Saint Anselm College

Saint Anselm College is a Benedictine, liberal arts college in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Founded in 1889 by Abbot Hilary Pfrängle of Saint Mary's Abbey in Newark, New Jersey, at the request of Bishop Denis Mary Bradleyof Manchester, New Hampshire, it is the third-oldest Catholic college in New England.[2] Named for Saint Anselm of Canterbury (Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109), the college continues to have a fully functioning and independent Benedictine abbey attached to it, Saint Anselm Abbey. As of 2017, its enrollment is approximately 2,000.

The first bishop of Manchester, Denis Mary Bradley, invited the Benedictine monks of St. Mary's Abbey in Newark, New Jersey, to form a college and preparatory school in his diocese. The monks that came to Manchester from Saint Mary's were primarily of German descent. This is due to the fact that Manchester was heavily populated with French Canadian and Irish immigrant mill workers, and Bradley was unable to find a suitable religious community that would not stir up ethnic tensions. The German monks accepted, and founded the third Catholic college in New England. On August 1, 1889, the New Hampshire legislature approved the incorporation of the Order of Saint Benedict of New Hampshire “for religious and charitable purposes, for the education of youth, for establishing churches and conducting services therein.” This historic date marked the founding of Saint Anselm College. A six-year curriculum in philosophy and theology was developed. In 1892, as Alumni Hall neared completion, a fire destroyed the college on a cold winter night in February. The fire was most likely caused from an ember from the heating stove's gate as it was not closed properly. 

According to the college website, Saint Anselm "seeks to help you develop into a precise and critical thinker, articulate and clear communicator, and an active and compassionate citizen."[39] Saint Anselm used to require the completion of a nationally recognized two-year Humanities program.[3][4] The "Portraits of Human Greatness" program began freshman year and would end at the completion of a student's sophomore year. Seeking to develop a well-rounded student, the College replaced the program with the "Conversatio" lecture series. However, this has caused significant outcry from some alumni, charging that this "new humanities program" is too watered down. After the addition of "Conversatio" in 2014, the number of classes taken by full-time students dropped from 5 classes to 4 classes per semester, with the credit hours of each class increasing. By studying the humanities, comprising art, science, literature, philosophy, and theology, faculty and students attempt to understand profound issues, specifically focusing on the human condition. In addition, three philosophy and three theology courses are required in order for a student to graduate. Two out of the three required courses for philosophy are "Nature and the Human Person", which details the philosophy and psyche of the human being; "Ethics",