Canisius College ( /kəˈniːʃəs/) is a private Roman Catholic college in Buffalo, New York, United States. The college was founded in 1870 by members of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) from Germany and is named after St. Peter Canisius. The college is one of 28 institutions in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The campus sprawls across over a mile of city blocks and includes dedicated NCAA Division I athletic facilities along with various academic and residence buildings. The Canisius College of Buffalo, commonly referred to as Canisius, has a long and proud history in the city of Buffalo. The first campus was on Ellicott St. in the city and was created in response to a growing need for higher education in the area. Buffalo was composed of many ethnic groups and one of the larger populations was German in origin. As Europe experienced political turmoil, more and more people left for America especially after the failed revolutions of 1848. By 1866, Prussia had exerted considerable pressure on its Germanic neighbors which cause many more people to leave. One of the places where many Germans settled was Buffalo, NY.