1930 – Catholic Teachers Begin Earning Degrees

One result of anti-Catholic legislation was a series of laws passed that required all private school teachers to earn their Bachelor degrees from accredited colleges in Washington State. Determined to build a presence in the Pacific Northwest, St. Benedict’s sent out sisters newly from the novitiate to begin their education here while teaching. Thus began the “20 summer” program of earning their Bachelor of Arts degrees. Summers were spent in Spokane at Holy Names College along with weekend classes offered by Seattle College and Saint Martin’s College.