R 054 |
2017 -- S 0241 Enacted 02/14/2017 |
S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N |
RECOGNIZING AND CELEBRATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF PROVIDENCE COLLEGE ON FEBRUARY 14, 2017 |
Introduced By: Senators Paiva Weed, Ruggerio, McCaffrey, Doyle, and Lombardi |
Date Introduced: February 14, 2017 |
WHEREAS, The Right Reverend Matthew D. Harkins, D.D., Bishop of Providence, in |
the hope of founding a Catholic college in the city, first petitioned the Dominican Order to |
establish a college in Providence in 1910 and, on November 24, 1910, the Provincial Council of |
the Dominican Province of St. Joseph, which includes Rhode Island, approved that request; and |
WHEREAS, Father Matthew L. Haegen, O.P., the Dominican Provincial of the Province |
of St. Joseph, wrote to Father Hyacinthe Cormier, O.P., the Master of the Dominican Order, on |
January 7, 1911, to report the Provincial Council's acceptance of the Bishop's offer to found a |
college, asking that this endeavor be postponed for a few years until the Province had enough |
priests and professors to handle the task; and |
WHEREAS, Bishop Harkins, acting on the advice of the new Provincial, Father James |
Raymond Meagher, O.P., wrote a formal invitation attached to a letter to Father Meagher, dated |
October 9, 1915, a communication which is considered the classic document of the origin of |
Providence College. This communication included maps showing the exact location of eleven |
acres of land for the college and a promise from the Bishop of $10,000 in scholarships for the |
college; and |
WHEREAS, The Dominican Intermediate Chapter, at their meeting in Washington, D.C., |
on October 11, 1915, voted to accept the Bishop's offer of the land and scholarships; and |
WHEREAS, World War I delayed the founding of the college due to the November 8, |
1915, sinking of the ship which had left Naples, Italy, and was headed for New York City, and |
which was carrying the stamped, formal approval from the Master of the Order to move forward |
in establishing the college; and |
WHEREAS, Father Meagher informed Bishop Harkins on January 29, 1916, that the |
Province had permission to start a college in Providence; and |
WHEREAS, On January 18, 1917, Providence State Representative John I. Devlin |
introduced a bill of petition in the Rhode Island General Assembly, and a revised bill passed the |
House of Representatives unanimously on February 2nd, followed by approval from the State |
Senate on February 6th; and |
WHEREAS, R. Livingston Beeckman, then Governor of Rhode Island, signed the bill |
into law on February 14, 1917, making Providence College an official corporation in the eyes of |
the State of Rhode Island with a charter granted by the State; now, therefore be it |
RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations |
hereby congratulates Providence College and its President, Reverend Brian J. Shanley, O.P., on |
the occasion of the college's Centennial anniversary and wishes them continued success over the |
next century; and be it further |
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Father Shanley, O.P., President of Providence |
College. |
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LC001188 |
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