Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in
Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the
Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint,
Aloysius Gonzaga. The campus houses 105 buildings across 131 acres (437,000 m²) of
grassland along the
Spokane River, in a residential setting half a mile (800 m) from downtown Spokane. The university was founded by
Father Joseph Cataldo, SJ, an Italian-born priest and missionary who wished to create a Catholic school in the
Pacific Northwest for local
Native Americans