Donnelly's story began thanks to the bold vision of Sister Jerome Keeler of the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica. Inspired by then-President Harry Truman’s call for the creation of a network of free community colleges, Sister Jerome dreamed of creating a Catholic community college to serve immigrant and working-class families in the urban core of Kansas City, Kansas. Bishop George Donnelly supported Sister Jerome’s vision and his Diocese of Kansas City in Kansas donated the College’s first building at 1236 Sandusky. In its first year, Donnelly College served 202 students and tuition and fees were an average of $110 per academic year.
Click here to learn more about Donnelly's founding.

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