St. John's University is the successor institution of the former St. John's University and St. Mary's Hall in Shanghai, two well-known education institutions founded in 1879 and 1918, respectively, by Bishop John Schereschewsky of the American Episcopal Church. The distinguished alumni of these two excellent schools have made remarkable contributions to the world and to society, including working to restore their schools' legacy on Taiwan." In 1952, St. John's University in Shanghai was forced to give up its name and merge with other universities. In response to the loss of the school's identity, a group of distinguished alumni in Taiwan resolved to restore their alma mater in Taipei. In 1961, with the approval of the American Episcopal Church in Taiwan, the alumni of St. John's University, in conjunction with the alumnae of the former St. Mary's Hall of Shanghai, enthusiastically donated money to purchase land in the town of Tamsui in Taipei County for the school campus.