Barry University was founded by the Dominican Sisters of Adrian, Michigan in 1940. They are a congregation of nearly a thousand vowed women whose roots date to the 13th century St Dominic. The idea for a university was first developed by Patrick Barry, the Bishop of St Augustine and the Prioress of the Dominican Sisters the Reverend Mother M. Gerald Barry, and was supported by the Mayor of Miami Shores. Barry College was built in 1940 and became Barry University in 1981. The University's shield is a combination of the coat arms of Bishop Patrick Barry and the Dominican Order.
The University is co-educational and has a population of around 7,000 students and over 700 faculty members and administrative staff. The campus covers 90 acres and there are around 40 University buildings with outside soccer and baseball fields. The Health and Sports Center has a 1,500 seat gymnasium and athlete training facilities.
Since the 1940s Barry has aimed to provide academic courses benefiting students and the local community. These have included social work, teacher education and nursing. Graduate programs for men and women were started in 1954 and a school of business opened in 1976. The University reflects a diversity of ages, cultures, and faiths, and has 10 academic schools, with other campus sites through Florida.
The University has a program of adult and continuing education courses and various services such as the Podriatic Clinics, Primary Care Nursing Center and the Academy for Better Communities. The University aims to instill an understanding of St Dominic's vision, and the work and traditions of the Dominican order.
