Canisius College
| Canisius College | |
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| Latin: Collegium Canisii | |
| Established | 1870 |
| Type | Private Nonprofit Coeducational Liberal Arts |
| Religious affiliation | Jesuit (Roman Catholic) |
| Endowment | US $88.5 Million[1] |
| President | John J. Hurley, J.D. |
| Academic staff | Total: 429 (203 full-time / 226 part-time) |
| Students | 5,152 |
| Undergraduates | 3,385 |
| Postgraduates | 1,767 |
| Location | Buffalo, New York, United States |
| Campus | Urban - 36 acres (14.6 ha) |
| Fight song | "Canisius, Blue and Gold" |
| Colors | Blue and Gold |
| Athletics | NCAA Division I - MAAC AH |
| Sports | 17 varsity sports teams[2] (8 men's and 9 women's) |
| Nickname | Golden Griffins / Lady Griffins |
| Mascot | Petey the Griffin |
| Affiliations | AJCU NCATE, AACSB |
| Website | www.canisius.edu |
Canisius College (pron.: ) is a private Roman Catholic college in Buffalo, New York, United States. The college was founded in 1870 by members of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) from Germany and is named after St. Peter Canisius. The college is one of 28 institutions in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.[3] It is distinct from Canisius-Kolleg, a prestigious Berlin, Germany, high school also run by the Jesuits.
The campus sprawls across over a mile of city blocks and includes dedicated NCAA Division I athletic facilities along with various academic and residence buildings.
Contents |
History []
The Canisius College of Buffalo, commonly referred to as Canisius, has a long and proud history in the city of Buffalo. The first campus was on Ellicott St. in the city and was created in response to a growing need for higher education in the area. Buffalo was composed of many ethnic groups and one of the larger populations was German in origin.[4] As Europe experienced political turmoil, more and more people left for America especially after the failed revolutions of 1848. By 1866, Prussia had exerted considerable pressure on its Germanic neighbors which caused many more people to leave. One of the places where many Germans settled was Buffalo, NY. Part of the immigrant population included German Jesuits. The college formed with Canisius High School as a natural response to the needs of the Catholic community. The college archives has an extensive collection pertaining to the history of the college and its founding.
Schools []
Canisius College has three schools. They are:
School of Education and Human Services. This houses the College Student Personnel Administration Program which is one of the top 5 in the country.
Campaign for Canisius []
In the fall of 2007, the college announced plans to raise $90 million by the year 2012 for capital improvements and to enhance the college’s endowment. It is the largest fund-raising initiative in the college’s history.[5] Of the $90 million goal, $47 million will fund the creation of an interdisciplinary science center at the college. This impressive undertaking creates a vital physical and visual connection between various parts of the campus through 1901 Main Street. Included in this program was the full acquisition of a 1,500 space parking ramp which will provide room for additional commuter students. The college announced on November 20, 2008 the acquisition of the building from The Uniland Partnership of Delaware LP.[6]
Rankings []
U.S. News and World Report ranked Canisius as 20th among regional schools in its "North Region."[7] Canisius was included in Kaplan's list of "America's 367 Most Interesting Schools."
Academics []
Canisius offers more than 125 majors, minors and special programs. The college is accredited by the Middle States Association Commission on Higher Education, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
Links to all of the departments can be found here
In fall 2009, Canisius College introduced a new major in Animal Behavior, Ecology and Conservation.[8] Other new majors recently announced include[9] Creative Writing, Health and Wellness, and[10] Journalism.
Student life []
More than 130 clubs and organizations are located on-campus. All student clubs and organizations must be approved by the Undergraduate Student Association and its Senators. Student programs offered include the Best of Buffalo series, Fusion game nights, the annual Fall Semi-Formal, the annual Mr. Canisius competition, the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit with Fall BBQ and Bonfire, Griffin Week, and Springfest.[11][12]
Athletics []
The Canisius College Golden Griffins are composed of 17 teams including men and women's basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, and swimming and diving. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, lacrosse, ice hockey, and golf. Women's sports include volleyball, synchronized swimming, and softball. The Golden Griffins compete in the NCAA Division I and are members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) for most sports, except for the men's ice hockey team, which competes in the Atlantic Hockey Association. The men's and women's Track & Field Teams and men's Football were cut in 2003.
In 2008, Canisius men's lacrosse won the MAAC tournament and earned its first ever bid to the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament.[13]
The 2008 Baseball team won the regular season MAAC championship for the first time in its history with a 41-13 record breaking the school record for wins in a season. One season later, the team advanced to its first MAAC Championship game in program history.[14]
The Canisius College softball team recently won the 2009 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament, its 3rd consecutive title win, marking the team's 11th trip to the NCAA tournament in the last 15 years. The softball team is consistently the winner of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament.[15]
Canisius won the Canal Cup in 2008 and 2009. The cup commemorates the athletic rivalry between Canisius College and Niagara University. Canisius has won the trophy two times in the Canal Cup's three year existence.[16]
The Canisius synchronized swim team has been the 3rd place team in the nation since 2008, fielding several national champions in several categories each year. The team has been ECAC champions since 1996.
