Let’s look back in time and find out how this vibrant institution got its start. From the early beginnings in the 1940s to the dynamic campus of today, those who have come before us have been instrumental in the university's success through the decades.
Read the timeline starting with our founding in the 1940s and scroll through images in our decade photo slideshow. Images were curated from the university's archival materials and facts highlight key moments in university history. To discover additional archival imagery, visit the Daemen Digital Commons. Contact the Alumni Relations office to learn more and schedule a history lesson today.
1940s
The Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity purchase Waite House (Rosary Hall) property

Provisional Charter granted to Rosary Hill College July 31, 1947
Mother M. Alphonse Kampshoff, O.S.F. named first president

College opens with 44 students and 13 faculty
Rosary Hall opens

Enrollment is 79
Daemen Hall opens (currently MusicalFare Theatre)
1950s
Enrollment is 274
Sister M. Angela Canavan, O.S.F. named second president

Enrollment is 308
Marian Library opens (currently Haberman Gacioch Center for Visual & Performing Arts)

Alverno Hall opens (currently Patricia E. Curtis Hall)

Enrollment is 457
Duns Scotus Hall opens (first half of building)

1960s
Enrollment is 739
Lourdes Hall opens (currently Canavan Hall)

First male full-time student enrolled as a transfer student
Duns Scotus Hall opens (second half of building)

Charles J. Wick Campus Center opens

1970s
Daemen opens all concentrations to men
Enrollment is 1336
Dr. Robert S. Marshall named third president

First official use of Daemen College
1980s
Enrollment is 1454
Lumsden Gymnasium opens

Canavan Hall rededicated (former Lourdes Hall)
Enrollment is 1441
Mary Ann Esposito '64 launches Ciao Italia which is the longest-running television cooking program in America
1990s
Schenck Hall opens

Enrollment is 1884
Business Building opens

Dr. Martin J. Anisman named fourth president

Artist Elizabeth Murray hired as an art instructor. This was prior to her international success in the art world.
Enrollment is 1915
Rosary Hall rededicated
2000s
Campus Village Apartments opens

Enrollment is 2018
Thomas Reynolds Center for Special Education & After-School Programs opens

Enrollment is 2613
Research and Information Commons (RIC) opens
Performer Drake headlines Springfest on April 18, 2009. This was prior to his first prominent single "Best I Ever Had" which was released in June 2009.
2010s
Dr. Edwin G. Clausen named fifth president

Haberman Gacioch Center for Visual & Performing Arts opens (former Marian Library)

Dr. Gary A. Olson named sixth president

Academic and Wellness Center opens

College enters NCAA Division II

Gerald Beverly was acquired by the Canton Charge in the NBA G league
Alumni House opens

Honors House Hall opens

Enrollment is 2635
Daemen promoted to the Carnegie Classification of doctoral/professional
"Annie Stoll '08 won a Grammy for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package for Squeeze Box"
2020s
Anthony J. M. Jones '01 is named and Chairman of Georgia Entertainment Association, Inc
The Center for Interprofessional Learning and Simulation (CILS) is opened
Daemen’s celebrates Virtual Commencement for the Class of 2020

Institute for Mobility Innovation & Technology (IMIT) opens.
Daemen College is mentioned in the Drake song "The Remorse" from the album "Certified Lover Boy". The lyric, "Daemen College booking me to pull up and speak the facts," acknowledged his 2009 Springfest performance.
Former Professor Elizabeth Murray's "Back in Buffalo" art exhibit highlights the impact of her Buffalo, N.Y. years including her years teaching at the college.