HISTORY IN THE MAKING

A School of Nursing is Created to Serve Louisiana

Established in 1923 by the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady, the School of Nursing began in conjunction with the establishment of Our Lady of the Lake Sanitarium in the Capitol Lake area of downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The School was an integral part of the new hospital’s program of service to the community.

Five students from the St. Francis Sanitarium in Monroe, Louisiana, formed the nucleus of the first class of nine students. The students lived, attended classes and cared for patients in the hospital overlooking Capitol Lake. Upon completion of three calendar years of education, the students were awarded a diploma in nursing.

The School Becomes Home to a New Type of Student Body

During the 1970s, major changes began to occur in the student population. Along with a decline in residential students, there was a gradual but persistent increase in the number of non-traditional students (23 years of age and older) seeking admission to the nursing program. By the close of the decade, the School of Nursing became a commuter school and no longer offered on-campus housing. This coincided with the relocation of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and the School of Nursing to the Essen Lane area.

The School Officially Becomes Our Lady of the Lake College

Regional accreditation of the College was initially received from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in June 1994. In July of 1995, the College was officially renamed Our Lady of the Lake College.

The late 1990s and early years of the new millennium were a time of expansion for the College, and several new associate degree programs were added to the curriculum. In 1998, the College was approved as a Level II institution to offer baccalaureate degrees, and by the turn of the century had added seven bachelor’s programs.

OLOL College is Renamed to Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University

Our Lady of the Lake College was renamed Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University in October of 2016. The Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University is organized into three academic schools: the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Health Professions and the School of Nursing. Today, the University offers two doctorate degrees, four master’s degrees, eight bachelor’s degrees and three associate degrees.

In addition to an emphasis on academic excellence, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University has continued the commitment to service begun by the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady. Our graduates possess a wide range of knowledge and skills and continue to fulfill the University’s mission of service to God’s people.

Groundbreaking of St. Francis Hall

Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University received financing approval for the first major building project in the history of the University. The 75,000 square foot, three-story building will be dedicated to academic and student development functions at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

St. Francis Hall represents the initial step in the development of the University’s campus master plan. Located at the corner of Brittany Drive and Picardy Avenue, this building will serve as the front door to a cohesive and identifiable campus.

Driven by the University’s mission, the facility will provide an interactive and student-centered environment. The building will contain modular spaces that can support multiple educational activities and social events of varied sizes. Learning outside of the classroom will be facilitated by interactive student spaces adjacent to instructional spaces, promoting ongoing synergies between formal and informal learning and enhancing the relationship-based education characteristic of a Franciscan University.