It was founded in 1947 by the Order of St. Augustine with an initial goal to educate World War II veterans.

[7] Merrimack College was established in 1947 by the Order of Saint Augustine following an invitation by the Archbishop of Boston, Richard Cushing.

[10] Church leaders saw a need to create a liberal arts college largely in a commuter school format for veterans returning from World War II.

McQuade organized the creation process, including land purchases and zoning, securing a charter from the state, establishing curriculum, and managing the college's campus construction.

The main campus features over 40 buildings, including a 125,000-volume library; several classroom buildings, including the state-of-the-art School of Engineering and Computational Sciences complex; Palmisano Hall; the Sakowich Campus Center; the Rogers Center for the Arts; the Merrimack Athletic Complex; Austin Hall, which houses administrative offices; the Collegiate Church of Christ the Teacher; student apartment buildings and residence halls.