Then and Now: A 50-Year Look Back

Then: Biology student Stefanie Marabella, BS ’79, working on the Crown Gall project (a bacterial disease affecting plants) in the science laboratory.

Now: Laura Tran, BS ’27, pharmaceutical science and healthcare major, working in the organic chemistry lab on a melting point apparatus.

Then: English Professor Joseph J. Feeney, S.J., in class with his students. Fr. Feeney taught at St. Joe’s from 1971-2016 and was loved by students and colleagues alike. He passed in 2023 at the age of 88.

Now: Students taking business classes in Mandeville Hall. The University has grown to include five schools spanning the liberal arts, business, education and human development, health professions and allied health, and nursing.

Then: A nursing student in the surgical unit of the Lancaster General Hospital checking on an IV bag.

Now: A student at Saint Joseph’s in Lancaster, formerly Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences.

Then: The Cap and Bells Dramatic Arts Society (now Saint Joseph’s Theatre Company) performing “Antigone.” The organization has been a part of St. Joe’s for over 100 years.

Now: Saint Joseph’s Theatre Company performing “Godspell.” Today, the company produces three performances a year and supports 30 students annually with scholarship awards.

Then: Two students sitting on the lawn under pine trees on Hawk Hill. Saint Joseph’s City Avenue location became home to students in 1927 after a move from Stiles Street in Philadelphia.

Now: Two students sitting on adirondack chairs on Hawk Hill, one of the University’s now three locations.

Then: A student in the Drexel Library checking out books at the circulation desk.

Now: Melanie DiDomenico Hernandez, BA ’25, checks out a book from library technician Martha VanAuken. The library houses 355,000 volumes, 1,450 print and 15,000 electronic journals, 2,800 e-books, 866,000 microforms and 4,975 audio-visual materials.

Then: From Gest Hall to Greaton, Hawkins to Hogan, students lived in small dormitories across campus. Here, a student is studying in her residence.

Now: Today, many of the smaller residences of yesteryear have turned into academic and administrative spaces, while residences like Sister Thea Bowman Hall, a 500-student first-year residence, have been built to accommodate a larger student body.

Then: Drexel Library in the spring of 1975. Ground broke on the space in 1961 and it was dedicated in 1962.

Now: Students walking to class past the library. The extension to the right of the original structure — the John and Maryanne Hennings Post Learning Commons — was completed in 2012, adding 35,000 square feet to the Drexel Library.

Then: In 1975, Griffith Hall at the University of the Sciences (then known as the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science) was the main building for the nation's first college of pharmacy.

Now: Griffith Hall is the oldest building at Saint Joseph’s University City location. Named for distinguished pharmacist Ivor Griffith, it is home to two large lecture halls and the Marvin Samson Museum for the History of Pharmacy.

Then: Led by Head Coach Harry Booth, the St. Joseph’s College varsity men’s basketball team gave their best performance on the court this year as the team ventured into the ECAC holiday festival and the Lafayette tournament.

Now: After a Big 5 Classic win in 2024, the men's basketball team is 22-12 in 2025, their most wins in a season since 2015-16.

Then: The women’s crew team was founded in the spring of the 1975-1976 academic year. At the time, Saint Joseph’s and the University of Pennsylvania had the only female collegiate crew teams in Philadelphia.

Now: The women’s rowing team capped off the 2024 fall season at the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta with a gold medal in the Women’s Championship pair and six top 10 finishes.

Then: Hawks from the 1975 baseball team in front of Barbelin Hall. Head Coach Barry Kirsch (second from right) remains in the top five for coaching victories in program history.

Now: Members of the 2024/2025 baseball team. Left to right: Jack Saker, BS ’29, Blake Primrose, BS ’29, and Alex Venezia, BS ‘29.

Then: The St. Joseph’s College women’s basketball team was led by Head Coach Theresa Grentz from 1974-1976 with an overall record of 27-5.

Now: The women’s basketball team, led by Head Coach Cindy Griffin, consists of 14 Hawks coming from various states within the U.S., as well as international players from countries like Canada, Denmark, Latvia, Sweden and Australia.