History of University of Santo Tomas (UST)

• History of University of Santo Tomas (UST)

  -          Oldest existing university in Asia

  -          Largest Catholic University in the world in a single campus in terms of student population

  -          Established through the initiative of Bishop Miguel de Benavides

  -          First called Colegio de Nuestra Senora del Santisimo Rosario and renamed Colegio de Santo Tomas, in memory of the foremost Dominican Theologian, St. Thomas Aquinas
• Bishop Miguel de Benavides

  -          Third archbishop of Manila

  -          July 24, 1605, bequeathed the amount of one thousand five hundred pesos and his personal library for the establishment of a seminary-college to prepare young men for the priesthood
• April 28, 1611

  -          Foundation of University of Santo Tomas

  -          Located in Intramuros, the Walled City of Manila
• July 29, 1619

  -          Authorized to confer academic degrees in theology and philosophy
• November 20, 1645

  -          Pope Innocent X elevated the college to a university
• 1680

  -          Placed under the royal patronage of the Spanish monarchy
• 1681

  -          Pope Innocent XI declared it a Public University of General Studies allowing it to confer other degrees
• 1734

  -          Pope Clement XII authorized the University to confer degrees in all existing faculties as well as in all others that might be introduced in the future

  -          Pope also approved the curriculum in the entire field of jurisprudence
• 1768

  -          Expulsion of the Society of Jesus from the Philippines

  -          Left the University of Santo Tomas as the only institution of higher learning in the islands
• May 20, 1865

  -          Royal order from Queen Isabella II gave the University the power to direct and supervise all the schools in the Philippines and the Rector of the University became the ex-officio head of the secondary and higher education in the Philippines

  -          All diplomas issued by other schools were approved by the Rector of the University and examinations leading to the issuance of such diplomas were supervised by the Dominican professors of UST
• September 17, 1902

  -          Pope Leo XIII made the University of Santo Tomas a Pontifical University
• 1947

  -          Pope Pius XII bestowed upon it the title of the Catholic University of the Philippines
• Gregorian University in Rome

  -          UST is the second university in the world after this university granted the formal title of Pontifical University

  -          Allowed to assume this title in 1873