Regis University

History

In 1877, a group of exiled Italian Jesuits established a small college in Las Vegas, New Mexico. The Jesuits named this institution Las Vegas College which would ultimately become known as Regis University.

In 1884, the Bishop of Denver invited the Jesuits to create a college in Morrison, Colorado, where Sacred Heart College was opened. In 1887, Las Vegas College and Sacred Heart College merged and moved to the present location of Regis University. At the time of the merger, the school was then called the College of the Sacred Heart. Later, in 1921, it adopted the name of Regis College in honor of John Francis Regis, a 17th-century Jesuit who worked with prostitutes and the poor in the mountains of Southern France. The preparatory section was separated to become the present-day Regis Jesuit High School.

In 1991, Regis College was renamed Regis University.

Regis University played host to the rock musician Jimi Hendrix in 1968, as well as the British rock band Queen, who played their first concert in the United States at Regis, on April 16, 1974.

In 2011, Regis academic programs expanded with partnerships with the National University of Ireland, Galway, and with ITESO, the Jesuit University of Guadalajara, Mexico, for the first online bilingual joint MBA degree program.

On June 1, 2012, Michael Sheeran stepped down as the university's president. He was succeeded by John P. Fitzgibbons who became the 24th president of the university.

The university's current president is Salvador Aceves, the first non-clergyman to hold the role.

In 2023, Regis University was designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), meaning that more than 25% of its student population is Hispanic or Latinx.

Papal visit

On August 12, 1993, Pope John Paul II visited the Northwest Denver Campus of Regis University, where he met with President Bill Clinton for the first time. They greeted about 150 visitors, who had been chosen through a lottery system, and met privately for an hour in the President's Dining Room of Carroll Hall.

Schools

Regis College

Regis College houses the traditional, undergraduate (and Masters of Art in Education & Masters of Science in Biomedical Sciences) programs. These programs are designed for recent high school graduates, or transfer students, with little or no professional work experience. Regis college offers a choice of majors, minors, emphases, and pre-professional tracks. Students wishing to enter the nursing, physical therapy, or pharmacy programs often enter Regis College to complete pre-requisite requirements.

Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions

When Regis absorbed her sister school, Loretto Heights College, the Rueckert Hartman College for Health Professions was born. Regis operates a nationally recognized nursing program, and one of the premiere physical therapist programs. The school is divided into three schools and two divisions: Loretto Heights School of Nursing, School of Pharmacy, School of Physical Therapy, Division of Health Services Education and the Division of Counseling and Family Therapy. The college offers three doctoral programs, Doctor of Nursing Practice (entirely on-line), Doctor of Physical Therapy, and Doctor of Pharmacy.

Anderson College of Business and Computing

In 2015, the College of Business and Economics was officially established to combine the Regis College Division of Business and the College for Professional Studies School of Management and Master of Nonprofit Management. After a donation made by Denver architect Andy Anderson in 2018, the college was renamed to the Anderson College of Business. The college offers both classroom-based and online course options. Undergraduate programs in Computer Science (CPS), Computer Information Systems, and Computer Networking are ABET accredited. They are the only ABET accredited programs of their kind that, in addition to classroom, are also offered 100% online.

Center for Service Learning

Regis University's Center for Service Learning (CSL) facilitates student voluntary service, the development of service learning components in coursework, and placement among the needier members of society for those with work study awards. These are essential components of the university's mission to train men and women for others.

Athletics

Main article: Regis Rangers

Regis University is in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference along with Adams State, Black Hills State, Chadron State, Colorado Christian, Colorado Mines, CSU Pueblo, Dixie State, Fort Lewis, Colorado Mesa, Metro State, New Mexico Highlands, South Dakota Mines, UC-Colorado Springs, Western New Mexico, Westminster, and Western Colorado University. The university offers women's lacrosse, men and women's soccer, baseball, softball, men and women's basketball, volleyball, men and women's cross country, men and women's golf, Men’s Rugby and forensics.

Rankings

Regis University was ranked 273 among National Universities by U.S. News & World Report in its 2026 rankings, having fallen 71 places from Regis's first year of competition on this national list since it was reclassified in 2019 as a Doctoral/Professional University. It had previously been ranked 26th among "Regional Universities West".

Notable alumni

Political figures

• Dewey F. Bartlett Jr., former Mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma (2009-2016)
• Charles F. Brannan, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (1948–1953)
• Banny de Brum, former Ambassador of the Marshall Islands to the United States (1996–2008, 2009–2011)
• Gil Cisneros, lottery winner, philanthropist, 11 year Navy veteran, U.S. Representative from California (2025–present; 2019-2021), and former Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
• Edwin Feulner, founder of The Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington D.C. think tank
• Lindsey Halligan, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (Sep. 2025–Nov. 2025)
• Stephen McNichols, former Colorado Governor
• Joseph Montoya, former U.S. Senator from New Mexico
• Jane E. Norton, former Lieutenant Governor of Colorado (2003–2007)
• Dianne Primavera, Lieutenant Governor of Colorado (2019–present)
• Ken Summers, former member of the Colorado state legislature (2006–12)
• Tom White, former member of the Nebraska Legislature (2007-2010)

Athletes

• Steven Brault, former professional baseball player, Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates
• Arnie Herber, NFL player for the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants, member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Artists and media figures

• Andrea Booher, photographer, filmmaker and photojournalist
• Campbell Brown, television news host for CNN
• John P. Farley, actor and comedian; brother of actor Chris Farley
• Victoria Fuller, artist and sculptor
• Nick "Tasteless" Plott, esports commentator
• Bill Murray, actor and comedian, attended but did not graduate, received an Honorary Doctor of Humanities in 2007
• Josephine Siao, Hong Kong actress
• Devorah Sperber, installation artist
• Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick, soprano

Other notable alumni

• Richard N. Cabela, CEO, Cabela's, Inc.
• Jim Daly, president and CEO, Focus on the Family
• Jack Morris, S.J, founder of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps

References

References

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