Fontbonne University ~ Closed 2025

Mission statement

Fontbonne University, was a Catholic institution founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, provided transformative education committed to the common good, inspired students to become global citizens who think critically and act ethically to create a more just world.

A brief history

Fontbonne University took its name from Mother St. John Fontbonne, who, in 1808 after the French Revolution, refounded the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph (CSJ). Some 28 years after the refounding, six Sisters of St. Joseph came to the United States in 1836 and established American roots at Carondelet, a small community in south St. Louis, Missouri. Five years later, in 1841, they opened St. Joseph’s Academy for girls.

The Sisters would eventually establish a college to provide access to higher education for women — a need in the early decades of the 20th century. Fontbonne College’s first classes were held in 1923, at Carondelet in South St. Louis, and then two years later, the school moved to the Clayton campus.

It was on the tradition of service and based on the values of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, that Fontbonne University was founded. A devotion to the tradition continued for over 100 years.

In the summer of 2025, Fontbonne University graduated its final class. SJEM continues to celebrate the history and legacy of one of its founding institutions.

Leadership