertus Magnus College. Sister Dolorita served as president from 1925 to 1929.  While deciding on a name for the college, the sisters preferred a female name but the General Council of the Dominican Sisters settled on a man’s name, Albertus Magnus, which caused some confusion.  The name led many to believe this was a man’s college, so a number of men actually applied for admission and needed to be turned away.  Men would need to wait another 60 years before they could gain full admission to all programs at Albertus.  I wonder what Sr. Dolorita would think about that?  

Sister Isabel Oger, O.P. (1876-1972) served as the second president of Albertus Magnus College from 1929-1935 and again from 1938-1941. She arrived in New Haven to serve as the College’s first Dean of Students, and helped Sr. Dolorita by establishing the curriculum and admission requirements of Albertus Magnus College.  In a 1971 interview, Sister Isabel said that the goal was: “…to have a Catholic college that came in level academically and socially with the other colleges in the country.”  In the beginning of the college, ”Something would always happen to us to meet our needs, we’d get right to the edge of going off the cliff and something would happen and we’d get the money.”  In  Sister Isabel’s obituary, the presiding priest noted that Sister Isabel embodied two characteristics, faith and action.   She must have had each of these qualities in abundance.

I find myself to be very impressed with the early sister’s resourcefulness and means to accomplish this herculean task.  Dominican sisters founded this small college that will celebrate 100 years of education, tradition, and faith.  September 19, 2025 marks the opening of a year of celebration.  I hope you will all join in the festivities.  – Sr. Paula Danforth