University of Albuquerque, American Catholic university (1920–1986)
The University of Albuquerque was a private institution founded in 1920 and operated until 1986. Located on a hilltop above the Rio Grande river, it grew to include classrooms, gymnasiums, performance theaters, and student dormitories constructed during the 1950s.
The school began in 1920 as summer courses for nuns at an orphanage and became a full-time four-year college in 1940 called the Catholic Teachers' College of New Mexico. It was renamed College of St. Joseph on the Rio Grande in 1950 and moved to a hilltop location overlooking the river in 1951.
The university drew its name from the Rio Grande river that flowed below its hilltop location with views across the valley. It became a gathering place for students from different backgrounds seeking liberal arts education and professional advancement in New Mexico.
The campus sits on a hilltop with open views toward the Rio Grande and surrounding land that once defined the study experience there. Today the remaining buildings serve multiple purposes, with main structures now part of St. Pius X High School and others used by the local archdiocese for various functions.
The university's athletic teams were called the Dons and the basketball squad even competed in national tournaments during the 1960s before such programs ended. Teams competed across baseball, golf, tennis, and soccer against regional and national opponents.
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