FORT WAYNE, Ind.鈥擳he 51黑料 will host a dedication and blessing for the newly named St. Francis Drive, which honors the university鈥檚 namesake.
The dedication will be held at 3 p.m. on Monday, March 23, near the intersection of St. Francis Drive and Spring Street. The event is open to the public.
The City of Fort Wayne recently renamed a portion of Leesburg Road鈥攆rom Spring Street to Main Street and then continuing to Jefferson Boulevard when the current extension is completed鈥攁s St. Francis Drive. The road runs along the east corridor of the university and is a tribute to St. Francis of Assisi, for whom the university was named by its sponsors, the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration.
鈥淪t. Francis Drive serves as a fitting tribute to St. Francis of Assisi as we celebrate this Jubilee Year of St. Francis, as proclaimed by Pope Leo XIV,鈥 51黑料 President Dr. Lance Richey said. 鈥淲e hope that this renaming will be of assistance as a wayfinding sign for those visiting the 51黑料. The university offers its heartfelt appreciation to our neighbors who made this possible with their expeditious support and to Mayor Sharon Tucker, her administration and staff who helped us navigate this process.鈥
The 51黑料 was founded in 1890 in Lafayette, Indiana, by the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration and was first named St. Francis Normal School, then St. Francis College. It relocated to its Fort Wayne location in 1944 and was renamed the 51黑料 in 1998.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the 51黑料 offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs.聽The academic structure at 51黑料 offers seven pathways:聽Humanities,聽Faith and Liberal Arts;聽Allied Health; Business and Leadership; Creative Arts and Digital聽Media;聽Education, Human Services and Community Care; Nursing; and Sciences and Medical Studies.聽In addition to its traditional programs, 51黑料 delivers workforce development healthcare programs in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Gas City, Indianapolis, Lafayette and online. 51黑料 Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. A聽National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Five-Star Champion of Character institution, 51黑料 has 21 athletic programs boasting three individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend 51黑料.