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Thomas More College of Liberal Arts

Seal of Thomas More College of Liberal Arts
Latin: Thomae Morae Societas Artium Liberalium
Motto	Caritas congaudet veritati
Motto in English	Charity rejoices in the truth
Type	Private liberal arts college
Established	1978
Accreditation	New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Affiliation	The Center for the Restoration of Christian Culture
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic
President	William Fahey
Students	89
Location	Merrimack, New Hampshire, United States 42°48′30″N 71°29′00″W / 42.80833°N 71.48333°W / 42.80833; -71.48333
Campus	Historic Colonial, 14 acres (5.7 ha)
Website	thomasmorecollege.edu

The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts is a private Roman Catholic liberal arts college in Merrimack, New Hampshire. Established in 1978, it emphasizes classical education in the Catholic intellectual tradition and is named after Saint Thomas More.

History

Founding

Thomas More College was founded in 1978, with political science professor Peter Sampo as its first president. Sampo had been a co-founder and president of both Cardinal Newman College in St. Louis and Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts, in New Hampshire. The curriculum, designed by educators Donald and Louise Cowan, associated with the University of Dallas, centered on the direct reading of foundational works of Western culture.

Since 2009

In 2009, the curriculum was revised under president William Fahey to improve its chronological approach to topics and strengthen the presentation of Catholic themes. Distinct majors in literature, political science, and philosophy were phased out in favor of a unified liberal arts major, great books program.

In the same year regional accrediting body the New England Association of Schools and Colleges placed the college on probation for two years on the ground that it was not meeting NEASC's standards for financial resources. The college improved its financial position, and the period of probation ended in 2011.

In late 2013, the college bought a 1908 mansion in the Nashville Historic District of Nashua. College president William Fahey indicated plans to use the historic house, originally built by shoe manufacturer Frank Anderson and later the home of Mount Saint Mary Seminary, a girls' high school, as an educational site and eventually also a dormitory.

Presidents

1. Peter V. Sampo, 1978–2006
2. Jeffrey Nelson, 2006–2009
3. William Fahey, Since 2009

Academics

Thomas More College of Liberal Arts offers one degree program: Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts. The college is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. In 2010, the college started a program of teaching students practical skills in art and music, using the medieval guild system as a model.

For admissions, Thomas More College accepts the Classic Learning Test as alternatives to the SAT and ACT.

Curriculum

The first two years of the four-year program are dedicated to the Trivium (logic, rhetoric, and grammar) and the Quadrivium (geometry, astronomy, arithmetic, and music). Students read great works of Western literature, philosophy, and political science instead of textbooks. Not all texts are considered to be of equal importance as some are masterworks and others are opinion pieces—because of this students read some texts in their entirety and excerpts from others. Students are also required to study a semester in Rome; this is done in the second semester of sophomore year.

Natural science, philosophy, scripture, and theology are all required courses. In their third year, students must present a junior project in front of a panel of three faculty members; in their fourth year, students produce a senior thesis and defend it before faculty and student peers.

Publishing

The college has sponsored the Centre for Faith and Culture at Oxford, England, publisher of Second Spring, a journal on faith and culture, since 2007.

In April 2011, Thomas More College, together with Holy Spirit College in Atlanta, reached an agreement with the non-profit publisher Sophia Institute Press, which became the publishing division of the two colleges. The two colleges, in turn, appoint representatives to the board of directors of Sophia Institute.

In 2016, the college began its own publishing initiative, called the Thomas More College Press. To date the Thomas More College Press publishes the major works of Aristotle, as translated by Hippocrates Apostle, as well as books by Romano Guardini, John Senior, and Heinrich Rommen.

Former faculty

• Louise Cowan (1916–2015), professor of English
• Anthony Esolen, professor of English Renaissance and classical literature, translator of Dante
• Joseph Pearce, St. John Henry Newman Visiting Chair in Catholic Studies
• Robert Royal, Catholic author and the president of the Faith & Reason Institute
• Peter V. Sampo (1931–2020), political science professor and first president of the college

References

1. Donald Berns (December 11, 1977). "College Enrollment Easily Fits Into Pizza Parlor". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
2. John Whitson (September 19, 2006). "Thomas More College head has big plans". New Hampshire Union Leader. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
3. "The Newman Guide to Catholic Colleges". Cardinal Newman Society.
4. John Zmirak (December 6, 2011). "Where Theology Keeps Her Crown: Thomas More College". Retrieved December 10, 2018. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
5. "Thomas More College's new president inspired by Pope Benedict". Catholic News Agency (ACI Prensa). March 31, 2010.
6. "Public Statement on Thomas More College of Liberal Arts" (PDF). New England Association of Schools and Colleges. December 10, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 20, 2011.
7. Kimberly Houghton (February 12, 2014). "Thomas More College buys Nashua property". New Hampshire Union Leader. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
8. Sheryl Rich-Kern (December 12, 2013). "Nashua's Historic Mansion Sold". New Hampshire Public Radio. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
9. "Thomas More College of Liberal Arts". New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
10. "Catholic college resurrects 'guilds' to teach craftsmanship, artistry and charity". EWTN News. July 27, 2010.
11. "Curriculum | Thomas More College of Liberal Arts". Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
12. Thomas More's curriculum page
13. David Kerr (October 7, 2011). "U.S. College Students Celebrate Our Lady of the Rosary in Rome". National Catholic Register. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
14. "Junior Project and Senior Thesis". Thomas More College. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
15. "Sophia Institute Press names new President". Catholic News Agency. November 14, 2012. Archived from the original on December 23, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
16. "After acquisition, Crisis Magazine re-launches website". Catholic News Agency. February 10, 2012. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
17. "Start Your Academic Year Off with Joseph Pearce". Thomas More College. September 8, 2022. Archived from the original on September 14, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.

External links

• Official website

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester
Bishops	Ordinaries Denis Mary Bradley John Bernard Delany George Albert Guertin John Bertram Peterson Matthew Francis Brady Ernest John Primeau Odore Joseph Gendron Leo Edward O'Neil John Brendan McCormack Peter Anthony Libasci Auxiliaries Francis Joseph Christian Joseph John Gerry Robert Edward Mulvee
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of St. Joseph Abbey St. Anselm Abbey Parishes St. Anne of the Good Shepherd, Berlin St. Joseph Church, Claremont St. Thomas More Church, Durham Ste. Marie Church, Manchester St. Aloysius of Gonzaga Church, Nashua Former parishes St. Stanislaus Church, Nashua
Education	Higher education Rivier University Saint Anselm College Thomas More College of Liberal Arts High schools Bishop Guertin High School, Nashua Holy Family Academy, Manchester Mount Royal Academy, Sunapee St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Dover Trinity High School, Manchester Defunct institutions Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts
Priests	Thomas Michael O'Leary
Catholicism portal

• Thomas More College of Liberal Arts
• Liberal arts colleges in New Hampshire
• Universities and colleges established in 1978
• Universities and colleges in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
• Catholic universities and colleges in New Hampshire
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester
• Merrimack, New Hampshire
• 1978 establishments in New Hampshire