View source for Merrimack College

{{Short description|Private college in North Andover, Massachusetts, US}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2025}}
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = Merrimack College
 | image                  = Palmisano Hall at Merrimack College.jpg
 | caption                = Palmisano Hall
 | motto                  = ''Per Scientiam Ad Sapientiam'' ([[Latin]])
 | mottoeng               = Through Knowledge to Wisdom
 | established            = 1947
 | type                   = [[Private university]]
 | religious_affiliation  = [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] ([[Order of Saint Augustine]])
 | endowment              = $53.6 million (2020)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.merrimack.edu/live/files/3930-fiscal-year-2020-audited-financial-statement|title=Financial Statements Merrimack College June 30, 2020 and 2019|date=2020-06-30|publisher=Merrimack College}}</ref>
 | president              = Christopher E. Hopey<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eagletribune.com/news/merrimack_valley/merrimack-college-breaks-ground-on-nursing-center/article_1e8b03ec-f5ea-5b54-a188-7f801b90b6c7.html |title=Merrimack College breaks ground on nursing center |date=12 May 2019 }}</ref>
 | city                   = [[North Andover, Massachusetts|North Andover]]
 | state                  = [[Massachusetts]]
 | country                = U.S.
 | coor                   = {{coord|42.667|-71.123|display=inline,title}}
 | students               = 5,505<ref>{{cite web | title = College Navigator - Merrimack College | language = en | access-date = 2024-07-22 | publisher = [[National Center for Education Statistics]] | url = https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?s=MA&id=166850}}</ref> (fall 2022)
 | undergrad              = 4,202 (2020)<ref name=usn>{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/merrimack-college-2120|title=Merrimack College|date=2020|publisher=U.S. News & World Report|url-status=live|archive-date=2020-06-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627165352/https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/merrimack-college-2120}}</ref>
 | postgrad               = 1,216 (2020) {{r|usn}}
 | faculty                = 220
 | administrative_staff   = 330
 | campus                 = Suburban, {{cvt|220|acre}}
 | free_label             = Newspaper
 | free                   = ''The Beacon''
 | sports_nickname        = [[Merrimack Warriors|Warriors]]
 | mascot                 = Mack the Warrior
 | athletics_affiliations = [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] [[NCAA Division I|Division I]]<br /> [[Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference|MAAC]]<br /> [[Hockey East]] (men's and women's ice hockey)
 | academic_affiliations  = [[National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities|NAICU]] <br /> [[Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities|ACCU]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://libraries.catholic.edu/special-collections/archives/collections/finding-aids/finding-aids.html?file=accu|title=Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU)|date=n.d.|publisher=The Catholic Universities of America|access-date=2022-08-10}}</ref>
 | colors                 = {{Color box|#00337F}}{{color box|gold}} Navy blue & gold
 | website                = [https://www.merrimack.edu/ merrimack.edu]
 | logo                   = Merrimack College logo.svg
}}
{{Multiple image
| header =
| align = right
| direction = 
| total_width = 260
| perrow = 1/1
| image1= Rogers Center for the Arts, Merrimack College.jpg
| caption1 = Rogers Center for the Arts
| image2= Sakowich Campus Center, Merrimack College.jpg
| caption2 = Sakowich Campus Center
}}
'''Merrimack College''' is a [[Private university|private]] [[Order of Saint Augustine|Augustinian]] university in [[North Andover, Massachusetts]]. It was founded in 1947 by the Order of St. Augustine with an initial goal to educate World War II veterans. It enrolls approximately 5,700 undergraduate and graduate students from 34 states and 36 countries.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-21 |title=About Merrimack College, Massachusetts {{!}} Merrimack Schools |url=https://www.merrimack.edu/about/ |access-date=2023-10-25 |website=www.usnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref> The school has an acceptance rate of 75%.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-09 |title=About Merrimack College US News |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/merrimack-college-2120 |access-date=2024-01-09|website=www.merrimack.edu |language=en-US}}</ref>

