Manor Junior College celebrates its 50th anniversary (03/15/98)

Manor Junior College celebrates its 50th anniversary

by Mark Andryczyk

JENKINTOWN, Pa. - Between September 1997 and May of this year Manor Junior College is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a Philadelphia-area Catholic college with a very strong Ukrainian connection.

Several events have been scheduled to commemorate this milestone, including film festivals, socials and a picnic. On September 28, 1997, Archbishop Stephen Sulyk, metropolitan of Ukrainian Catholics in the United States, celebrated a special 50th anniversary divine liturgy.

These events propel one to admire the school's continuance in its educational goal of developing the whole of an individual and to appreciate its continual commitment to its Ukrainian heritage.

The Ukrainian sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great founded the college in 1947 as St. Macrina College. Their goal was to establish an institution of higher education that would reflect Basilian educational teachings and offer a place where young Ukrainian women could obtain an education while preserving their Ukranian culture.

In 1959 Manor became a two-year junior college offering associate degrees in arts and science. In response to growing enrollment, the campus of the college expanded to include a library, a dormitory and an auditorium/gymnasium. In 1989 it became a co-educational college.

Today, Manor concentrates on educating its students with skills that are especially needed in the job market. The associate in arts degree is offered in several fields, including early childhood education and Ukrainian-Slavic studies. The associate in science degree can be obtained in, among other fields, dental hygiene, medical laboratory technology and veterinary technology.

The business division offers paralegal studies, business administration/computer science and several other fields. The incorporation of externships into the academic studies program demonstrates the school's commitment to placing its graduates into jobs.

Fifty years after its establishment. Manor Junior College remains a important part of the Philadelphia-area Ukrainian community. It maintains a Ukrainian Heritage Studies Center that promotes Ukrainian heritage and arts through its academic programs, museum collection and archives. Manor's autumn Ukrainian Festival is legendary in this region, and its springtime Pysanky Expo grows every year.

Although Manor's curriculum, student body and campus have changed through the years, its importance to the Ukrainian community has not.