Mission:

Siena College is a learning community advancing the ideals of a liberal arts education, rooted in its identity as a Franciscan and Catholic institution.

History:

Siena College had its inception in the year 1937 when His Excellency, the Most Rev. Edmund F. Gibbons, D.D., Bishop of Albany, extended an invitation to the Franciscan Friars of the Province of the Most Holy Name, to establish an institution of higher education within the confines of the Capital Region. A site suitable for this purpose consisting of 38 acres, located in Loudonville, was acquired in April of the same year as the first step in the realization of this project. Since the beginning, the College was placed under the patronage of St. Bernardine of Siena, the illustrious 15th century Franciscan scholar. St. Bernardine is a fitting patron for he embodies the rich and deep intellectual tradition that the followers of St. Francis bring to education.

The old farm "mansion" that had stood on the site for over 50 years immediately underwent extensive renovations to serve temporarily as a college building. On September 22, 1937, the new college opened its doors for the first time to 90 freshmen.