History of De La Salle University facts for kids
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De La Salle University started way back in 1911. It began as De La Salle College in Paco, Manila, Philippines. It was founded by a group called the Christian Brothers. This was the first La Salle school in the Philippines. It is also the oldest part of De La Salle Philippines (DLSP). DLSP is a group of 16 La Salle schools that started in 2006.
Contents
Starting the School: Early History
After Spain gave control of the Philippines to the United States in 1901, Americans set up a new public school system. They used English as the main language for teaching. At that time, Catholic schools still taught in Spanish. People worried that Catholic students might fall behind in leadership roles under the American system.
The Americans asked the Christian Brothers to help. The Brothers were a Catholic teaching group already in many countries. They were asked to bring good Catholic education using English to the Philippines.
Nine Christian Brothers started De La Salle College. They arrived in 1911. Brother Blimond Pierre Eilenbecker was the director. The school officially opened on June 16, 1911. It had 125 students at first. The campus was in Paco, Manila. It was the very first La Salle school in the country.
More Brothers came to teach in the following years. In the early days, the school offered primary and intermediate classes. It also had a three-year business high school program. The first students graduated from this program in 1915.
In 1921, the school needed more space. So, the Brothers decided to move to a new location. This new place was on Taft Avenue in Malate, Manila. This is where the university is located today. The old property in Paco was sold. Construction for the new building on Taft Avenue started in 1920.
On September 24, 1921, the teachers and 425 students walked from Paco to the new, half-finished school. Classes officially began there on October 3, 1921. The building was fully finished by December 15, 1924.
By 1924, just 13 years after opening, De La Salle College was recognized as the best private school in the Philippines. This was by a group that studied education in the country. The school started offering a two-year business course in 1920. Later, it was allowed to offer degrees like Bachelor of Science in Education. The Bachelor of Science in Commerce degree was first given out in 1931.
World War II and Its Impact
During Second World War, Japanese forces took over the De La Salle College campus. They used it as their defense headquarters in South Manila. Classes still continued during the war. However, the school's programs were greatly reduced.
The area around the school was bombed many times. This destroyed the college gym, library books, and lab equipment. A very sad event happened on February 12, 1945. A small group of Japanese soldiers attacked the campus. They harmed most of the Brothers and several families who were hiding in the school chapel. Only one Brother survived this tragic event.
After the war ended, American Christian Brothers returned. They had been held in a Japanese camp. Classes started again in July 1945. This was despite not having enough teachers or facilities. The school helped rebuild the Philippines by expanding its business program.
Growing and Becoming a University
After the war, many new schools and programs were added. In 1947, the Engineering school was created. Then came Arts and Sciences in 1953, and Education in 1959. The school also started admitting female students in 1973. Before this, only boys could study there.
On February 19, 1975, De La Salle College became a university. It was then called De La Salle University. This was a big step for the school. In 1981, the university started using a trimestral calendar. This means the school year is divided into three terms instead of two. This system allows students to finish their degrees faster.
In 1987, the De La Salle University System was formed. This system included De La Salle University in Manila. It also included other schools like De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde. Other schools like De La Salle Santiago Zobel School and De La Salle University-Dasmarinas were also part of it. More La Salle schools joined later, like La Salle Green Hills.
On March 28, 1994, the university got full Internet connection. It was one of the first schools in the Philippines to be online. The university created its official website in December of that year. By 1996, students could get Internet accounts. This made De La Salle the first Philippine school to offer this to students.
Recent History and Achievements
In 2006, De La Salle Professional Schools became a separate, independent school. In 2007, the College of Computer Studies was recognized as a top center for Information Technology. Other science departments, like Biology and Chemistry, also received high recognition.
School buildings were renovated as part of a big plan. The St. La Salle Hall was renovated in 2011. Construction for the Henry Sy Sr. Hall began in 2010. This is a 14-story building that holds the university library. It was finished by December 2012.
In 2012, De La Salle Canlubang officially joined De La Salle University. It became the De La Salle University Science and Technology Complex. Later, it was renamed the De La Salle University – Laguna Campus. In 2013, DLSU also got a new campus in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. This campus houses the College of Law.
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In 2015, DLSU announced it would open its Manila campus for senior high school students. This was because of the new K–12 education system. Senior High School classes officially started on June 1, 2016. In 2019, the university launched a new online learning system called AnimoSpace.
De La Salle University was named the country's most productive research university in March 2020. This was based on the number of research papers published. In 2019, DLSU published over 600 research papers. This was the most by any Philippine school in one year. DLSU's research makes up almost 15% of the nation's total research output.
