Centennial
Journey back in time, exploring key places and moments from a century of rich ˽·¿¾ãÀÖ²¿ history. Vol. 1: The Gates tells the story of the ˽·¿¾ãÀÖ²¿ gates that mark the East 38th St. main entrance to campus. The gates are a welcoming and defining landmark feature of the ˽·¿¾ãÀÖ²¿ landscape since 1950. Learn more about the fascinating history of their origins and journey to the ˽·¿¾ãÀÖ²¿ campus.
˽·¿¾ãÀÖ²¿ University was born from a spirit of relentless determination, where impossible dreams meant unbreakable willpower. Hear the story of humble beginnings in Vol. 2: Founding Years, a journey that defied odds and embodied the very essence of Carpe Diem. Join us as we step into the formative years of, then, ˽·¿¾ãÀÖ²¿ College, a legacy forged by trailblazing Sisters of Mercy, who dared to seize the day and lay the foundation for generations to come.
| Date | Event Name | Time | Location | Description |
| March 22, 2026 | Trip to the Cemetery in Titusville | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
| May 2026 |
Graduation |
Ìý | Ìý | Graduation kicks off the centennial celebration with hype videos that highlight the last 100 years and preview the upcoming celebration over the next year. |
| Aug. 2026 | Convocation and Welcome Week Day of Service | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
| Summer/Fall 2026 |
100 Acts of Kindness |
Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
| Fall 2026 | Sennett Lecture | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
| Harry T. Burleigh Event | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | |
| Sept. 18-20, 2026 |
Centennial Homecoming |
Ìý | Ìý | Special centennial weekend events will include opening of the Old Main exhibit reception. |
| Sept. 24, 2026 |
Mass of the Holy Spirit |
Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
| Dec. 2026 |
Christmas Party |
Ìý | Ìý | Annual Christmas party returns to the ˽·¿¾ãÀÖ²¿ Athletic Center for a traditional Christmas celebration of dinner and dancing for current and retired employees (not open for the public). |
| April 20, 2027 | Sister Maura Smith Earth Day Lecture | 7 p.m. | Performing Arts Center | Lecture hosted by Terry Tempest Williams, an award-winning nonfiction author who focuses on social justice, women's health, environmentalism, and faith. |
| Academic Programming | Ìý | Ìý | Featuring the Sisters of Mercy critical concern for women. Learn more about the Sisters of Mercy's five critical concerns.Ìý | |
| Spring 2027 |
Alumni and Friends Trip to Ireland |
Ìý | Ìý | Trip coincides with the 200th anniversary of the opening of the House of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland. |
Centennial Signature Event |
Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | |
| May 2027 |
Graduation |
Ìý | Ìý | Graduation completes the centennial celebration with hype videos that highlight the centennial events and the next 100 years of ˽·¿¾ãÀÖ²¿. |
Walking Tour of Historical Markers
Commemorate the Mercy Sisters and notable developments of ˽·¿¾ãÀÖ²¿ history; honor the ˽·¿¾ãÀÖ²¿ story to this and future generations of students, staff, faculty, prospective students and parents, Alumni, and visitors; as well as cherish our heritage and extend the Mercy Sisters’ legacy by taking an online, virtual walking tour of our historical interpretive wayside markers.
The ˽·¿¾ãÀÖ²¿ Centennial project will develop a series of markers to be installed on the campus ahead of our 2026-27 Centennial. Want to sponsor a marker? Check out our available locations below.
- 1929-1930: Women's Basketball Tips Off
- 1930-1931: Women's Field Hockey Debuts
- 1935: Women's Lacrosse Grew
- 1941: Women's Basketball
- 1970s: Cheerleading Bolstered School Spirit
- 1970s: Men's Baseball Grew
- 1970s: Women's Basketball
- 1970s: Women's Soccer Grew
- 1970s: Women's Volleyball Became Varsity Sport
- 1970-1971: Men's Crew Team Begins and First Crew Race
- 1971: Men's Athletics Grew
- 1977-1978: Men's Basketball Team Held Best Record of 26-3 for a Full Season
- Men's Football Focused
- 1994: Old Man of the Sea Mascot Used
- 1997: Cheerleaders with Old Man of the Sea Mascot
- Louie the Laker Makes his Debut as ˽·¿¾ãÀÖ²¿'s Mascot
- 2015: Luke the Laker Introduced as New Mascot
- 2016: "Laker Pride" Marching Band Debuts
- ˽·¿¾ãÀÖ²¿ Athletics Transitioned to Division I
Read about the history of ˽·¿¾ãÀÖ²¿ University, university Archives, Sister Mary Lawrence Franklin, the Thomas J. and Michele Ridge Collection, advertisements, athletics, AIM program, gates, Grotto, Hammermill Library, O'Neil Tower, signature programs, and Sisters of Mercy.
1930s-1940s
1940s-1950s
1960s-1970s
1966: Freshman Volleyball Game
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1970s-1980s
1981
1990s-2000s
2006
2010s-2020s
2024
Beyond the Gates
All sophomores and juniors participate in Beyond the Gates, a one-credit community-engaged graduation requirement instituted in 2017. More than 300 students participate each semester and are placed in 30 different community locations, including mentoring programs for schoolchildren, after-school tutoring and recreation, soup kitchens/food pantries, and wellness programming for senior citizens. More than 75 students use door-to-door university-provided shuttle transportation weekly.
Day of Service
Every August during Welcome Week, ˽·¿¾ãÀÖ²¿â€™s newest students gather in the Mary Garden for the annual Day of Service. After an opening ceremony, participants board more than a dozen yellow school buses that take them across Erie County to deliver an estimated 1,400 hours of service. Among the regional nonprofits that benefit from the event: SafeNet, the Erie Zoo, the Mental Health Association, and Presque Isle State Park. Services include indoor and outdoor painting, neighborhood cleanups, weeding and watering gardens, and rebuilding fences. The annual tradition began in 2003, a component of the Freshman Year Initiative called Outreach Day.
Mercy Emissaries
Students and employees learn more about the history of the Sisters of Mercy, their Mercy Mission, and Catholic social teaching as a whole through the Mercy Emissary program. The goal: to empower participants as guardians of Mercy and Catholic higher education; to develop and embody a new way of Mercy leadership in higher education; to bolster an honest, hope-filled mission community. Emissaries are called upon to help with projects and events, both on and off campus, including Naturalization ceremony receptions at the Erie Federal Courthouse.
- President Getz Named Among ‘Top Women Leaders of PA’, May 5, 2025
- New Mission & Vision Statements Approved In Time For Centennial, April 25, 2025
- Locally Brewed, Universally Loved: Laker Lager Hits the Tap, April 10, 2025
- 100 Years of ˽·¿¾ãÀÖ²¿: Honoring Tradition, Inspiring Tomorrow, Jan. 31, 2025
- Centennial Docuseries Brings a Century of Stories to Life, Jan. 31, 2025
- ˽·¿¾ãÀÖ²¿ Installs New Interpretive Markers, Oct. 2, 2024