In October 1841, two Irish Augustinian friars from Saint Augustine's Church in Philadelphia, with the intention of starting a school, purchased 200 acres (81 ha) in Radnor Township.

Known as "Belle Air", the estate belonged to the late John Rudolph, a merchant of Burlington, New Jersey and Philadelphia.

[10]Villanova was all-male until 1918 when the college began evening classes to educate nuns to teach in parochial schools.

[12] After World War II, Villanova expanded, returning veterans swelling enrollments and the faculty growing fourfold.

Between 1954 and 1963, 10 new buildings were built or bought on land adjacent to the campus, including Bartley, Mendel, and Dougherty Halls.

[16] Villanova University sits on 254 acres (1.03 km2) of land, situated 12 miles (19 km) from Center City Philadelphia.

[19] The most prominent campus feature is St. Thomas of Villanova Church, whose dual spires are the university's tallest structure.

Laid out with long corridors and over a thousand rooms, there is a large, recently deconsecrated chapel and many partial floors, basements and sub-basements to feed the legends of blocked-off wings.

[22] In a deliberate move to classify itself as a "national university", Villanova pushed in early 2010s to expand its doctoral programs to reach the Carnegie threshold of 20 PhDs per year.

[40] Villanova students participate in charitable and philanthropic activities and organizations, including the largest student-run Special Olympics in the world.

Students apply to be a part of the 82-volunteer planning committee, which works for more than nine months alongside Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA), which oversees more than 300 events statewide.

[41] Villanova University holds an annual NOVAdance year-long fundraising effort that culminates with a 12-hour dance marathon each Spring, raising money in support of the Andrew McDonough B+ (Be Positive) Foundation.

[45] The chapter's inaugural project was to design and build a playground for a grade school in New Orleans following the tragic events of Hurricane Katrina.

[citation needed] The Villanova Times, the independent bi-weekly student newspaper, won the Collegiate Network Award for Layout and Design in 2005–06, 2007–08 and 2008–09.

Each issue features creative nonfiction, poetry, short fiction, and black-and-white photography focusing on a central theme.

The Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra have end-of-semester concerts and perform on campus and around the Philadelphia area several times a year.

The Singers were established for the stated purpose of singing various types of music and enriching the cultural life of the university.

Alumni of the Spires include Jim Croce, Tommy West and Manhattan Transfer member Tim Hauser.

[73] In the GSR release, Villanova had 12 of its athletic programs post a perfect 100 percent graduation success rate for the 2010-2013 cohort.

The final game, against defending champion and ten-point-favorite Georgetown, is often cited among the greatest upsets in college basketball history.

The February 13, 2006 meeting between Villanova and the University of Connecticut set the record for the highest attendance at a college basketball game in Pennsylvania, with 20,859 attendees.

[77] The Villanova men's lacrosse team competes in NCAA Division I as a member of the Big East Conference.

They have also produced nine Olympians including Ron Delany, Eamonn Coghlan, Vicki Huber, Sonia O'Sullivan, Kim Certain, Kate Fonshell, Jen Rhines, Carmen Douma, and Carrie Tollefson.

[83] A ribbon carries the university motto: Veritas, Unitas, Caritas (Truth, Unity, and Charity), virtues to which every member of the Villanova community should aspire.

Framing the central portion of the seal is a laurel wreath exemplifying victory through the pursuit of knowledge, and 1842 is the year of the university's founding.

At the university's centennial celebration, the bell was rung by Archbishop Dennis Joseph Dougherty to open the ceremonies.

In 1954, the bell was displayed as part of an exhibit at Gimbels department store in Philadelphia that focused on the growth and development of the university.

[85] The Sister Bell is currently enshrined in the Heritage Room on the basement floor of the St. Thomas of Villanova Monastery on the university's campus.

[84][85] Villanova University has produced many notable alumni: Golden Globe-nominated actress Maria Bello, NBC News (WCAU) and Emmy Award-winning news anchor Keith Jones, actor Jon Polito, NFL Hall of Famer, longtime FOX commentator and actor Howie Long, founder of Manhattan Transfer Tim Hauser, singer-songwriters Jim Croce and Don McLean, Tony Award-winning playwright and screenwriter David Rabe, fashion model and entrepreneur Katherine Parr,[86] professional athletes Brian Westbrook, Matt Szczur, Kerry Kittles, Alvin Williams, Kevin Reilly, Kyle Lowry, professional wrestler Wheeler Yuta, Michael Bradley, and Boston Celtic Allan Ray.

[87] Wife to the governor and federal judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Marjorie Rendell, is also a graduate.