Dayton, University of, is a Roman Catholic institution of higher learning in Dayton, Ohio. The Society of Mary, a Catholic religious order often called the Marianists, founded the institution in 1850 as St. Mary’s School for Boys. In 1882, the school, then known as St. Mary’s Institute, was authorized to grant college degrees. It became known as the University of Dayton in 1920. In 1937, it became the first Catholic institution in the United States to admit both men and women students.
The University of Dayton Research Institute ranks as a leading center of engineering research. Hans von Ohain, a senior research engineer at the institute, was one of the inventors of the jet engine. Well-known alumni of the University of Dayton include Erma Bombeck, a newspaper columnist and author; Chuck Noll, former head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers; and Charles J. Pedersen, a Nobel Prize-winning chemist. The university’s athletic teams are called the Flyers. The university’s website at https://udayton.edu/ offers additional information.