== History ==
Merrimack College was established in 1947 by the [[Order of Saint Augustine]] following an invitation by the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston|Archbishop of Boston]], [[Richard Cushing]].<ref name="MCHist">{{cite web|url=http://www.augnet.org/en/history/places/4266-usa-merrimack/|title=4266 usa - merrimack|date=n.d.|publisher=Augnet|access-date=2022-08-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings?rankings=best-northeastern&page=6|title=Best Northeastern|date=2022|publisher=The Princeton Review|access-date=2022-08-10}}</ref> It is the second Augustinian affiliated college in the United States after [[Villanova University]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ushistory.org/tour/st-augustine.htm|title=Olde St. Augustine's Church|date=n.d.|publisher=USHistory.org}}</ref> [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston|Church]] leaders saw a need to create a [[liberal arts college]] largely in a commuter school format for veterans returning from [[World War II]].<ref name="grooveback">{{cite news |last1=Douglas |first1=Craig |title=How Merrimack College got its groove back |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2014/03/03/how-merrimack-college-got-its-groove.html |access-date=15 April 2020 |publisher=Boston Business Journal |date=March 3, 2014}}</ref> Archbishop Cushing tabbed the Rev. Vincent McQuade, O.S.A, to lead the college. McQuade was a native of [[Lawrence, Massachusetts]] and longtime friend of Cushing. McQuade joined the effort after working on the faculty at Villanova working with veterans transitioning home from the war. McQuade organized the creation process, including land purchases and zoning, securing a charter from the state, establishing curriculum, and managing the college's campus construction. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts granted a charter to The Augustinian College of the Merrimack Valley in March 1947 and the college officially opened in September of the same year.<ref name="MCHist"/>

=== Presidents ===
Merrimack College has had 8 presidents since it was founded in 1947:

# Vincent A. McQuade, 1947–1968 (founder)
# John R. Aherne, 1968–1976
# John A. Coughlan, 1976–1981
# John E. Deegan, 1981–1994
# [[Richard Santagati|Richard J. Santagati]], 1994–2008
# Joseph D. Calderone, 2008–2008
# Ronald O. Champagne, 2008–2010
# Christopher E. Hopey, 2010–Present

== Academics ==
{{Infobox US university ranking
| USNWR_REG = 33
}}
Merrimack College offers more than 100 undergraduate academic programs and more than 40 graduate programs including accelerated master's degrees.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-21 |title=Academics Merrimack {{!}} Majors, Minors, Graduate Programs |url=https://www.merrimack.edu/academics/ |access-date=2023-10-25 |website=www.merrimack.edu |language=en-US}}</ref>

The College's five schools include the Girard School of Business, the Winston School of Education and Social Policy, the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering and Computational Sciences, and the School of Nursing and Health Sciences.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-10-10 |title=Schools {{!}} Merrimack College |url=https://www.merrimack.edu/academics/schools/ |access-date=2023-10-25 |website=www.merrimack.edu |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Campus ==
The main campus of Merrimack College is situated on {{convert|220|acre|km2|0|sp=us}} of land in [[North Andover, Massachusetts]], a suburb 25 miles north of downtown [[Boston]]. The main campus features over 40 buildings, including a 125,000-volume library; several classroom buildings, including the state-of-the-art School of Engineering and Computational Sciences complex; Palmisano Hall; the Sakowich Campus Center; the Rogers Center for the Arts; the Merrimack Athletic Complex; Austin Hall, which houses administrative offices; the Collegiate Church of Christ the Teacher; student apartment buildings and residence halls. Additionally, Merrimack owns several properties outside of the main campus, including the Louis H. Hamel Health Center and Saint Ambrose Friary (located across Elm Street from the bulk of campus). The library is named after McQuade, the college's founder.<ref name="history">{{cite web |title=History |url=https://www.merrimack.edu/about/history/ |publisher=Merrimack College |access-date=September 11, 2018}}</ref> The college’s academic buildings, as well as the church and Austin Hall, are generally fronted towards [[Massachusetts Route 114|Route 114]], with the residence halls, athletic facilities and campus center lying further back.

