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Former names | St. Mary's Female Academy (1843–1881) Mount St. Joseph Academy and College (1881–1928) Clarke College (1928–2010) |
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| Type | Private university |
| Established | 1843; 182 years ago (1843) |
Religious affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Endowment | $29.9 million (2020)[1] |
| President | Fletcher M. Lamkin (interim) |
Academic staff | 148 |
Administrative staff | 173 |
| Students | 1200 |
| Location | ,, U.S. 42°30′36″N90°41′28″W / 42.510°N 90.691°W /42.510; -90.691 |
| Campus | Urban |
| Colors | Navy Blue & Gold |
| Nickname | Pride |
Sporting affiliations | NAIA –HAAC |
| Mascot | Cutlass T. Crusader |
| Website | www |
Clarke University is aprivateCatholic university inDubuque, Iowa. It was founded in 1843 asSt. Mary's Female Academy by MotherMary Frances Clarke, foundress of theSisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The campus sits on a bluff overlooking theMississippi River and downtown Dubuque. Clarke offers undergraduate degrees in 19 academic departments with over 40 majors and programs.[2] The university also provides graduatemaster's anddoctoral degrees and enrolls approximately 1,200 students.
What is now known as Clarke University was established in 1843 asSt. Mary's Female Academy by Irish emigrantMother Mary Frances Clarke, the founder of theSisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.[3] It was one of the first such schools for women built west of theMississippi River.[4]
In 1881, St. Mary's moved to its present location atop Dubuque's Seminary Hill (Clarke Drive) and was renamedMount St. Joseph Academy and College. The college became a liberal arts school in 1901, and the firstbachelor's degree was awarded in 1904. In 1910, Mt. St. Joseph was chartered by the state ofIowa, becoming a four-year college by 1913. TheNorth Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools accredited Mount St. Joseph in 1918. The academy portion of the school closed in 1928 and the college was renamedClarke College to honorMary Frances Clarke and her vision for the college written in 1884 to her community of sisters, almost all of whom were instructors: "Let us…keep our schools progressive with the times in which we live…In teaching, we must…endeavor to make [students] think."[4]
On May 17, 1984, the school experienced a disastrous fire that destroyed four of its main buildings, including the Sacred Heart Chapel. The next day, students hung a large banner reading "Clarke Lives!" on the campus to show solidarity following the disaster. Soon after, the school launched a major reconstruction project to replace the destroyed buildings. By 1986, a new library, music performance hall, chapel, bookstore, administrative offices, and central atrium were dedicated. The massive, glass-enclosed Wahlert Atrium built following the fire has since become the main symbol of the school.[4]
Joanne Burrows, (SC) began her term as president on July 1, 2006, replacing the long-servingCatherine Dunn. On May 12, 2010, she announced that the college would be renamed Clarke University. In 2019 she was succeeded by Thom D. Chesney.[5] After leading the university through the COVID-19 pandemic,[6] Chesney resigned to take a personal sabbatical. The university's 17th president is Fletcher Lamkin.[7]
Clarke sits on a 55-acre (220,000 m2) campus located atop a prominent hill in Dubuque. The college consists of 16 buildings, an athletic field, and features large, grassy knolls along the south and east sides of campus for areas of study and recreation. The grounds are bounded by West Locust Street on the south, Clarke Crest Court on the north, Clarke Crest Drive on the east, and North Grandview Avenue on the west. Clarke Drive is the "main street" through the campus, bisecting it into "north" and "south" sides. Of Clarke's 16 buildings, 15 are located along Clarke Drive, making it a very walkable campus.
The Clarke athletic teams are called the Pride. The university is a member of theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in theHeart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) since the 2016–17 academic year, after spending a season as anNAIA Independent within the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) during the 2015–16 school year (as well as during the 2006–07 school year when the school re-joined the NAIA). The Pride previously competed in the defunctMidwest Collegiate Conference (MCC) from 2007–08 to 2014–15 (when the conference dissolved), which they were a member on a previous stint from 1988–89 to 1995–96. Clarke was also a member of the defunctNorthern Illinois-Iowa Conference (NIIC) of theNCAA Division III ranks from 1996–97 to 2005–06.
Clarke University women's basketball team was the 2022-23 NAIA national champion, defeating defending champion Thomas Moore University 63-52.[8]
The University is located west of downtown Dubuque and served byThe Jule transit system. TheOrange Route stops on Clarke Drive and Locust Street connecting the university to downtown Dubuque.[9]
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