At the request of Bishop Thomas Francis Hickey of Rochester, five Sisters of St. Joseph — with Ph.D’s that included graduate study at Oxford University and the Sorbonne — founded Nazareth College in 1924. The first class was composed of 25 young women who began their studies in a large mansion on Lake Avenue in Rochester, New York. The mission of Nazareth College is to provide a learning community that educates students in the liberal arts, sciences, visual and performing arts, and professional fields, fostering commitment to a life informed by intellectual, ethical, spiritual, and aesthetic values; to develop skills necessary for the pursuit of meaningful careers; and to inspire dedication to the ideal of service to their communities.