The idea of establishing a catholic university in Indonesia was proposed at a meeting between bishops of Java held in Jakarta on 1st June 1952. To respond to this idea, the Atma Jaya Foundation was formed by a group of young catholic intellectuals on 1st June 1960 and this foundation established a catholic university named Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya (Atma Jaya Catholic University). Among these young catholic intellectuals were: Ir. J.P.Cho, Drs. Lo Siang Hien-Ginting, Drs. Goei Tjong Tik, I.J. Kasimo, J.B. Legiman S.H., Drs. F.X. Seda, Dr. Pang Lay Kim, Ir. Tan Bian Seng, Dr. Anton Moeliono, St. Munadjat Danusaputro S.H., Drs. J.F. Tan, and Drs. Ben Mang-Reng Say.
At its early years, Unika Atma Jaya was supported by the Ursuline sisters. They kindly lent the university their classrooms in Ursuline school complex on Jalan Lapangan Banteng Utara and in Santa Theresia complex in Menteng. Since 1967, Atma Jaya has gradually occupied a permanent campus on the Jalan Sudirman campus well known as the Semanggi Campus. The Faculty of Medicine, the Atma Jaya hospital and the Atma Jaya funeral home occupy the Pluit Campus in North Jakarta.......