The Ateneo de Zamboanga began in 1912 as Escuela Catolica, a parochial school run by Spanish Jesuits at the old site of the Immaculate Conception Church, right across the Sunken Garden. Fr. Manuel M. Sauras, S.J. was the first director.
The first high school students graduated from Ateneo in 1932.
In 1938, a library was built on the first floor of the K of C Building. A facade, an auditorium, and an annex were also built. John Shinn was appointed headmaster of the Grade School and Fr. Francis Clark, S.J. became the principal and dean of discipline of the High School. The school was closed during World War II. It was used by the Japanese as a public elementary school until it was shelled and bombed by the
The high school reopened in 1947, with a nipa-sawali building on a new site outside the poblacion called Jardin de Chino along Camino Nuevo. It was providential that shortly before the outbreak of the World War II, Fr. Eusebio Salvador, S.J. had bought 18 adjoining lots in that section.
In 1948, the school was officially recognized as a Jesuit school separate from the parish.
The post liberation years were a period of rapid physical, curricular, and enrollment expansion for the school. A college was established in 1952 and the graduate school in 1976.
In the 1980s Fr. Ernesto A. Carretero, SJ started the work to acquire for the Ateneo de Zamboanga a university status. The efforts were continued by when Fr. William H. Kreutz, SJ came as president in 1989. The years of hard work finally paid off when, on August 20, 2001, the Ateneo de Zamboanga was declared a university by the Commission on Higher Education.
Moreover, the school was granted a Fully Autonomous status – one of only 30 higher education institutions in the country to be granted full deregulation and autonomy, and the only one in Western Mindanao. CHED awards full autonomous status to centers of excellence or centers of development with a long tradition of integrity and excellence in education/training, research, and community extension service. CHED also considers the school’s program with Level III accredited status and performance in the government licensure examinations.
The inauguration of Ateneo de Zamboanga as a university was held on December 8, 2001 during the celebration of the Ateneo Fiesta, the Alumni Homecoming and the Feast day of the Immaculate Concepcion, Patroness of the Ateneo.
(Based on “Memories of a Hail Mary School” by Mr. Restituto Banico)
1912 | Established as Escuela Catholica |
1916 | Ateneo de Zamboanga named |
1928 | High School was established |
1952 | College programs started |
1969 | Designated Citizens National Electoral Assembly Center |
1975 | PAASCU Accreditation of High School |
1976 | Graduate School First Programs |
1978 | Designated Regional Center for Center for Educational Measurement |
1980 | Faculty Ranking Structures |
1981 | Made a DOST node for Teacher Training Breeder Sciences |
1981 | PAASCU Accreditation for College Programs |
1981 | Research Development and Planning Office (RDPO) Established |
1981 | Set up the Summer Teacher Institute for Renewal (STIR) |
1982 | Implementation of Unicefs Accelerated Teacher Training for Cultural Communities (ATTCC) |
1982 | Ateneo Computer Center(ACC) established |
1984 | Campus Ministry (CM) established |
1984 | Named a NAMFREL Center |
1984 | Began Non-Formal Education Program in Manicahan |
1986 | Ateneo Business Resource Foundation, Inc. (ABRFI) established |
1986 | Joined Mindanao University Science Consortium |
1987 | Learning Resource Center (LRC) Building Inaugurated |
1987 | PAASCU Accreditation for all College level III |
1987 | Social Awareness and Community Services Involvement (SACSI) established |
1991 | Designated Institute for Local Governance and Administration (ILGA) |
1992 | Designated FAPE Center for Graduate Studies in 2 programs |
1992 | Institute of Cultural Studies for Western Mindanao(ICSWM) established |
1993 | Received DOST Science Grant |
1993 | PAASCU Accreditation for Grade School |
1994 | Civil Service Commission MBA Scholars for Region IX assigned to ADZ |
1994 | Online Library Catalogue put in place |
1994 | Zamboanga Medical School Foundation, Inc. established |
1994 | Zamboanga Cathechetical Institute (ZCI) set up |
1996 | Center for Community Extension Services (CCES) put up |
1996 | Internet Service Provider for Schools ZAMBONET |
1996 | Named a Professional Basic Education (PROBE) node |
1996 | ADZ WEB SITE put in the Internet |
1997 | Recepient of CHED Information Technology Grant |
1997 | Designated CHED Mindanao Advanced Education Project (MAEP) node |
1997 | Center for Local Governance put up with Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) support |
1997 | Ph.D. Programs inaugurated |
1997 | Staff Ranking begins |
1998 | Named CHED Center of Development for Business and Management Education |
1998 | Began Ignatian Spirituality for Education Workshop (ISEW) Formation Program |
1998 | Local Government Support Program (LGSP) |
1999 | Ateneo Information Technology Center (AITC) established |
1999 | Ateneo Peace Institute established |
1999 | Named CHED Center of Development for Information Technology |
2000 | Basilan Intervention Program began |
2000 | Faculty Chairs started |
2000 | Institute for Human Resource and Organization Development System (INHRODS) established |
2001 | New College Building completed |
2001 | Multi-Purpose Covered Courts completed |
2001 | Granted University Status by CHED |
2001 | Granted Full Deregulation and Autonomy by by Commission on Higher Education |
2002 | Research, Development and Planning Office renamed as Ateneo Research Office (ARO) |
2003 | Ateneo Research Office renamed as Ateneo Research Center (ARC) |
2004 | College of Arts and Sciences split into two new colleges: College of Liberal Arts (CLA) and College of Science and Information Technology (CSIT) |
2004 | College of Commerce and Accountancy renamed as College of Management and Accountancy (CMA) |
2004 | BSN Professional Program offered |
2004 | School of Medicine given over to ADZU by the Zamboanga Medical School Foundation,Inc. |
2004 | Grade School re-accredited by PAASCU for a period of five years |
2004 | Zamboanga Medical School Foundation (ZMSF) is absorbed by the university and becomes the Ateneo de Zamboanga University School of Medicine (ADZU-SOM) |
2005 | Groundbreaking of the ADZU Tumaga campus |
2006 | High School in Tumaga opened |
2006 | First installation ceremony of a university president |
2006 | High School classes held for the first time in Tumaga campus |
2007 | College of Liberal Arts renamed as School of Liberal Arts (SLA) with the mandate to verticalize its programs |
2007 | Office of Personnel Services renamed as Human Resource Administration and Development Office (HRADO) |
2007 | Fr. Antonio Moreno, SJ formally installed as President |
2007 | Office of Alumni Relations renamed as Office of the Alumni Relations and Development (OARD) |
2007 | Social Development Council (SDC) created |
2007 | Autonomous status of ADZU granted by CHED for a period of one year |
2008 | Office of the Senior Dean renamed as Office of the Academic Vice-President (AVP) |
2008 | College of Liberal Arts vertically articulated and renamed as School of Liberal Arts (SLA) |
2008 | Chinese (Mandarin) program offered to Basic Education and some programs in the tertiary level |
2008 | Computer Center renamed as Center of Information Technology Services (CITS) |
2008 | Research and Publication Council (RPC) created |
2008 | Colleges re-accredited Level III by PAASCU for a period of five years |
2008 | Ateneo Multi-Media Program (AMMP) formally created |
2009 | Center for Leadership and Governance (CLG) created |
2009 | College of Management and Accountancy vertically articulated and renamed as School of Management and Accountancy (SMA) |
2009 | Institute of Cultural Studies for Western Mindanao and Ateneo Peace Institute merged into Ateneo Peace and Culture Institute (APCI) |