Reverend Thomas Plassmann, OFM, then University President, went to Rome to ask Pope Pius XI for permission for a new seminary. Pius thought the name of the seminary should be Christ the King, the first time that name had been used. Ground was broken on November 1, 1948 and classes began October 22, 1951.
Christ the King replaced the old seminary, which burned down in 1930. Seminarians had lived in Devereux Hall since then. The dedication ceremony included Reverend Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, who blessed what is now the San Damiano Room, and prominent clergy from around the country, as well as Puerto Rico and China.
Christ the King closed in 1974 when it merged with a seminary in East Aroura, NY. The University, experiencing a housing crunch, purchased the building and opened it as student housing. The single rooms are popular among upperclass and graduate students.
The seminary left behind several office and classroom spaces on the first floor. Those spaces currently house University Advancement and the Construction Office. The old kitchen of the seminary is currently used as the Francis Cafe and is a popular place to eat and socialize for the residents on the East Side of campus.
Thank you to Patrick Carr and Dennis Frank for the information from the archive website.