Intramural sports are also offered to students, faculty and staff.
Canisius' mascot is the Golden Griffin. The college adopted it in 1932, after Charles A. Brady ('33) wrote a story in a Canisius publication honoring Buffalo's centennial year as a city. Brady wrote about Rene-Robert LaSalle's Le Griffon, the first European ship to sail the upper Great Lakes, built here in Buffalo. The name stuck, and Canisius' mascot was born.
According to GoGriffs.com, the griffin is a "mythical creature of supposed gigantic size that has the head, forelegs and wings of an eagle and the hindquarters, tail and ears of a lion." It represents values such as strength, vigilance, and intelligence, all of which befit a college and qualities that one would look for in students and athletes alike.
Pro Football Venue []
The College was also the home field of the Buffalo All-Americans of the early National Football League. Around 1917, Buffalo manager, Barney Lepper, signed a lease for the team to play their home games at Canisius College. The All-Americans played several of their games at Canisius before relocating to Bison Stadium in 1924.[17]
Greek life []
All of Canisius College's fraternities and sororities are approved by the Canisius College Office of Campus Programing and Leadership Development and each has strict policies against hazing. A list of organizations approved by the college can be found here:Canisius Greek Life
The college also boasts a Classics Club, which seeks to renew interests in the studies of ancient Greek and Roman history, language, and culture. The club has been noted for hosting everything from readings and discussions of ancient texts to celebrations of Saturnalia and alcohol-free toga parties. Members of the club continue to champion a Classical education as an essential element in the Jesuit education, as well as a key component in the embodiment of cura personalis. [18]
ROTC []
Canisius College is the Reserve Officer Training Corps hub for Western New York. The Golden Griffin Battalion is composed of students from Canisius, University at Buffalo (UB), Hilbert College, D'Youville College, Daemen College, Medaille College and Erie Community College.
In 2008, the ROTC battalion won the MacArthur Award as the top battalion in the east region.[19]
Accessibility []
Canisius is served by two strategically placed stations on the Buffalo Metro Rail, the Humboldt-Hospital Station near Sisters Hospital and the Delavan Canisius College Station near the Koessler Athletic Center. These two stations are on opposite ends of the campus. In addition, Canisius is accessible via Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority bus and by car. All undergraduate students receive an all zone Metro Pass that started as a pilot program but became so wildly successful that all students will continue to receive the pass.
Shuttle Services []
The college also utilizes shuttles for students to and from various places on campus. For more information see Canisius Shuttle Bus Service
Student Run Media []
The Griffin []
The student newspaper is The Griffin. The paper started in 1933, replacing The Canisian, and is published every week while classes are in session. The paper also produces a parody issue on the last day of classes each year.[20] Current President John Hurley was once an editor of The Griffin. Over the past three years, the paper has been experimenting with online formats, premiering its new website on January 25, 2013, the same day it released its new, larger print format.[21]
The Quadrangle []
An annual literary and artwork magazine. The Quadrangle is primarily built on selected writings, artwork, and photographs constructed by enrolled Canisius students.
CCTV []
public-access television cable TV, broadcasting to Canisius College televisions from the fourth floor studio at Lyons Hall.
The Azuwur []
The Canisius College yearbook, published once a year. (Pronounced "as-you-were")
The WIRE []
The WIRE is the college's radio station, which broadcasts over the campus television system. The WIRE replaced WCCG, and is currently available online through the Canisius College website.[22]
The Courier []
Canisius College's magazine-style opinion orientated publication. Created as a magazine in 2006, the publication has been known to be at times controversial but it served as a publication to where students, no matter what their opinions may be, could freely voice and express their opinions.[23]
Notable alumni []
Canisius has approximately 40,000 living alumni worldwide and are achieving considerable success in business, journalism, government, law, medicine and sports.
In business, notable Canisius alumni include:
- Mark J. Czarnecki (MBA 1991), President of M&T Bank
- Calvin Darden (Class of 1972), named 8th Most Powerful Black Executive in America by Fortune Magazine
- Leo R. Futia (Class of 1940), former president and chairman of Guardian Life
- George Mathewson (Class of 1972), former chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland
- Charles Moran Jr., President & COO of Delaware North
- Carl J. Montante (Class of 1964), Founder, President & Managing Director of Uniland Development; named 2010 Buffalo Outstanding Citizen
- John Rowe (Class of 1966), former chairman and CEO of Aetna
- J. Slater (Class of 1959), former President & COO of Crane Co.
