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The University of St. Thomas (also referred to as UST or St. Thomas ) in Houston, Texas, United States is a comprehensive Catholic university, grounded in the liberal arts. Founded by 1947 by Basilian Fathers, it serves as the only Catholic university in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

History

On June 24, 1944, the Bishop of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, Christopher E. Byrne, entered into an agreement with the Houston based members of the Congregation of St. Basil to found a co-educational Roman Catholic university in Houston, Texas "as soon as practicable after the War, if possible by 1947." The Basilian Fathers had previously started several other secondary schools, as well as institutions of higher learning, throughout Texas in the early 20th Century, including St. Thomas High School, also located in Houston. The first classes at UST began on September 22, 1947 with 57 freshmen and 8 faculty members. UST graduated its first class on May 31, 1951.

The University is named after St. Thomas Aquinas. Originally consisting solely of the Link-Lee Mansion on the corner of Montrose and West Alabama, the University has expanded towards the South and West over the last 60 years, establishing itself as a notable landmark in Houston with over 17,000 graduates. The current expansion plan includes the acquisition and development of the majority of the land comprising 25 city blocks.

Former University President J. Michael Miller, C.S.B. was appointed on November 25, 2003 by the Pope to preside as Secretary of the Congregation of Catholic Education. By virtue of this office, Miller was elevated to Archbishop by Pope John Paul II on January 12, 2004.

Campus

The University of St. Thomas is located in the Montrose neighborhood. The campus is north of Houston's Museum District and is adjacent to the famous Menil Collection and the Rothko Chapel. The campus is located within five miles of The Galleria, Texas Medical Center, Downtown Houston's Theater District, Minute Maid Park, Toyota Center, George R. Brown Convention Center, Reliant Stadium and the Houston Zoo.

Many of the University's departments office out of houses built in 1930s that are scattered throughout campus. Some of the buildings are historic including the Link-Lee Mansion, once the largest home in Houston which is currently the home of the University's executive office, and Hughes House, the childhood home of Howard Hughes, housing the Theology department.

Academic Mall

The campus is arranged in a square format, with the main focus of buildings on the north side of the campus which is called the Academic Mall. Composed of rectangular buildings, the Academic Mall is the symbolic architecture of Philip Johnson. The use of Johnson as the University's architect spawned mild controversy due to the noted architect's open homosexuality and his flirtation with fascism and atheism which clashed with the teachings of the Catholic Church. This controversy has died down and mostly been forgotten.

On the south end of the Academic Mall is the Doherty Library, while the Chapel of St. Basil is located at the opposite end. Four structures flank these two buildings on each side in a rectangular formation surrounding a courtyard. The setup is designed to display the methods of human knowledge (faith, represented by the Chapel, and reason, represented by the library) in dialogue regarding the various subject matters (represented by the other buildings, most of which are specialized in one or two subjects).

Chapel of St. Basil

The Chapel of St. Basil is the main location of Catholic worship on campus. It is categorized by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston as a satellite chapel of with St. Anne's Catholic Church.

The Chapel of St. Basil is a unique work of art that has won many awards for its architecture. Named after St. Basil the Great, a fourth century bishop who was a proponent of both education and the monastic life, the Chapel sits at the north end of the Academic Mall, representing faith in the Academic Mall's artistic depiction between balance and faith, and reason in dialogue.

The Chapel includes a fascinating play on light, as there is no artificial light inside the main section of the building during the daytime. There is sufficient sunlight to fully light the worship space, as a combination of smooth textures and reflective surfaces maximize all light shone in the building. At night, the lights from outside combined with candles inside the Chapel are more than enough to illuminate the worship area.

A setup of the architecture also shifts the focus the building. The entry to the outdoor narthex of the Chapel is created with a tent-like flap extending over the entry, creating an enclosed space that is still outdoors. The entrances to the Chapel are faced away from the center of the building and towards the tabernacle as a reminder to all the enter that the central point of the Chapel is not the altar or the crucifix, but rather the location of the Eucharist.

During the 2005-2006 school year, the Gueymard Meditation Garden was built on the west side of the Chapel, featuring a labyrinth, three fountains (meant to represent the members of the Trinity), and benches for reflection. The garden features a replica of the Cathedral of Chartres in labyrinth in France. Seen from above, the four arms of the pattern stand out, a clear image of the cross of Jesus Christ.

Doherty Library

Completed in September 1972, The Robert Pace and Ada Mary Doherty Library (located at the southern end of the Academic Mall) is one of the premier research libraries in Houston. Housing over 230,000 books, 30,000 periodicals, and 125 databases, the Doherty Library has earned an "A" rating from the American Library Association, the highest possible rating for a library or any other research institution.

Living on Campus

The University has two types of campus housing.

Guinan Residence Hall under the direction of Residence Life is a three-story, 306-bed facility with private double-occupancy rooms. It is located near the Moran Parking Center and Crooker Center, and provides a residential experience focused on community living.

Young Hall, located on the south side of campus, is also encompassed in Residence Life and offers apartments to upper-class students and graduate or adult students who want to benefit from a Residence Life community.

Students and alumni

The University currently maintains a population of 1,750 traditional undergraduate students and 1,496 graduate students. Adding to this number are non-traditional, off-campus, study-abroad, special program, and seminary students that bring the grand total to 3,246 students.

UST has many diverse ethnicities, as 54% of the total number of students are African-American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian. UST is the only private, Hispanic-Serving Institute of higher education in Houston, TX; to earn this rating from the U.S. Department of Education, UST maintains a student body that is at least 25% Hispanic. 65% of the total enrollment is Catholic. University students come from 40 states throughout the U.S. as well as 59 countries around the world.

Notable faculty

• John Deely - semiotician and Professor of Philosophy
• John FX Knasas - Thomist and Professor of Philosophy

Notable former students

• Garnet Coleman - Texas State Representative
• Sean Patrick Flanery - film and TV actor
• Chau Nguyen - first Vietnamese American news anchor, gained fame working with KHOU-TV
• Barbara Olson - author and political commentator

• Mayo Thompson - psychedelic rock musician of Red Crayola
• Mark Calaway - professional wrestler "The Undertaker"
• Ken Bentsen - former U.S. congressman of Texas

Costs and financial aid

For the 2009-2010 academic year, undergraduate tuition costs for the University are set at $717 per credit hour. Total estimated cost of undergraduate tuition and fees is $20,510 for one-year (30 credit hours). Room and board costs are $7,700 for one year, bringing a total cost of approximately $28,000.

Graduate tuition for the 2008-2009 academic year is $753 per hour. For one-year of graduate school (18 credit hours) with fees added, the total tution cost is $13,778.

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