[10] Bellarmine University has been led by four presidents: Alfred Horrigan (1950–1972), Eugene V. Petrik (1973–1990), Joseph J. McGowan (1990–2016), and Susan M. Donovan (2017–present).

[14] The first important public announcement of the establishment of Bellarmine College was made in November 1949 by the Archbishop of Louisville, John A.

[4] He selected Horrigan and Treece, associate editors of the Louisville Archdiocesan newspaper, The Record, to begin the school.

[4] The Korean War interrupted or ended the educations of many in the pioneer class, but the school persevered despite rumors of closure.

The board of trustees appointed Eugene V. Petrik of California to the presidency in 1973 and he quickly began to revitalize the college with new programs and directions.

He added the first graduate program – the MBA in 1975 – found resources for marketing and publicity, and brought enrollment back above 2,000.

More opportunities were added for women to participate in athletics, including softball, track, cross country, tennis and field hockey.

McGowan named buildings on campus for his predecessors, Horrigan and Petrik, and oversaw the addition of Miles Hall and the W.L.

[18] In 1994, the school began making perennial appearances in the Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report, which both list Bellarmine among the top regional universities.

[4] The university's subsequent strategic plan, Vision 2020, called for tripling enrollment, doubling the number of buildings on campus, and adding schools of architecture, law, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine by 2020.

[21] In addition, the possibility of moving the remaining athletic programs to NCAA Division I (joining lacrosse) was considered.

[18] Acquisitions and renovations continued, including Our Lady of the Woods Chapel, The President's Residence in Glenview, the 2120 Building, the Norton Health Sciences Center (named in honor of Norton Healthcare support), The Siena Residence Halls complex, Owsley B. Frazier Stadium, Joseph A. and Janet P. Clayton Field, Via Cassia and Ponte Juneja, and the expansion of Miles Hall.

[44] Over 40 buildings stand on the hills of Bellarmine's 135-acre (0.55 km2) campus in Louisville's Belknap neighborhood, at the western edge of the larger Highlands area.

Construction for Our Lady of the Woods was completed under Joseph McGowan's presidency and stands in memory of Archbishop of Louisville John A. Floersh, who founded Bellarmine in 1950.

The interior building has two large stained glass windows, designed by Guy Kemper, an artist from Lexington, KY.

The green and yellow of the stained glass are evident through most of the seasons with the exception of winter when the bare branches cast an illusion of intermingling with the lead.

They have private restrooms, wireless Internet access, kitchens, balconies, laundry facilities, group study spaces, lobby gathering areas, and a 200-seat dining hall.

It features indoor and outdoor seating areas with a 25-foot (7.6 m) tall panoramic window that provides natural light and view of rolling hills.

[53] The Bellarmine men's basketball team won back-to-back NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournaments in 2011 and 2012 at Knights Hall, and then again in 2015 and 2017.

[53] The women's basketball team hosted the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Tournament in the venue in 1986 and 1990, both of which were won by the Knights.

[53] The arena has also hosted some very special guests including Mother Teresa, the Grateful Dead, Jimmy Buffett and Pete Rose, among others.

In 2007, Knights Hall was featured on ESPN when NBA greats such as Bill Walton, Darrell Griffith, and Kenny Walker judged the McDonald's High School All-American Slam Dunk Contest.

It has long spanning brick arches with vertical piers, limestone columns and banding, steep sloping roofs, and a clock tower marking the entry, establishing a focal point on campus.

The Eddie Weber Tennis Complex was dedicated on September 12, 2009, and is adjacent to the Student Recreation and Fitness Center (SuRF).

Inside the SuRF Center are two multi-purpose basketball courts, the exercise and fitness area, locker rooms, and offices.

[59] Architects Thomas J. Nolan & sons designed the facility in "modern" 1950s style and Al J. Schneider Company was the general contractor.

The university is a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, primarily competing in the ASUN Conference for most sports since the 2020–21 academic year.

[61] The Knights previously competed in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) of the NCAA Division II ranks from 1978–79 to 2019–20.

[63] Men's and women's swimming and diving joined the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) upon the Knights' arrival in the ASUN.

The women's field hockey team was independent for its first Division I season in 2020–21,[61] and became a single-sport member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in July 2021.