By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO | Fernando Diez
Barry University today: Students stand outside Barry University's Adrian Hall in this recent photo.
Barry University back then: Students study outside Adrian Hall as an Adrian Dominican sister stands by in this historical photo.
MIAMI | Barry University is pulling out all the stops in the 2015 - 2016 academic year to commemorate the 75th anniversary of its founding.
From its start as a small all-women’s college, today Barry offers more than 80 undergraduate and more than 75 graduate programs in the arts, sciences, education, business, medicine and law, with more than 2,000 students graduating each year and over 60,000 alums throughout the world.
“We shall highlight Barry's achievements while engaging students and the community with an exciting and memorable schedule of celebratory events,” said Dominican Sister Linda Bevilacqua, president of Barry University. “A 75th anniversary is a significant milestone. Our institutional gene pool is rich, robust, and resilient and impels us to continue educating and contributing to the community, setting our course for the future with those same dynamic characteristics.”
As part of the 75th anniversary celebration, Barry is hosting a year's worth of exciting activities that include:
- Anniversary Mass of Thanksgiving, Sept. 13
- Barry’s Birthday Bash, Oct. 3: Gala event will feature music from the 1940s until today with a performance by Wyclef Jean and hosted by distinguished Barry graduate Dr. Shaquille O'Neal.
- "Sylvia," a play directed by Hugh Murphy, Oct. 15-17: "Sylvia" is a story of a family told from the perspective of the household dog.
- Founders’ Week Festivities, Nov. 9-14: A week of traditional events that will include a special lecture by Jo Piazza, an award-winning journalist, editor, digital content strategist and author.
- 75th anniversary performance, Celebrating Music Past and Present, Nov. 22: Néstor Torres joined by former and current Barry faculty and students will perform a majestic music showcase featuring Mozart’s Coronation Music.
- Women’s Leadership Conference, March 13-18, 2016: The annual conference of guest lecturers will feature nationally recognized leaders.
Barry was founded by three siblings with a dream of bringing affordable quality higher education to women: Bishop Patrick Barry of St. Augustine (which then encompassed all of Florida); Mother M. Gerald Barry, prioress of the Dominican Sisters of Adrian, Michigan; and Msgr. William Barry, longtime pastor of St. Patrick Church, Miami Beach.
Barry is sponsored by the Dominican Sisters of Adrian. The fourth historical founder was attorney John Thompson, former mayor of Miami Shores.
Since its founding, Barry has educated students who have excelled in their professions and communities. Notable alumni include Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez; Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools Alberto Carvalho; Bahamian Senator, the Honorable Allyson Maynard Gibson; Barry's president, Sister Linda Bevilacqua; and basketball legend Dr. Shaquille O'Neal.
A full list of events and activities can be found at: https://www.barry.edu/75/
