A Vision of Education  |  back

".the mind will not be cultivated at the expense of the heart while we prepare useful citizens for society."

Father Basil Moreau, C.S.C.,
Founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross (1849)

When World War II ended, coal mining was still the principal industry in Northeastern Pennsylvania . Many of the region's children could expect little more than to carry on the legacy of their fathers who toiled in this noble but dangerous, spirit-numbing profession. A year later, a ray of hope entered the dark world of mining when a group of Holy Cross priests from the University of Notre Dame arrived in Wilkes-Barre , Pennsylvania . Inspired by the vision of Father Moreau, they came to cultivate minds and hearts through education-to expand knowledge, develop skills, nurture faith, and encourage service to others. They came to offer hope and the promise of a brighter future. They came to build a college for the sons of coal miners.

Six decades later, their mission thrives at King's College. The Rev. Thomas J. O'Hara, C.S.C., Ph.D., is, in fact, the very personification of that mission. The son of a coal miner, Father O'Hara graduated from King's in 1971, joined the faculty several years later, and in 1999 became the first alumnus to serve as the College's president . Under his guidance, the mission of the founding Holy Cross fathers remains strong and focused.

The College still serves the sons and daughters of hard-working families from Northeastern Pennsylvania and beyond. King's is a special place where lessons in faith and hope and rigorous academic programs prepare citizens and leaders for today and tomorrow. King's continues to stress the importance of educating the mind for the world of work while at the same time emphasizing the wisdom and value of making a life, not just a living.

Sixty years ago, inspired by the words and deeds of their founder, priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross founded King's College. Their legacy remains for students whose hearts and minds are nourished during their four years here and whose lives and careers will unfold in the 21 st century. Today, the president, the faculty and the administration, supported by a committed board of directors, are called to shape the mission and vision inherited from the College's founders. The plans that are here described will build on this remarkable Holy Cross legacy.