Thomas More College of Liberal Arts

Thomas More College of Liberal Arts

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Thomas More College of Liberal Arts

Seal of Thomas More College of Liberal Arts
Motto	Caritas congaudet veritati
Motto in English	"Charity rejoices in the truth"
Type	Private
Established	1978
Affiliation	Catholic Church
President	William Fahey
Location	Merrimack, New Hampshire, USA Coordinates: 42°48′30″N 71°29′00″W / 42.80833°N 71.48333°W / 42.80833; -71.48333
Website	thomasmorecollege.edu

The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts is located in Merrimack, New Hampshire, United States. The college emphasizes classical education in the Catholic intellectual tradition and is named after Saint Thomas More. The school has approximately 100 students. It is endorsed by The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College.

Contents

• 1History
  • 1.1Founding
  • 1.2Since 2000
  • 1.3Presidents
• 2Academics
• 3Other programs
• 4References
• 5External links

History[edit]

Founding[edit]

Thomas More College was founded in 1978, with political science professor Peter Sampo as its first president. Sampo had been a co-founder and president of both Cardinal Newman College in St. Louis^[1] and Magdalen College, also in New Hampshire.^[2] The curriculum, designed by educators Donald and Louise Cowan, associated with the University of Dallas, centered on the direct reading of foundational works of Western culture.^[3]

Since 2000[edit]

In 2009, the curriculum was revised under president William Fahey in an effort to improve its chronological approach to topics and strengthen the presentation of Catholic themes. Distinct majors in literature, political science, and philosophy were phased out in favor of a non-major liberal arts program.^[4]

In 2011, the college announced its intention to move to a larger tract of land in Groton, Massachusetts, keeping the campus in Merrimack as a site for future graduate programs.^[5][6] The relocation plan was abandoned in August 2015, after the college administration projected it would have required a ten-year fundraising campaign.^[7] In late 2013, the college bought a 1908 mansion in Nashua originally built by shoe manufacturer Frank Anderson and once used as the home of Mount Saint Mary High School, in order to use the historic house as an educational site and eventually also a dormitory.^[8][9]

Presidents[edit]

The campus in winter

1. Peter V. Sampo, 1978-2006
2. Jeffrey Nelson, 2006-2009
3. William Fahey, 2009-current

Academics[edit]

The core curriculum at Thomas More College is similar to a Great Books program. Students read the great works of Western literature, philosophy, and political science in their entirety rather than as a collection of excerpts.^[10] Students earn a B.A. degree in Liberal Arts without a major concentration. Part of the sophomore year is spent in Rome, Italy. For admissions to the college, Thomas More College accepts the Classic Learning Test (CLT) as alternatives to the SAT and ACT.

In 2010, the college started a program of teaching students practical skills in art and music, using the medieval guild system as a model.^[11]

The college is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.^[12] In December 2009, NEASC placed the college on probation on the ground that it was not meeting NEASC's standards for financial resources. The period of probation ended in 2011.^[13][14][6]

Other programs[edit]

The college has sponsored the Centre for Faith and Culture at Oxford, England, publisher of Second Spring, a journal on faith and culture, since 2007.

In April 2011, Thomas More College, together with Holy Spirit College in Atlanta, reached an agreement with the non-profit publisher Sophia Institute Press, which became the publishing division of the two colleges. The two colleges, in turn, appoint representatives to the board of directors of Sophia Institute.^[15][16]

References[edit]

