Culture and traditions of the Ateneo de Manila
The culture and traditions of Ateneo de Manila University (Filipino: "Unibersidad Ateneo de Manila"; ) is a private research university in Quezon City, Philippines. Founded as the "Escuela Municipal" in 1859 by the Society of Jesus, the Ateneo is the third-oldest university in the country. Among the several articles on the Ateneo, this article deals solely with its culture and traditions.
History of the Ateneo de Manila
American Jesuits replaced their Spanish brethren in 1912. The original campus at Intramuros in the heart of old Manila was destroyed by fire in 1932 and the Ateneo moved to the San Jose Major Seminary grounds in Padre Faura, Ermita. Again during World War II the Ateneo campus was devastated. It reopened temporarily in Plaza Guipit in Sampaloc, Manila. The Padre Faura campus reopened in 1946 with Quonset huts serving as buildings among the campus ruins. In 1952, Fr. William F. Masterson, S.J., moved most of the Ateneo units to its present Loyola Heights campus. The Padre Faura campus continued to house the professional schools until 1976. Fr. Francisco Araneta, S.J., was appointed as the Ateneo de Manila's first Filipino Rector in 1958. In 1959, its centennial year, the Ateneo became a university.