In 1843, the Sisters of Mercy arrived in Pittsburgh from Carlow, Ireland, with a mission to serve the poor, the sick, and the uneducated. On September 24, 1929, after establishing numerous schools, an orphanage, and the Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh, the sisters founded Carlow University under the name of Mount Mercy College. In 1969, Mount Mercy College was renamed Carlow College. In 2004, in recognition of the outstanding faculty and commitment to innovative, diverse, and competitive programs on both the undergraduate and graduate level, Carlow was granted university status.