“The need of a college, catholic in spirit and under catholic auspices, is most evident …” — Providence Bishop Matthew Harkins to the Dominican Fathers, October 9, 1915

On November 8, 1915, setting sail from Naples, Italy and bound for New York City, the Italian-American liner Ancona carried with it approval documents of the Master General of the Dominican Order to found a small Catholic college in Rhode Island’s capital city. One day later, the ship was torpedoed and sank; two hundred seventy lives were lost along with all cargo and mail. Thus, The Great War interrupted the founding of Providence College.