The Pius X School of Liturgical Music was opened in 1916 and closed in 1960. It was founded by Justine Ward, who had developed teaching methods for Gregorian chant emulating the techniques of the monks in Solesmes, and by Mother Georgia Stevens, RSCJ, a musician and nun. Faculty over the years included Ward, Achille Bragers and André Mocquereau. Thousands of music teachers studied at the school, including Cecilia Clare Bocard and Thomas Mark Liotta. The school's namesake was Pope Pius X, a devotee of sacred music who initiated reform of the liturgy in the 20th century. In 1959, Richard Rodgers attended a concert on the college's campus as part of research for The Sound of Music. In 2010 a Gregorian Chant, held in Pius X Hall, as part of Inauguration festivities for a previous President, saw a packed auditorium of alumni, students, and faculty, continuing on the tradition of the Pius X School of Liturgical Music. Student life The institution has four residence halls: Founders Hall, Spellman Hall, and two twin buildings (Dammann Hall and Tenney Hall). Most of Spellman Hall is used for housing first-year students, while the remainder of Spellman Hall, and all of Founders Hall, Dammann Hall, and Tenney Hall are occupied by upper-class students. Founders Hall and Spellman Hall use regular-size rooms, while Dammann Hall and Tenney Hall use suites. All four halls, as well as the library and most main buildings, were designed by the architectural firm Eggers & Higgins. Athletics Manhattanville is a member of NCAA Division III, competing primarily in the Skyline Conference, the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (men's & women's hockey), and the NECC (Woman's Field Hockey). The department has added ten teams since 2007 and currently sponsors 22 varsity sports: men's and women's basketball, cross country, hockey, indoor track, lacrosse, outdoor track, and soccer; baseball, softball, men's and women's golf, field hockey, women's volleyball and men's and women's tennis. Manhattanville was a charter member of the Skyline Conference, but would eventually leave to join the before leaving to join the MAC Freedom Conference in 2007. In May 2018, Manhattanville announced that they would leave the MAC and return to the Skyline Conference for the 2019–20 academic year. Publications The national literary magazine Graffiti is published at Manhattanville. In addition, MFA program at Manhattanville College publishes the literary journal, Inkwell. The most recent issue was published in 2021. Notable alumni Karen Akers