Southwest Campus History
Frequently referred to as an urban oasis, the Southwest Campus has been a place for learning and growth for 165+ years. The buildings and campus originally comprised the Ursuline Convent and Academy, established in 1851. The campus is an architectural treasure, imbued with the charm of age and the dynamic energy of its location – along a section of river the Irish Nuns poetically dubbed “The Meander” referring to the curvaceous route unique to this section of the river’s journey.
The Zilker Courtyard was commonly known as the Nun’s Garden during the Ursuline period of the campus before later being named in honor of the family of the Southwest School of Art's founder Maggie Saunders Block. In 2002, the Ruth Johnson Memorial Fountain was dedicated to honor Johnson, the steward of the area's 1970 to 1997 renovation project.
Photo Credit: Alayna Jordan