the surrounding area from a rural village to diverse residential/commercial communities of Manhattan bordered by the Harlem and Morningside Heights neighborhoods. In 1935, The College of the Sacred Heart was accredited by the prestigious Association of American Universities. The name was officially changed to "Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart" in 1937. Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart (1937–1966) Racial justice (Manhattanville Resolutions) In the 1930s, the Manhattanville student body consisted of approximately 200 female students. Though small, the college made headlines across the country for taking a strong position promoting racial equality decades before the Civil Rights Movement of the late 1950s, into the 1960s and 1970s. In May 1933, students created the "Manhattanville Resolutions" a document that pledged an active student commitment to racial justice. This commitment was tested when the first Negro woman student was admitted to the college in 1938. Alumnae response to a racially integrated but all-female student body was mixed and somewhat controversial for a time. While the vast majority of letters praised Manhattanville for its courageous action, college president Grace Dammann viewed the negative responses as an opportunity to open hearts and minds. At the annual Class Day reunion on May 31, 1938, she delivered a passionate speech entitled "Principles Versus Prejudices." She stated that education is the key to rising above prejudices."The more we know of man's doing and thinking throughout time and throughout the world's extent, the more we understand that beauty and goodness and truth are not the monopoly of any age nor of any group nor of any race."The speech went on to be published in several national publications and established Manhattanville as a leader in higher education and human rights. When Dammann died suddenly in 1945, The New York Times obituary summarized her life's work with the headline, "Mother Dammann, College President: Head of Manhattanville Since 1930 Dies--Champion of Racial Equality." Manhattanville would continue its work in social action first through the National Federation of Catholic College Students and to this day with the Duchesne Center for Religion and Social Justice and the Connie Hogarth Center for Social Action. Mary Louise (Mamie) Jenkins, RSCJ was the first African American student to graduate from Manhattanville and June Mulvaney was the first African American student to major in Russian at Manhattanville. Growth As was the case for many colleges following World War II, neighboring City College of New York (CCNY-part