- Dennis F. Strigl (Class of 1974), President/CEO of Verizon Wireless
- Mary Wittenberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York Road Runners
In journalism and television, notable Canisius alumni include:
- Anne Burrell (Class of 1991), host of the Food Network's Secrets Of a Restaurant Chef
- J. Michael Collins, Emmy Award-winning co-founder and former President/CEO of WNED-TV
- Gene F. Jankowski (Class of 1955), former president of the CBS Broadcast Group
- Norm Hitzges (Class of 1965), Texas Radio Hall of Fame, SportsRadio 1310 The Ticket - Dallas, TX
- Elizabeth MacDonald (Class of 1984), Fox Business Network journalist; Wall Street Journal editor
- Todd McDermott, Emmy Award-winning news anchor at WPIX-TV, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Michael Scheuer (Class of 1974), CBS News terrorism analyst, former CIA Chief of the Bin Laden Issue Station and author of Imperial Hubris
In government and law, notable Canisius alumni include:
- John Thomas Curtin (Class of 1946), former United States Attorney and Federal Judge for the Western District of New York
- Charles S. Desmond (Class of 1917), former Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals
- Walter J. Mahoney (Class of 1930), former Majority Leader of the New York State Senate and New York Supreme Court Judge
- Salvatore R. Martoche (Class of 1962), New York State Supreme Court Justice and former Assistant Secretary of the United States Treasury and Labor Departments
- Denise O'Donnell (Class of 1968), former United States Attorney for the Western District of New York
- William M. Skretny, Federal Judge for the Western District of New York
- John J. LaFalce (Class of 1961), former United States Representative for New York
- Richard D. McCarthy (Class of 1950), former United States Representative for New York
- Henry J. Nowak (Class of 1957), former United States Representative for New York
- William Paxon (Class of 1977), former United States Representative for New York
- Frank A. Sedita (Class of 1930), former Mayor of Buffalo, New York
- Anthony M. Masiello (Class of 1969), former Mayor of Buffalo, New York
- James T. Molloy (Class of 1958), former Doorkeeper, United States House of Representatives
In medicine and science, notable Canisius alumni include:
- Paul G. Gassman (Class of 1957), former Chair of the University of Minnesota's Chemistry Department
- Thomas J. Lawley (Class of 1968), Dean of the Emory University School of Medicine
- Mark J. Lema (Class of 1971), Chairman of Critical Care Medicine & Pain Medicine at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute
- Robert J. Lull (Class of 1962), Chief of Nuclear Medicine at the San Francisco General Hospital
- Donald Pinkel (Class of 1947), award-winning pediatric cancer researcher; former Director of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- George E. Schreiner (Class of 1943, Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the Georgetown University School of Medicine
- Edward G. Zubler (Class of 1949), inventor of the halogen lamp
In sports, notable Canisius alumni include:
- Bob MacKinnon (Class of 1950), former NBA Head Coach and General Manager of the New Jersey Nets
- Johnny McCarthy, member of the 1963-64 NBA Champion Boston Celtics and first of only 3 players in NBA history to record a triple-double in his playoff debut
- Gerry Meehan, former NHL player and General Manager of the Buffalo Sabres
- Dick Poillon, member of the 1942 NFL Champion Washington Redskins and Pro Bowl selection
- Michael Smrek (Class of 1985), member of the 1986-87 and 1987-88 NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers
- Beth Phoenix,Wrestler Professional and ex-WWE Diva Champion
- Cory Conacher, NHL player for the Ottawa Senators
-

John J. LaFalce '61
U.S. Representative
for New York -

Bill Paxon '71
U.S. Representative
for New York -

Donald Pinkel '47
Award-Winning Pediatric Cancer Researcher -

Mike Smrek '85
Two-Time NBA Champion, Los Angeles Lakers
See also []
External links []
- Canisius College's Official website
- Canisius Golden Griffins' Official Athletic website
- Canisius College main entrance on Google Maps
References []
- ^ "NCSE PUblic Tables Endowment Market Values" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-02-06.
- ^ "Canisius College Sports".
- ^ http://www.canisius.edu/academics/ Learn At Canisius
- ^ Gerber, David. The Making of an American Pluralism: Buffalo, New York, 1825-60.
- ^ "Canisius campaign seeks $90M". 2007-09-24.
- ^ "Canisius buys Main Street site for $18.45M". 2008-11-20.
- ^ "USNews.com: America's Best Colleges 2008: Canisius College: At a glance". U.S.News & World Report. 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-02.
- ^ http://www.canisius.edu/abec/
- ^ http://www.canisius.edu/creativewriting/
- ^ http://www.canisius.edu/journalism/
- ^ http://www.canisius.edu/campus_leader/events.asp
- ^ http://www.canisius.edu/images/userImages/danieu1/Page_12311/utd_102309.pdf
- ^ "Canisius routs VMI, earns MAAC championship and NCAA bid". InsideLacrosse.com. May 4, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
- ^ http://www.gogriffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=20500&ATCLID=1498544&SPID=12013&SPSID=105122
- ^ http://www.gogriffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=20500&ATCLID=1504299
- ^ http://www.gogriffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=97811&SPID=11997&DB_OEM_ID=20500&ATCLID=1482592
- ^ *Miller, Jeffery (2002). Buffalo’s Forgotten Champions.
- ^ "Classics Club: Canisius College". Canisius College. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
- ^ http://www.canisius.edu/netgazette/5.21.08/
- ^ http://www.canisius.edu/archives/about_griffin.asp
- ^ "Event-filled day gets passing grade". Retrieved 2013-02-06.
- ^ http://www.comdma.com/~wire/
- ^ http://www.canisius.edu/campus_leader/faq.asp#newspaper
