100 Unstoppable Years

In 1925, when women had limited options, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJs), set out to establish a college where women could develop into exemplary, principled leaders dedicated to service, justice and knowledge. It was a bold venture for the sisters, who had limited financial resources but abundant faith, vision and determination to recognize and respond to the needs of the times.

Three years later, a small group of those sisters climbed a rugged hill to find and then purchase an ideal site for their college in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles. This became the Chalon Campus, now home to most of the University’s traditional undergraduate programs and the first women’s leadership program established in the western United States.

In 1962, thanks to a generous bequest, Mount Saint Mary’s established its second campus on the elegant, historic Doheny Estate near downtown LA. Graduate degree programs, associate in arts programs, an education credential program, and the Weekend/Evening & Online College are based at Doheny, which is especially welcoming to students in the surrounding areas.

Now the only women’s university in Los Angeles and one of the most transformative in the nation, the Mount is widely recognized for academic quality, research on women and girls, innovative health and science programs, and empowerment of women. Across the country and beyond, thousands of Mount alumnae are making important differences in their communities every day as they practice the ethos they were inspired to follow at the Mount, where they learned the value of their own potential.

Today we are so honored to celebrate the Mount’s first century. We marvel at the extraordinary and far-reaching impact that has radiated from a humble beginning and a fervent dream in the hearts of women who believed in the power of possibility and their ability to make it reality.