Our Foundation - Then and Now

Preserving our faith-based legacy is a high priority; to do that, we must define that legacy, tend to it, and extend it throughout its facilities. This is necessary to remain faithful to the founding principles.

On June 16, 1819, Jean Marie de la Mennais, vicar of Saint-Brieuc, and Gabriel Deshayes, pastor at Auray and vicar general of Vannes, formed the Brothers of Christian Instruction by signing a treaty uniting their efforts to educate the working class in impoverished France. They vowed to carry the message of the gospel and the rudiments of knowledge to every child in need throughout the region and received Catholic papal approval in 1890. The congregation of the Brothers of Christian Instruction grew rapidly, soon extending their mission into Bulgaria, Turkey, Egypt, Spain, England, Canada, and The United States. When the policies of the French government resulted in the Brothers' expulsion, their apostolic zeal led them to Canada in 1886.












Jean Marie de la Mennais (pictured in portrait seated to the right), vicar of Saint-Brieuc, and Gabriel Deshayes (pictured in portrait standing to the left), pastor at Auray and vicar general of Vannes, formed the Brothers of Christian Instruction by signing a treaty uniting their efforts to educate the working class in impoverished France.

The Congregation of the Brothers of Christian Instruction has a coat-of-arms which affirms its identity, tells of its history, and proclaims its purpose. The upper half features a cross, bracketed by the initials D and S, which constitutes the traditional emblem of the Congregation.

The D.S. stands for “DieuSeul”, in English “For God Alone.”Above the cross, a radiant star symbolizes the Brothers’ mission to spread the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ. The bottom half recalls the origins of the Congregation. The section with the golden chevron, the ears of wheat and the silver anchor refers to the la Mennais family. Pierre Louis Robert, a ship owner and importer, had generously supplied wheat and other cereals to the people of Brittany at a time of near-famine, thus earning letters of nobility entitling him to add the title de la Mennais to his surname.

A silver field dotted with ermines, is taken from the emblem of Brittany, where the Congregation was founded. Encompassing the escutcheon is a rosary, which signifies the devotion of the Brothers to Mary, their Mother, and patroness of the Congregation. The official title of the Congregation is given on the border between the rosary and the cartouche.

The olive branches suggest the spirit of peace and charity animating the Brothers in their mutual relations and in their dealings with others, especially their students. Below the armorial display is the Divine Master’s admonition to his disciples, Let the Children Come to Me.

In 1951, the Brothers established La Mennais college in Alfred, Maine, with the purpose of instructing young men to become brothers and teachers.

A chance comment by Brother Francoeur, who was the academic dean of La Mennais College to Monsignor William Hughes, principal of Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown at a summer course at Notre Dame in 1957, was that the Brothers were looking for a new location for La Mennais. Msgr Hughes mentioned the Youngstown Diocese as a possible location.

Who we are named for...

Bishop Emmett Walsh invited the Brothers to settle in the Youngstown Diocese. When the Brothers found that the name they had chosen for their new college, Canton College, was already in use, they decided to name their new college for the man who gave them assistance in settling in this community. The bishop gave the brothers a gift of $350,000 toward the construction of the new college.

In 1959, dandelions and alfalfa occupied the acreage where College Hall (Farrell Hall) stands. After the buildings were built, alfalfa was still grown on some of the land.

50 acres of land contained two buildings initially: The administration/instruction building, which housed offices, library, labs, classrooms, a cafeteria, and a student lounge. The faculty residence hall also housed a small number of student Brothers of Christian Instruction and contained a small chapel.

La Mennais Hall continues to house the Brothers of Christian Instruction and international priest-students and serves as the offices for the Division of Language and Letters.

La Mennais Hall at then Walsh College
(The Brother's Residence)

Walsh's Founding Brothers, 1960 - (seated, left to right) - Dacian J. Barrette (Business Manager, Business & French), Thomas S. Farrell (President, English) and Henry J. Vannasse (Theology). (standing from left) - Edmond Drouin (librarian), Paul E. Masse (Registrar, History & Latin), Robert A. Francoeur (Academic Dean, Philosophy & German), and Alexis Guilbault (Mathmatics)

What is a Brother? They are teachers and administrators. They take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. They live in community. They are located around the world: Argentina, Benin, Bolivia, Canada, Chili’, Congo, CÔTE D'IVOIRE, England, France, French Polynesia, Haiti, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Phillipines, Rwanda, Senegal, Spain, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, USA, Uruguay.

Their main charism is teaching.

In 1960, the Brothers open their new college in North Canton, Ohio. La Mennais College in Alfred, Maine, became Walsh College in North Canton, Ohio.

Sixty-seven gentlemen were admitted to the school November 17, 1960.

“As we walked through the doors we were immersed in no tradition, following in no footsteps. In our four years we had to form traditions, to lay the first footsteps.” (The Lamp [yearbook], 1964)

Now, more than 2,800 students attend Walsh University and its sister campuses in Akron, Medina, Canfield and Rome. 

  Through good times and bad, a campus continues to grow. The small, Catholic college of two buildings and 50 acres in 1960 has grown to a University of 19 buildings, 140 acres, satellite campuses for working adults and more than 2800 students.

December 19, 1961 – first issue of Walsh's student newspaper is released and called “The Spectator.”

November 29, 1962 – Cavaliers is chosen as the official Walsh nickname.

1962 – Women attend Walsh under a program operated by the Diocese to train lay teachers for elementary schools of the diocese – taught by the Ursuline sisters and Walsh faculty. By 1967, Walsh officially becomes co-ed.

1963-64 - Total enrollment: 412, including the 47 seniors.

1969 - Enrollment surpasses 1000.

2008-2009: Over 1350 returning part-time and full-time undergraduate students, 380 undergraduate students in the School for Professional Studies, 435 in the Graduate programs, and a projected 490 incoming Freshmen.

Large W for Walsh University, a cross, bracketed by the initials D and S, constitutes the traditional emblem of the Brothers of Christian Instruction. The crest is a Roman lamp with a red Chi-Rho indicating that each gradate is called by Christ to be a light of the world. The Motto “Sed Deus DatIncrementum” is from 1 Corinthians 3:7. The full text reads “Therefore, neither he that plants is anything, nor he that waters; but God that gives the increase.”

This expresses the thought that, although the faculty give all they can to educate, they know that the flowering of their seed is from the Almighty God.

In 2005, Walsh builds its first free-standing chapel, a long-standing vision for the campus. Until its construction, students attended Mass in a small chapel in the Rannou Campus Center (Now the Barrette Center).

The Walsh University Chapel, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, is named in honor of the patroness of the Brothers of Christian Instruction.

The Chapel houses the Division of Theology and the Chaplain’s office.

College Hall circa 1960.

College Hall (Farrell Hall) today.

THE BROTHERS
The tradition of the Brothers continues today as many still live on campus and continue to serve Walsh Univeristy and the community. Student-Brothers from around the world have attended and lived at Walsh.

Br. Ernest Paquet

Br. Jerome Lessard

Br. Guy Roddy

Br. John Kalama

Br. Marcel Sylvestre

Br. Joseph Power

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, patroness saint of the Brothers of Christian Instruction.

Today, the Brothers of Christian Instruction, who number more then 1,300 in 25 countries, live out their commitment to providing a values-based Catholic education to all who seek it. To this day, Walsh University is proud that nearly 50% of our students are the first in their families to attend college. The Brothers hope to continue on their nearly 200-year-old mission of teaching students to become leaders in service to others.