[6][7] Sacred Heart University was founded in 1963 by Walter W. Curtis, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport on the grounds of the former Notre Dame Catholic High School.

[14] In 1981, then-United States vice president George H. W. Bush received an honorary degree from Sacred Heart.

[15] In 2006, Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, made a financial gift to the university and a College of Business was named after him.

[16] In recent years, Sacred Heart University has purchased land in the surrounding Fairfield, Connecticut area, and has built new academic buildings, dormitories, and in January 2023 completed construction of the hockey rink.

[23] In October 2016, Nikki Yovino reported to the police that she was raped by two black Sacred Heart University football players at an off-campus party.

[30] In 2019, Sacred Heart was ranked on Princeton Reviews list of best schools, including tenth for "Happiest Students".

[40] Sacred Heart University owns and operates both WSHU-FM and WSHU-AM,[41] NPR-affiliated radio stations broadcasting out of Fairfield, Connecticut.

The Theatre Arts Program began in 2009, with the premiere of Sacred Heart University's first musical production: Rent.

[43] Other productions have included Little Shop of Horrors in 2011,[44] The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in 2013,[45] Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in 2015,[46] and Jesus Christ Superstar in 2017.

[47] The Sacred Heart Theatre Arts program (“TAP”) Produces 6 full scale productions a year.

[49][non-primary source needed] The Spectrum is a student-run newspaper printed and distributed to students each Wednesday and made available online.

[50][non-primary source needed] More than 1,200 students and members of the faculty and staff volunteer in excess of 31,000 hours each year largely within the City of Bridgeport,[51] but also regionally, nationally,[52] and internationally.

[53] Sacred Heart University has a residential study-abroad program in the Irish-speaking community of Dingle, County Kerry, Ireland.

[68] By this time, Holocaust studies were well developed, and the CCJU branched out, creating forums for a national and international audience.

The award program recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to interreligous dialog and understanding.

[67]: 152  The first recipients of the award were Cardinal John O’Connor of the Archdiocese of New York and Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman.

The Vatican established diplomatic relations with Israel, and a new feeling of friendship and responsibility between Christians and Jews was in the air.

Other programs included Holocaust teacher education, lecture series, and other publications including the semiannual CCJU Perspective with national and international influence, and programs to support young religious leaders, visits to Krakow and Rome to establish a structure for interreligious dialogue that could be modeled worldwide.