Maryville University of St. Louis is a private university in Town and Country, Missouri. It was originally founded on April 6, 1872 by the Society of the Sacred Heart and offers more than 90 degrees at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels to students from 50 states and 47 countries. The school's name is derived from the shortening and altering of "Mary's Villa" when the school opened as an all women-school in the country outside of the order's original downtown St. Louis location in 1872 (an area that today is within the boundaries of the city of St. Louis). In 1961 it moved to suburban St. Louis and in 1968 began admitting men. Since 1972 the university has been governed by a board of trustees consisting mostly of members of the laity, although five of the trustees are always associated with the Society of the Sacred Heart. The school's athletic nickname is now the Saints. History Maryville was founded in 1872 by the Society of the Sacred Heart and was originally called Maryville Academy of the Sacred Heart and served underprivileged youth and young women. It was located in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood in South St. Louis on a 21-acre tract at 2900 Meramec Avenue. The main administration building was a five-story building with a cupola in the middle. The school became a junior college in 1921, then a four-year college in 1923 and was renamed Maryville College of the Sacred Heart. In the late 1950s, the school purchased of land adjacent to Interstate 64, which was then St. Louis' main east–west thoroughfare. The dedication of the new campus on this site in 1961 marked the beginning of Maryville's move toward being a community-oriented liberal arts institution. In 1968, the University became a co-educational institution. In Maryville's Centennial year of 1972, ownership of the college was transferred to a lay board of trustees. In 1981, Maryville launched Weekend College, making it possible for the first time for St. Louis-area working adults to complete entire degree programs entirely on weekends. In June 1991, Maryville made the transition to university status. The old campus became Augustinian Academy for Boys. It closed in 1972. Duchesne Hall burned in 1973 and was demolished, making way for the Maryville Gardens branch of the post office. The dormitories and other buildings were converted into the Maryville Gardens apartment complex. Since the opening of the West County