Marianist Tradition

Much of what is essential to the University of Dayton, including its emphasis on community, has roots in its Catholic, Marianist identity.  The University of Dayton was founded in 1850 by the Society of Mary, a Roman Catholic religious order of brothers and priests, itself founded in France in 1817.  The University uses the Catholic intellectual tradition to combine the strengths found in liberal arts colleges with those found in research universities to form a distinctive learning community.

Those who work at the University can be living examples of how individuals coming together in community make connections between the world of work and the world of learning, between the practical and the theoretical, between their beliefs and their actions, between the University and the broader community.  Because of its Catholic and Marianist nature, the University of Dayton welcomes the presence and work of people from other religious traditions (of all people of good will) in discovering what is true, cherishing what is good, and enjoying what is beautiful.

For those working at UD, its Catholic, Marianist identity has different impacts for different jobs.  For a campus minister or a professor of humanities, it can mean seeing that thousands of years of tradition daily affect one's profession.  For all at UD, it means being a part of a welcoming and supportive institution committed both to being a community and to seeing value in each of its members.  It means being a part of a community with a tradition of seeking not only to educate but ultimately to transform the world into a place of justice for all.  Each person who works at UD has an opportunity similar to that provided to its students - to learn, to lead, to serve.