1. Jump up ^ Donald Berns (December 11, 1977). "College Enrollment Easily Fits Into Pizza Parlor". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved July 7, 2011. 
2. Jump up ^ John Whitson (September 19, 2006). "Thomas More College head has big plans". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved August 29, 2010. 
3. Jump up ^ "The Newman Guide to Catholic Colleges". Cardinal Newman Society. 
4. Jump up ^ "Thomas More College's new president inspired by Pope Benedict". Catholic News Agency (ACI Prensa). March 31, 2010. 
5. Jump up ^ Michael Brindley (March 9, 2011). "Merrimack's Thomas More College planning to relocate undergraduate program to Mass". Nashua Telegraph. 
6. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b} Art Campbell (February 15, 2011). "More College, More or Less, for Groton". The Groton Line. 
7. Jump up ^ Pierre Comtois (August 31, 2015). "Thomas More College will not relocate to Groton". The Lowell Sun. Retrieved June 10, 2016. 
8. Jump up ^ Kimberly Houghton (February 12, 2014). "Thomas More College buys Nashua property". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved June 10, 2016. 
9. Jump up ^ Sheryl Rich-Kern (December 12, 2013). "Nashua's Historic Mansion Sold". New Hampshire Public Radio. Retrieved June 10, 2016. 
10. Jump up ^ Thomas More's curriculum page
11. Jump up ^ "Catholic college resurrects 'guilds' to teach craftsmanship, artistry and charity". EWTN News. July 27, 2010. 
12. Jump up ^ "Thomas More College of Liberal Arts". New England Association of Schools and Colleges. 
13. Jump up ^ "Public Statement on Thomas More College of Liberal Arts" (PDF). New England Association of Schools and Colleges. December 10, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 20, 2011. 
14. Jump up ^ Michael Brindley (February 26, 2010). "Rivier gets top rating". Nashua Telegraph. 
15. Jump up ^ "Sophia Institute Press names new President". Catholic News Agency. November 14, 2012. 
16. Jump up ^ "After acquisition, Crisis Magazine re-launches website". Catholic News Agency. February 10, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2016. 

External links[edit]

• Official website

show v t e Colleges and universities in New Hampshire
Private institutions	Antioch University New England Colby-Sawyer College Dartmouth College Franklin Pierce University New England College New Hampshire Institute of Art Northeast Catholic College Rivier University Saint Anselm College Southern New Hampshire University Thomas More College of Liberal Arts
Public institutions	Four-year University System of New Hampshire Granite State College Keene State College Plymouth State University University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire at Manchester University of New Hampshire School of Law Two-year Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) Great Bay Community College Lakes Region Community College Manchester Community College Nashua Community College NHTI, Concord's Community College River Valley Community College White Mountains Community College

show v t e Ex corde Ecclesiae Catholic universities and colleges in the United States
Aquinas College Ave Maria University Belmont Abbey College Benedictine College Catholic Distance University Catholic University of America Christendom College College of Saint Mary DeSales University Donnelly College Franciscan University of Steubenville Holy Apostles College and Seminary Holy Cross College Holy Spirit College The Institute for the Psychological Sciences John Paul the Great Catholic University Madonna University Mount St. Mary's University Northeast Catholic College St. Gregory's University Saint Vincent College Thomas Aquinas College Thomas More College of Liberal Arts University of Dallas University of Mary University of St. Thomas Walsh University Wyoming Catholic College
Catholicism portal

show v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester
Bishops	Ordinaries Denis Mary Bradley John Bernard Delany George Albert Guertin John Bertram Peterson Matthew Francis Brady Ernest John Primeau Odore Joseph Gendron Leo Edward O'Neil John Brendan McCormack Peter Anthony Libasci Auxiliaries Francis Joseph Christian Joseph John Gerry Robert Edward Mulvee
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of St. Joseph Abbey St. Anselm Abbey Parishes St. Anne of the Good Shepherd, Berlin St. Joseph Church, Claremont St. Thomas More Church, Durham Ste. Marie Church, Manchester St. Aloysius of Gonzaga Church, Nashua Former parishes St. Stanislaus Church, Nashua
Education	Higher Education Northeast Catholic College Rivier University Saint Anselm College Thomas More College of Liberal Arts High Schools Bishop Brady High School, Concord Bishop Guertin High School, Nashua Holy Family Academy, Manchester Mount Royal Academy, Sunapee St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Dover Trinity High School, Manchester
Priests	Thomas Michael O'Leary
Catholicism portal

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Categories:

• Universities and colleges in New Hampshire
• Liberal arts colleges in New Hampshire
• Educational institutions established in 1978
• Catholic universities and colleges in the United States
• Universities and colleges in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
• Thomas More College of Liberal Arts
• Catholic universities and colleges in New Hampshire
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester
• Merrimack, New Hampshire