Our Name And History
The name “Newman” originates from John Henry Cardinal Newman who lived in England from 1801-1890. He was born in London. At age 15 he went to Oxford to study and eventually became Professor of Classics until age 42. On October 9, 1845, John Newman was received into the Roman Catholic Church along with two of his friends as converts from the Anglican Church. Two years later, he was ordained to the Priesthood (1847) and on May 12, 1879 was elected to the College of Cardinals. He was a prolific writer and educator. It was his idea which originated establishing Catholic centers on college and university campuses. This idea reached across the Atlantic in 1883 when the first group was founded at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and was called the “Melvin Club” since they met in the house of a woman named Mrs. Melvin. In 1890, the year of Cardinal Newman’s death, on e of the students from the “Melvin Club’ began graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania and established the first “Newman Club” in the U.S.A. The “Newman Movement” became the name for the Catholic Church’s presence on non-Catholic campuses in higher learning in this country. The “Newman Club” became the name of the various student organizations on each campus. There has been a “Newman Club” at Towson University since 1949-1950. Our “Newman Center” opened its doors at T.U. in 1966 and has remained the home of the Club until the present. In 1984 a chapel was added to the two original buildings.
Our Purpose
Our CharterThe T.U. Newman Club is officially recognized by the Student Government Association as the Catholic Student Group at Towson University. The Newman Club offers commuter and resident students alike the opportunity to meet and socialize in an unstructured and relaxed environment. All of the activities which the Club sponsors through the Newman Center are open to all students, friends and community members. Some of these activities include the annual fall and spring picnics; various day trips to historic nearby places and events; movie nights; sleepovers; sports events; dances; parties, etc. The Club engages in its own fundraising projects to support its activities. The prime purpose of our Club at T.U. is social. It is the mechanism we use to involve encounters, the work of Catholic Campus Ministry at T. U. is broadened and the presence of the Church more fully experienced. The Club works in cooperation with the Catholic Campus Minister who ministers on behalf of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Together, the Club and the Ministry offer the whole academic community a wide range of opportunity to experience the mission of the Church in their lives.
The Newman Club meets regularly with its membership to plan and carry out its purpose. The Club has four officers elected by the membership annually. The officers are responsible directly to the Student Government Association at Towson University. Membership in the Club is open to any and all full-time day students at Towson University. Participation in any of the Newman Club activities is not restricted to membership, however. Non-students, students from elsewhere and members of the Newman Center community are always welcome to join in activities.