Universidad Católica de Santo Tomás de Villanueva (''St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic University'') was a private

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...

founded on August 15, 1946, in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...

. It was founded by American

Augustinians Augustinians are members of Christian religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written in about 400 AD by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–1 ...

with assistance from European Augustinians and named after Saint Thomas of Villanova. In 1957, it was declared a

pontifical university A pontifical university is an ecclesiastical university established or approved directly by the Holy See, composed of three main ecclesiastical faculties (Theology, Philosophy and Canon Law) and at least one other faculty. These academic institute ...

. In 1961, the Augustinians were expelled from Cuba and the university was confiscated by the Cuban government. Former members of its faculty later helped found Biscayne College, now St. Thomas University, in Miami Gardens,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

. In 2007, a group of Catholic university students presented a petition to the Cuban government asking for the Universidad Católica de Santo Tomás de Villanueva to reopen.Associated Press, "Activists Seek Independent Cuba Colleges" by Will Weissert, November 27, 2007

References

Education in Havana Universities in Cuba Augustinian universities and colleges Catholic universities and colleges in Cuba {{Cuba-university-stub

See also

References