In 1886, the local bishop of Los Angeles invited the Immaculate Heart Sisters to teach in Catholic elementary schools.  From 1911 to 1924 the IHM sisters flourished and founded several of their own institutions.  By 1916 the sisters obtained a charter from the state of California for the establishment of Immaculate Heart College which was the first standard Catholic college for women in southern California. 

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Sister Mary Humiliata (far right) president of IHC worked with her administrative team, Sister Eugenia Ward, treasurer, (left) and Sister William (Helen Kelley) graduate dean, and expanded the mission of IHC to become the most progressive Catholic college on the west coast.

Immaculate Heart College Map 1961

Stanford 1945

In a 1945 photo Sister Agnes Ann Green, (left) 
professor of chemistry and Sister Mary Humiliata 
(right) professor of English, attended Stanford together and were life-long friends and colleagues at IHC.  ​

Anita Caspary and Agnes Ann Green enjoy a meal at the 1985 IHM Assembly.

Student and friend Kathryn Crosby and Anita remained close for many years. Kathryn, a stead-fast friend, supported Anita and the IH Community through all the challenges of the renewal process.

As president of Immaculate Heart College, Sister Humiliata
supported the music and art departments.  The Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters and Immaculate Heart College gained international attention for their  Art Department and the artwork of Sister Mary Corita Kent, but the Music Department achieved distinction as well. The Zeyen sisters, Sisters Mary Denis, Mary Mark, and Mary Anthony,  pictured here, were teachers and concert artists. They released three albums with Capitol Records. Shown here is the 1958 Schubert: Trio No.2 in E flat major, op. 100 by the Immaculate Heart Trio.​

          Mark Ridley-Thomas, Immaculate Heart College graduate (BA, 1976; MA 1980) ,
Chair of the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors (2016-Present)

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors: (L-R) Sheila Kuehl, Hilda Solis, Janice Hahn, Kathryn Barger, Mark Ridley-Thomas

           In his first address as Chair of the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, Ridley-Thomas states the Immaculate Heart Sisters and Immaculate College were major influences on his intellectual and moral development. Following is an excerpt. 

….Diversity matters.…there are a lot of differences here. There are four women supervisors…. Someone said to me: “Mark, we hope that you grew up with a lot of sisters because you will need to have had that experience." …I have two older sisters who are caring and they made sure that I made it through the journey…I love my sisters. 

Then I met some other sisters along my way. They were the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart Community. As an undergraduate, in the early 70's, those sisters taught me a lot about what it meant to be more human. They were theologians. They were ethicists. They were philosophers. They were mathematicians. They were political scientists. They were constitutional law professors. These IHM Sisters clearly knew who they were. They stepped forward and spoke power to authority as well. I've had the benefit of having been in relationships with a number of women who have shaped my life, not the least of whom my own grandmother, the towering figure in my journey. I say these things to you because it wasn't simply the courses that I took at Immaculate Heart College, nor the intellectual history of feminism that helped me understand how to relate to people in the fullness of who they are, as co-created equal human beings on this planet. It's all the experiences that I've had up to this date, not the least in which is teaching at an all-girls high school [Immaculate Heart High School] for five years.  So, if nothing else taught me how to relate that did.  Full text www.bos.lacounty.gov 

Students and faculty published a commemorative book at the closing of IHC in 1980.  The creativity and social justice values embedded in an IHC education are reflected in this tribute. 


Although Immaculate Heart College closed in 1980,  the bonds remain strong among the graduates.  There is a very active IHC Alumnae Association, see Facebook page. ​