Providence College is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

The Rt. Rev. Matthew D. Harkins, D.D., Bishop of Providence, first petitioned the Dominican Order of Preachers to start a college in Providence in November 1910. The order approved that petition but asked that the endeavor be postponed for a few years until they had a sufficient number of priests/professors to handle the task.

Gov. R. Livingston Beeckman signed a bill into law on Feb. 14, 1917, making Providence College an official corporation in the eyes of the State of Rhode Island, with a charter granted by the state. The first and most recognized building on campus, Harkins Hall, was dedicated in the spring of 1919.

— Michael Delaney, managing editor/visuals