It was founded in 1857 as Assumption College by the Society of Jesus and incorporated by an Act of the Parliament of Upper Canada, receiving Royal Assent, August 16, 1858.

In 1963, the University of Windsor Alumni Association donated the award featuring a silver basketball, and named in memory of W.P.

Assumption University has its own governance structure with a bicameral system consisting of a Board of Governors and a Senate.

It retains its degree-granting powers for graduate studies within the area of theology as well as granting honorary degrees.

In 2022, Assumption University established a Graduate Diploma in Catholic Studies attracting both Canadian and international students.

At the Red Mass, the retiring Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, Bridget Mary McCormack received the inaugural St. Thomas More Gold Medal for outstanding service to the legal profession.

With the Senate in place, Assumption University began to offer courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

During the Spring 2022 semester, Assumption launched a new undergraduate course entitled, Jerusalem and Rome: Jewish-Catholic Relations.

In 2022, Assumption University became the second Canadian institute of higher learning to become a member of the Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations.

This diploma is advantageous to students seeking employment in the Catholic education, healthcare, or social services sectors.

A new scholarship was endowed by the Polonia Centre of Windsor in 2023 to support students studying in the graduate program.

The LeBel Award was presented to Dr. Dan Andreae for his years of service to Assumption University and the Windsor-Essex community.

In addition, for what is believed as the first time in Assumption's history, the Governor General of Canada's Gold Academic Medal was presented to the top graduating student.

They engage the very diverse population of the University of Windsor and have created spaces and programs that promote radical hospitality.

The dynamic staff provide a comprehensive Campus Ministry program which includes Sunday and weekday Masses and an emphasis on student leadership.

The bringing together of Catholic and Anglican ministry programs represents a major step forward for ecumenical dialogue.

Each year, the chair invites guest speakers from a variety of religious and spiritual backgrounds to speak about a topic of relevance in the contemporary world.

Paul McGill, CSB Essay Contest for graduating high schools students in the region.

Like several Roman Catholic institutes of higher learning and organizations, Assumption University hosts an annual Red Mass at the beginning of the legal and academic year.

Joseph Quinn, CSB (1933-2019) who served as Interim President of Assumption University and dedicated his priestly ministry to social justice causes.

In the past, this event has historically brought students together to learn about a social justice issue, such as the Holocaust, human trafficking, and the Underground Railroad.

Stanley Murphy, CSB with the purpose of highlighting the role culture plays in contemporary Christian life.

Since its founding in 1941, the gold medal has been conferred upon novelists, poets, historians, academics, politicians, scientists, theologians, and athletes.

On the back of the medal is inscribed the name of the Medalist and the year and the words, “Christian Culture Award, Assumption University.”