Franciscan University Revenue and Competitors

Franciscan University was born on December 10, 1946, a product of the optimism in the country that accompanied victory in World War II. Indeed, most members of the first class were veterans of the war and were making use of the GI Bill to pay for their education. The school in which the 258 students (including seven women) enrolled was known officially as the College of Steubenville, and its origins were distinctly humble.Bishop John King Mussio, recently installed in 1945 as the first bishop of Steubenville, decided that the time was right for a Catholic college in that region of Ohio. Asking the Jesuits for their help, the bishop was told that the diocese would have to pay $1 million up front to bankroll the enterprise. Unable to meet such an expensive request, the bishop turned instead to the Franciscans.