The University of Santo Tomas is one of the worlds largest Catholic Universities in terms of enrollment found on one campus. The university is the oldest extant university charter in the Philippines and in Asia.
The University sits on an almost perfect square of 21.5 hectares bounded by España Boulevard, P. Noval, A.H. Lacson and Dapitan St, in Sampaloc, Manila. The University transferred to its present campus in 1927 when the Dominicans deemed the Intramuros Campus inadequate for the University’s growing population. The first structures in the campus were the imposing Main Building, the Santisimo Rosario Parish, the UST Gym (once the largest gym in the country), and the Arch of the Centuries.
The University sits on an almost perfect square of 21.5 hectares bounded by España Boulevard, P. Noval, A.H. Lacson and Dapitan St, in Sampaloc, Manila. The University transferred to its present campus in 1927 when the Dominicans deemed the Intramuros Campus inadequate for the University’s growing population. The first structures in the campus were the imposing Main Building, the Santisimo Rosario Parish, the UST Gym (once the largest gym in the country), and the Arch of the Centuries.
Its complete name is The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines (Spanish:La Real y Pontificia Universidad de Santo Tomas de Aquino, La Universidad Católica de Filipinas).[10] It was given the title “Royal,” by King Charles III of Spain in 1785; “Pontifical” by Pope Leo XIII on 1902 in his constitution, Quae Mari Sinico, and the appellative “The Catholic University of the Philippines” by Pope Pius XII in 1947. This makes the UST the first and only formally declared royal and pontifical university in the Philippines.
The foundation of the University is ascribed to Miguel de Benavides, O.P., the third Archbishop of Manila. He came to the Philippines with the first Dominican mission in 1587. He went on to become bishop of Nueva Segovia, and was promoted archbishop of Manila in 1601. Upon his death in July 1605, Benavides bequeathed his library and personal property worth 1,500 pesos to be used as the seed fund for the establishment of an institution of higher learning.
The foundation of the University is ascribed to Miguel de Benavides, O.P., the third Archbishop of Manila. He came to the Philippines with the first Dominican mission in 1587. He went on to become bishop of Nueva Segovia, and was promoted archbishop of Manila in 1601. Upon his death in July 1605, Benavides bequeathed his library and personal property worth 1,500 pesos to be used as the seed fund for the establishment of an institution of higher learning.
The university was located within the walled city of Intramuros in Manila. It was started by the Spanish Archbishop of Manila in the early 17th century as a seminary for aspiring young priests, taking its name and inspiration from Saint Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican theologian. The first courses offered by the Colegio de Santo Tomás were canon law, theology, philosophy, logic, grammar, the arts, and civil law. In 1871, it began offering degrees in Medicine and Pharmacy, the first in colonized Asia.
At the beginning of the 20th century, with the growing student population, the Dominicans were given a 21.5 hectare land at the Sulucan Hills in Sampaloc, Manila and built its 215,000 square meter campus there in 1927 with the inauguration of its Main Building. Also that year, it began accepting female enrollees. In the last four decades, the university grew into a full-fledged institution of higher learning, conferring degrees in law, medicine and various academic letters. The university has graduated Philippine national heroes, presidents, and even saints. The Medicine and Civil Law courses were retained in Intramuros at that time.
During World War II, the Japanese forces converted the Sampaloc campus into an internment camp for enemy aliens, mostly Americans, living in the Philippines. The original Intramuros campus was destroyed in 1944 by an arson created by the Japanese Kempeitai. More than 4,000 foreigners survived under difficult conditions in the internment camp for 37 months from January 1942 until February 1945 when the camp was liberated by American soldiers.
Since its establishment in 1611, the University’s academic life was interrupted only twice: from 1898 to 1899, during the Philippine Revolution against Spain, and from 1942 to 1945, during the Japanese occupation of the country. In its long history, the university has been under the leadership of more than 90 Rectors. UST’s first Filipino rector was Fr.Leonardo Legaspi, O.P. who served UST from 1971 to 1977. Its current rector is Rev. Fr. Herminio P. Dagohoy, O.P.
At the beginning of the 20th century, with the growing student population, the Dominicans were given a 21.5 hectare land at the Sulucan Hills in Sampaloc, Manila and built its 215,000 square meter campus there in 1927 with the inauguration of its Main Building. Also that year, it began accepting female enrollees. In the last four decades, the university grew into a full-fledged institution of higher learning, conferring degrees in law, medicine and various academic letters. The university has graduated Philippine national heroes, presidents, and even saints. The Medicine and Civil Law courses were retained in Intramuros at that time.
During World War II, the Japanese forces converted the Sampaloc campus into an internment camp for enemy aliens, mostly Americans, living in the Philippines. The original Intramuros campus was destroyed in 1944 by an arson created by the Japanese Kempeitai. More than 4,000 foreigners survived under difficult conditions in the internment camp for 37 months from January 1942 until February 1945 when the camp was liberated by American soldiers.
Since its establishment in 1611, the University’s academic life was interrupted only twice: from 1898 to 1899, during the Philippine Revolution against Spain, and from 1942 to 1945, during the Japanese occupation of the country. In its long history, the university has been under the leadership of more than 90 Rectors. UST’s first Filipino rector was Fr.Leonardo Legaspi, O.P. who served UST from 1971 to 1977. Its current rector is Rev. Fr. Herminio P. Dagohoy, O.P.
he UST Manila campus was declared a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines on 24 May 2011. Four of the University’s structures are also declared National Cultural Treasures by the National Museum: Main Building, Arch of the Centuries, Santissimo Rosario Central Seminary, as well as the Grandstand and the University field. UST is the first and only university campus to have been named a National Historical Landmark and the only learning institution in the Philippines as location of National Cultural Treasures.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Santo_Tomas
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Santo_Tomas