In 2017, the college received a $29.7 million tax-exempt bond from [[Massachusetts Development Finance Agency|MassDevelopment]]. Merrimack designated several major projects for the funds, including construction of two academic buildings and three residence halls; renovations to renovate O’Reilly Hall, McQuade Library, and several other campus buildings; and upgrades to athletic facilities.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Staff |title=Merrimack College Expands Facilities With MassDevelopment Bond |url=https://bostonrealestatetimes.com/merrimack-college-expands-facilities-with-massdevelopment-bond/ |access-date=15 April 2020 |publisher=Boston Real Estate Times |date=August 25, 2017}}</ref>

==Student life==
{| class="wikitable floatright sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;"
|+ style="font-size:90%" |Student body composition as of May 2, 2022
|-
! Race and ethnicity<ref>{{cite web |title=College Scorecard: Merrimack College |url=https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?166850-Merrimack-College |publisher=[[United States Department of Education]] |access-date=October 27, 2023}}</ref>
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic whites|White]]
|align=right| {{bartable|78|%|2||background:gray}}
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]
|align=right| {{bartable|8|%|2||background:green}}
|-
| [[African Americans|Black]]
|align=right| {{bartable|4|%|2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
|align=right| {{bartable|2|%|2||background:purple}}
|-
| [[Foreign national]]
|align=right| {{bartable|2|%|2||background:orange}}
|-
| Other{{efn|Other consists of [[multiracial Americans]] and those who prefer not to say.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|2|%|2||background:brown}}
|-
! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |[[Economic diversity]]
|-
| [[American lower class|Low-income]]{{efn|The percentage of students who received an income-based federal [[Pell grant]] intended for low-income students.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|16|%|2||background:red}}
|-
| [[Affluence in the United States|Affluent]]{{efn|The percentage of students who are a part of the [[American middle class]] at the bare minimum.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|84|%|2||background:black}}
|}

=== Athletics ===
[[File:Merrimack Warriors.svg|thumb|right|upright=.6|Logo of Merrimack Warriors]]
{{Main|Merrimack Warriors}}
The athletic teams, except for [[ice hockey]] and men's lacrosse, participate in the [[Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference]] of [[NCAA Division I]]. They began their four-year transition from [[NCAA Division II|Division II]] to Division I during the 2019–20 season and have been full Division I members since the 2023–24 season.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/2018/09/10/division-i-mens-basketball-set-to-add-354th-member/|title=Division I men's basketball set to add another member|last1=Dauster|first1=Rob|date=September 10, 2018|work=[[NBC Sports]]|access-date=September 11, 2018}}</ref>

During the college's transition to Division I, it added varsity programs in women's bowling, men's volleyball, men's golf, and dance, bringing the total number of teams participating in intercollegiate sport to 28 (12 men's teams and 16 women's teams).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://merrimackathletics.com/|title=Merrimack College Athletics - Official Athletics Website|website=Merrimack College Athletics|language=en|access-date=2019-02-04}}</ref>  The [[Merrimack Warriors men's ice hockey|men's]] and [[Merrimack Warriors women's ice hockey|women's]] [[college ice hockey]] programs are currently NCAA Division I programs, participating in the [[Hockey East]] conference.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://hockeyeastonline.com/men/merrimack/index.php|title=Merrimack Warriors - Hockey East Association|website=hockeyeastonline.com|language=en|access-date=2019-02-04}}</ref>

== Notable alumni ==
{{Excessive examples|section|date=April 2025}}

'''Entertainment/Media'''

*[[Billy Costa]] - radio and television host
*[[Charlie Day]] - actor and comedian
*[[Kelly Lange]] - television news reporter
*[[Sally Ann Freedman]] - beauty queen and professional model

'''Business'''

*[[Richard S. Potember|Richard Potember]] - inventor and engineer
* [[Bob Unanue]] - CEO of [[Goya Foods]]
* [[Brian C. Mitchell]] - American academic administrator 
* [[John F. Carney]] - civil engineer 
* [[Richard S. Potember]] - investor and scientist

'''Politics'''

