Our History
The history of Regis University begins in 1877 when a band of Jesuit missionaries from Italy founded Las Vegas College in New Mexico. Within ten years, entrepreneur John Brisben Walker offered the Jesuits a plot of land in Denver, Colorado, and in 1887, the permanent home was established at the corner of 50th and Lowell Boulevard. After the move to Denver, the Jesuits changed the name of the college to Sacred Heart College until 1921 when the name of the college was changed to Regis College in honor of St. John Francis Regis, a 17th-century Jesuit missionary. Regis College's most recognized landmark, Main Hall, was completed in 1887 and stood as the only building on campus until 1911 when expansion began.
Today, Regis is proud to stand among 10,000 Jesuits and nearly 100,000 lay people who provide a Jesuit education to more than 1.8 million students in 56 countries. In the United States, there are 28 Jesuit colleges and universities, and 46 Jesuit high schools.
