Founded in 1907 by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, an international teaching order, Marymount was the first of a network of Marymount colleges and schools around the world. Marymount's founder, Mother Joseph Butler, had a clear vision of mission and purpose. She set out to create a place of learning where women could grow, where they could receive an education that would prepare them for positions of leadership and influence in the world. Today, Marymount is an independent liberal arts college in the Catholic tradition and one of the fastest growing Women's colleges in the United States. A pioneer in women's education for over ninety years, the college enriches, equips and empowers women to achieve their full potential in a rapidly changing world. Marymount continues to provide the unique opportunities of a women's college through a broad array of liberal arts courses, active career planning & placement programs, fulfilling international and multicultural experiences, and the consistent challenge to uphold sound values in life and work. Effective July 1, 2002, Marymount College consolidated with Fordham University to create a new model of a Catholic women's college, one that will enjoy the academic and administrative resources of a major university while retaining the character of a small, liberal arts college. This union builds upon a long relationship between the two institutions and promises to strengthen Marymount's religious and intellectual traditions. Founded in 1841, Fordham is New York City's Jesuit University, enrolling approximately 14,000 students among its four undergraduate and six graduate schools. Marymount College is now the University's fifth undergraduate college.