History of Trocaire College

At one time, the original materials for the College’s library collection were kept in area convents of the Religious Sisters of Mercy. The scattered holdings were eventually gathered into one place, the Novitiate at Mt. Mercy Convent. Through the years, the collection as well as the number of Sisters of Mercy grew. These developments led to the transfer of the collection to larger quarters.

The first move was to the wardrobe area adjacent to the Dean’s office on the first floor of Mt. Mercy Convent. This area was approximately 27 feet long X 5 feet wide, and became known as "the catacombs". Steel shelving covered every inch of wall space. The highest shelves were inaccessible, and all that shelving made for crowded quarters. There was no room for new material or for access by users.

The second move took place in 1955 - to the Alumnae suite adjacent to Mt. Mercy Academy auditorium. The new space housed a worktable, chairs, a storage press, and files. The "Educational Reference Collection" was born. Professional library work began under the direction of Sr. Mary Bernice, R.S.M., Librarian. Temporary assistance was given by Sr. Mary Anina, Sr. Mary Camilla, Sr. Mary Felicitas, and Miss Joy Adams. During this phase the entire collection was weeded, including the initial resource purchases made in September of 1955.

By 1956, it was obvious more space was required; as a result, the Educational Reference Collection annexed another Alumnae Room, known as the "inner sanctum". 1958 saw the need for additional space, and the Collection moved to its new home Room #16, on the ground floor of Mt. Mercy Academy. A periodical room was added in 1961, and the librarian’s office was next door.

In 1966, Sr. Mary Camilla was placed in charge of the libraries for both Sancta Maria College and Marian Hall. Sr. Camilla undertook the daunting task of merging the two collections. The united collection was reclassified from the Bellevue to the Dewey Decimal system. The furniture, shelves, supplies, and books were moved from Marian Hall on Choate Avenue to the Liberal Arts section of the College on Red Jacket Parkway. The quickly growing library consumed large areas: what had been the student lounge and additional classrooms. The seating and book areas doubled in size.

By 1970, the library had expanded into the former bookstore, with various classrooms renovated to provide more workspace. A new reference room appeared in 1972. Technology arrived with a photocopy machine, and microfilm and microfiche reader/printers. A Learning Resource Center was set up with the latest equipment.

When Trocaire College undertook major renovations in the late 1990s, a new four-story wing was built at 360 Choate Avenue. All classrooms, the library, and other offices housed at 110 Red Jacket Parkway were moved to Choate Avenue. A state of the art Library was created through the generosity of the Savarino family, long time supporters of Trocaire College. The Savarino family dedicated the Rachel R. Savarino Library in honor of their mother, on October 11, 1997.

Trocaire’s Beginnings

Trocaire College, the only independent, private college in the City of Buffalo, was founded in 1958 by the Buffalo Regional Community of the Sisters of Mercy. The College began as a formation college (Sancta Maria Junior College) for training Sisters entering the community for the ministry of teaching.  Sancta Maria offered higher educational opportunities to the women of the Order, and gained distinction early on in the field of Nursing and Health Science education.

Since its founding, Trocaire College has evolved into a uniquely comprehensive, coeducational institution. In 1965, the College granted admission to lay female students, and in 1972 to male students. By the mid-1970s, the college had incorporated the Mercy School of Nursing. In an effort to honor the heritage of the founding Sisters, the College's name was officially changed in 1967 to Trocaire, the Gaelic word for "mercy". Trocaire College is a member of The Association of Mercy Colleges and Universities, and is governed by a Board of Trustees.

Trocaire College, in the spirit of Catherine Mc Auley and the Sisters of Mercy, strives to empower students toward personal enrichment, dignity and self-worth through education in a variety of professions and in the liberal arts. Recognizing the individual needs of a diverse student body, Trocaire College provides life learning and development within a community-based environment. Trocaire College prepares students for service in the universal community.

The original Sisters of Mercy convent building stood at the junction of Red Jacket Parkway and Abbott Road. Today the Sisters of Mercy are part of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Northeast Community which was officially formed July 1, 2006 uniting sisters and associates from Albany, New York; Connecticut; New Hampshire; Portland, Maine; Providence, Rhode Island; and Vermont in the northeastern United States.