by Amanda Capote, Assistant Curator
The 1960s marked the beginning of Boca Raton’s transition into the educational hub it is today, with institutions like Saint Andrew’s School, Florida Atlantic University and Lynn University establishing roots in the city. Before it was Lynn University, it was Marymount College, a two-year Catholic college for women founded in 1962. Over the next few decades, the college underwent several major changes that reflected the changing landscape of higher education.
In September 1963, just one year before Florida Atlantic University welcomed its first students, Marymount College opened its doors to its first class of 96 women. Founded by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, the college was established to provide an education for “young women who show promise of achievement.” Building a college in 1960s Boca Raton was not without its challenges. The 65-acre property was largely undeveloped, and construction crews had to contend with South Florida’s heat, rattlesnakes, alligators, and the uncertainty of developing a new campus. One story recalls Sister Euphrasia, described as “formidable,” killing a rattlesnake with a large stick in front of construction workers. Apparently, there were no further delays to construction.
Left: Marymount students standing next to sign on Turnpike, ca. 1962-1965.
Marymount offered two programs of study: liberal arts and secretarial studies, with options in medical or general secretarial work. The completed campus included a dormitory, student center, academic building, chapel, library, convent, and recreational facilities. Marymount’s first students came from across the United States, as well as Latin America, Spain, and Italy, giving the college an international student body from the very beginning. Student life included beach parties, dances, folk festivals, films, pool parties, sports, picnics, dramatic productions, and cabarets, while students were also encouraged to take advantage of museums and cultural institutions in nearby Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami.
One of Marymount’s early leaders was Sister De La Croix, who wore many hats during the college’s first years. She introduced innovative teaching methods, including recorded lessons on cassette tapes and Marymount’s “block study approach,” which had students focus on four areas during a seven-week period. Her primary responsibility was fundraising, and she worked alongside Thomas F. Fleming Jr., who would later help bring Florida Atlantic University to Boca Raton. She also encouraged religious freedom on campus, offering space at Marymount for the founders of Temple Beth El, then known as Boca Raton Hebrew Congregation, when they needed a place to worship. Sister De La Croix became president of the college in 1964 and later served on a Palm Beach County committee to address improvements to the school system.
As higher education changed, so did Marymount. The college began admitting male day students in 1970, and in 1971, Wilmington College in Delaware took over the financially struggling institution. The school transitioned from a Catholic to a nonsectarian college, became the College of Boca Raton in 1974, and expanded into a four-year college. In 1991, it was renamed Lynn University to reflect its expanding programs and increasingly global focus while honoring the Lynn family, longtime supporters of the institution. What began as a small two-year college for women had evolved into a four-year, co-ed university with a diverse student body.