* [[Marc Lombardo]] - Massachusetts state representative 
* [[Barbara L'Italien]] - Massachusetts state representative and former member of the senate 
* [[Steven Angelo]] - Massachusetts state representative 
* [[Christopher Fallon]] - Massachusetts state representative 
* [[Brian Cresta]] - Massachusetts state representative
* [[Vincent Lozzi]] - Massachusetts state representative 
* [[Regina Birdsell]] - New Hampshire senator and state representative 
* [[David Doherty (politician)|David Doherty]] - New Hampshire state representative 
* [[T. J. Donovan]] - former attorney general of Vermont 
* [[Paul V. Kelly]] - former [[Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs]] 
* [[Adam Satchell|Adam J. Satchell]] - Rhode Island senate member 
'''Athletics'''
* [[Carl Yastrzemski]] - baseball player
* [[Ryan O'Rourke]] - baseball player and coach 
* [[Brian Murphy (baseball)|Brian Murphy]] - baseball coach 
* [[Joe Gallo (basketball)|Joe Gallo]] - basketball coach
* [[Jordan Minor]] - basketball player
* [[Ed Murphy (basketball, born 1956)|Ed Murphy]] - basketball player
* [[Bill Herrion]] - basketball coach 
* [[Greg Herenda]] - basketball coach 
* [[Tom Herrion]] - basketball coach 
* [[Gelvis Solano]] - basketball player 
* [[Darren Duncan]] - basketball player 
* [[Juvaris Hayes]] - basketball player
* [[Nolan Godfrey]] - Lacrosse player
* [[Anthony Aquino]] - ice hockey player
* [[Chris Barton (ice hockey)|Chris Barton]] - ice hockey player
* [[Will Calverley]] - ice hockey player
* [[Joe Cannata]] - ice hockey player
* [[Declan Carlile]] - ice hockey player
* [[Greg Classen]] - ice hockey player
* [[Mike Collins (ice hockey)|Mike Collins]] - ice hockey player
* [[Mark Cornforth]] - ice hockey player
* [[Billy Costa]] - ice hockey player
* [[Stéphane Da Costa]] - ice hockey player
* [[Collin Delia]] - ice hockey player
* [[Mike Doneghey]] - ice hockey player
* [[Joe Exter]] - ice hockey player
* [[Teal Fowler]] - ice hockey player
* [[Matt Foy]] - ice hockey player
* [[Jim Hrivnak]] - ice hockey player
* [[John Jakopin]] - ice hockey player
* [[Bob Jay]] - ice hockey player
* [[Alex Jefferies]] - ice hockey player
* [[Johnathan Kovacevic]] - ice hockey player
* [[Steve McKenna]] - ice hockey player
* [[Hugo Ollas]] - ice hockey player
* [[Kris Porter]] - ice hockey player
* [[Rob Ricci]] - ice hockey player
* [[Marco Rosa]] - ice hockey player
* [[Bryan Schmidt]] - ice hockey player
* [[Darrel Scoville]] - ice hockey player
* [[Brett Seney]] - ice hockey player
* [[Karl Stollery]] - ice hockey player
* [[Rejean Stringer]] - ice hockey player
* [[Mike Vaskivuo]] - ice hockey player
* [[Jim Vesey]] - ice hockey player
* [[Jason Wolfe (ice hockey)|Jason Wolfe]] - ice hockey player
* [[Shawn Loiseau]] - football player
* [[Joe Clancy]] - football player and coach 
* [[Carly Muscaro]] - Olympic runner
* [[Frank T. Monahan]] - basketball coach 

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Merrimack College}}
*[https://www.merrimack.edu Official website]
{{Merrimack College|state=autocollapse}}
{{Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference navbox}}
{{Hockey East}}
{{Massachusetts Sports}}
{{Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston}}{{Order of St. Augustine in the United States}}{{authority control}}

[[Category:Merrimack College| ]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in North Andover, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1947]]
[[Category:Augustinian universities and colleges]]
[[Category:Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities]]
[[Category:Private universities and colleges in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in Essex County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Catholic universities and colleges in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:1947 establishments in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Order of St. Augustine]]
[[Category:Order of St. Augustine in the United States]]