St. Catherine University (formerly the College of St. Catherine) was founded in St. Paul in 1905 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, under the leadership of Mother Seraphine Ireland. The University is named for St. Catherine of Alexandria, the fourth-century Egyptian lay philosopher who suffered martyrdom for her faith. A site for the University was chosen atop the city’s second-highest hill, in the area now known as Highland Park. The first benefactor was Hugh Derham of Rosemount, who contributed $20,000 for the first building. The building, named Derham Hall, opened in January 1905, offering classes to high school boarding students and lower-division college students.