Dear Commons Community,

Speakers this time of the year are fond of saying that graduations are a commencement — a start, not a finish — but yesterday’s 112th commencement was the end of the College of New Rochelle.

Founded in 1904 as New York’s first Catholic college for women — before women won the right to vote — the college held its final graduation at Riverside Church in Manhattan, bestowing nearly 1,000 bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Done in by financial mismanagement and a crippling $30 million debt it had no way to repay, CNR this spring announced plans to send its students to Mercy College and cease operations.

President Dr. William Latimer said: “The spirit and the mission of CNR, which has graduated so many strong women and men over the years, will live on through our graduates.”  You can listen to President Latimer’s comments at the 43:00 minute mark in the above video.

Sad day for a great institution!

Tony

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