By: Sarah Vahlkamp

The month of February is a very special month for Quincy University.

On February 6th, 1860, QU began classes with a first class of only 50 students. QU was originally built with a church, friary, and school for seminarians who were looking to receive their education for priesthood. However, the school was also open to laymen wanting to take classes. Tuition was free for the class as one of the friars responsible for opening the school covered any expenses that arose.

The school was built six blocks outside of the then growing city of Quincy. It is because of the generosity of a local merchant who donated the land and a bishop looking to educate the seminarians that Quincy University opened its doors to become the school it is today.

A few years ago in celebration of the 150th anniversary of QU, Assistant Professor of Communication, Travis Yates, produced a short video that documents the storied history of the University. The video is available on QUTV’s Facebook page.