The HNU Mission

Holy Names University, an academic community committed to the full development of each student, offers a liberal education rooted in the Catholic tradition, empowering a diverse student body for leadership and service in a diverse world.

Vision Statement

Holy Names University, a center of rigorous teaching and scholarship in the Catholic intellectual tradition, is . . .

• rooted in the charism of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary and committed to social justice
• a student-focused community developing critical thinkers and transformational leaders
• a model of diversity promoting cultural competency
• a resource for study and impact on urban issues, particularly in Oakland

The History of HNU

Holy Names University was founded in 1868 when six Sisters of the Holy Names arrived in California from Montreal, Canada. The teaching order, founded to provide education to the poor, had been invited to Oakland by Father Michael King to establish a school for girls and to train future teachers.

When the school was founded on the shores of Lake Merritt, Oakland was an outpost of 8,000 people. Lake Merritt was at that time considered to be "far in the country, wild and brush covered, a thicket for rabbits and quail."

With the establishment of the Graduate Division in 1955, the College formally admitted male students for the first time. This was the forerunner of the entire college becoming coed in 1971. The College moved in 1957 from Lake Merritt to its present site on 60 wooded acres in the Oakland Hills.

Today we are a comprehensive institution of higher learning - a leader in providing progressive academic programs such as a three-year bachelor's degree and innovative degree completion programs for working adults.