Harkins Hall was named for Matthew Harkins, the Bishop of Providence at the College's founding. When PC opened its doors in 1917, Harkins Hall was the only building on campus, housing all aspects of the college (classrooms, offices, cafeteria, and gym). Today it is PC's main administrative building, housing most administrative offices including Admission, the President's Office, Office of the Dean of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies, Institutional Advancement, Financial Aid, Marketing and Communications, and the School of Continuing Education as well as classrooms, the Center for International Studies, and the Department of Education.