On November 1, 1929, three days after the stock market crash, the official ground-breaking ceremony for Mundelein College was held. The first four floors of the skyscraper building at 6363 North Sheridan Road were already in place. Mundelein College opened its door for class registration, on September 15, 1930, only nineteen months after construction began. At the close of the college's first academic year, on June 3, 1931, traffic was rerouted, the uniformed bands of St. Mary's High School and Immaculata High School played on the front steps, and the Knights of St. Gregory escorted Cardinal George Mundelein to Mundelein College's official dedication ceremony.[2]
Upon his placement to the position of archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Mundelein had made the education of Catholics one of his primary goals.[3] Meanwhile, the growth of the BVM order of sisters had outpaced the educational ability of Mount Saint Joseph, the BVM college in Dubuque, Iowa. The successful partnership between Cardinal Mundelein and the order led to a college which would exceed both their aspirations.[4]
During the first few decades, courses covered both traditional liberal arts and practical life skills, ranging from Latin, philosophy, literature, physics, and chemistry to home economics and secretarial skills. In the 1940s the Mundelein College Skyscraper boasted one of the country's highest observatories containing a telescope and the longest Foucault pendulum in existence at the time.[5][bettersourceneeded] Clubs were a major part of student life at Mundelein. In the first decade, twenty-two clubs were created, ranging from the Stylus (writing) Club and basketball team to the Chemistry Club and International Relations. The Verse Speaking Choir worked under contract with NBC Radio and its participants included Mercedes McCambridge (1937), Academy Award and Golden Globe winner.[6][bettersourceneeded]
Upon the United States entry into World War II the Mundelein College student body participated in a variety of war effort activities. In addition to planting a victory garden near the library, Mundelein students held a jeep drive which raised funds equivalent to the cost of two United States Army Jeeps, held several blood drives, and purchased a war bond with the proceeds from their annual benefit. Mundelein College students also started the first Midwest college unit of the American Red Cross.[7][bettersourceneeded]
In 1957 Sr. Mary Ann Ida Gannon, BVM became Mundelein College's sixth president and Mundelein College began a new phase of development. That year 48 young sisters began their education side by side with Mundelein College's lay student population as part of the scholasticate program. Also that year Sr. Mary Ann Ida Gannon, BVM asked Sr. Mary Carol Frances Jegen, BVM to establish Mundelein College's first theology department.[8][pageneeded]
Sr. Mary Ann Ida Gannon, BVM initiated a college wide self-study in 1962 to determine Mundelein College's continued relevance as an institution of higher academic education. The results of the self-study became the driving force for several experimental programs. Mundelein College updated its mission statement, redesigned its term system and core curriculum. In 1965, the college implemented a Degree Completion Program for women who had dropped out of college before receiving their degrees. Beginning with the academic year 1970–71, the college offered students a self-directed course of study, within a group known as "Mandala." By 1974, the Weekend College in Residence program expanded upon the idea of the Degree Completion Program by offering working women the opportunity to achieve a degree while attending college only on the weekends.[8]
Mundelein Center from Sheridan
Although Mundelein College had amended their articles of incorporation in 1968 to admit men, the education and cultivation of women remained its primary focus. Mundelein College was not immune to the forces of feminism and in 1977 the seeds of an interdisciplinary women's studies program began to germinate. Over the next two years, Mundelein College held yearly conferences on women. However, it wasn't until 1983 that a Women's Studies minor was finally accepted by the college Curriculum Committee. The Peace Studies minor, inaugurated in 1989, also integrated feminist perspectives.[8]
The decades between 1960 and 1990 also saw an increase of minority outreach at Mundelein College. In 1966, the college launched Upward Bound, a federally funded summer program to help minority high school students succeed to college. Responding to the death of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, black students at Mundelein College formed MuCUBA (Mundelein College United Black Association) to address the racial barriers which existed within the walls of the college. In 1982 Hispanic students created their own organization, Hispanics for the Advancement of Our Culture and Education (later reorganized into Latins United for Our Cultural Heritage).[8]
Many Mundelein students embraced the spirit of activism in the 1960s and 1970s. Seven BVMs and "a busload" of students traveled to Alabama to participate in the Selma March for Civil Rights.[9] Mundelein College's student body participated in the national wide strike protesting the expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia and the student deaths at Kent State University. Students and faculty marched from the Learning Resource Center to the Skyscraper in solidarity against the war.[10] In November 1979, César Chávez spoke at Mundelein College during his tour around the country promoting a lettuce workers strike.
The opening of the 1980s saw Mundelein College celebrating its 50th anniversary with great fanfare. Among the dignitaries at the Golden Jubilee Dinner was Mayor Jane Byrne and highlighting the event was the appearance of Mother Teresa, recipient of the 1980 Magnificat Medal.[11] New programs continued to enhance Mundelein's academic offerings, including courses in food management, interior architecture and design, communications, computer science, and peace studies.
Presidents
President (all BVM but for Richert)
Term
Mary Justitia Coffey
1930–1936
Mary Consuela
1936–1939
Mary Justitia Coffey
1939–1945
Mary Josephine Malone
1945–1951
Mary John Michael Dee
1951–1957
Mary Ann Ida Gannon
1957–1975
Susan Rink
1975–1983
John Richert
1983–1985
Mary Brenan Breslin
1985–1991
Carolyn Farrell
1991-Affiliation
Campus
Guardian Angels, Mundelein Center
The Skyscraper
When new, the fourteen-story Art Deco building dominated the skyline of Chicago's far north side. The Skyscraper had few equals in size and style outside of Downtown Chicago (similarly designed buildings include the Palmolive Building, the Chicago Board of Trade Building, and the West Town Bank Building). Vertical lines of Indiana limestone created a visual illusion making the college appear to soar higher than its actual 198 feet (60m).[12]
Although the Skyscraper features abstracted foliate, sunbursts, and other geometric designs around its doors and windows, the most striking feature of the building's exterior is its guardian angels. The two towering statues at the entrance represent the angels Uriel ("Light of God") and Jophiel ("Beauty of God"). Uriel holds the book of wisdom and points to a cross in Bas-relief on the fourteenth floor. Jophiel holds the planet Earth and lifts the torch of knowledge.[13]
Although Chicago architect Joseph W. McCarthy is listed as the supervising architect, the building was designed by Nairne W. Fisher, from St. Cloud Minnesota. McCarthy had been Cardinal Mundelein's choice. However, after Mother Isabella Kane dismissed McCarthy's Gothic Revival design, she turned to Fisher with whom she had worked before. Not only was Fisher's design more modern, it was less expensive than McCarthy's.[4]
Fisher studied drafting at a Minneapolis technical school, served in a U.S. Army Intelligence unit which produced maps during World War I, studied briefly at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, worked as a draftsman at lumberyards in Minnesota and South Dakota, and registered as a Minnesota architect in 1922. The designer of the "Moderne" (later known as Art Deco) Mundelein College building never graduated from college.[14]
Originally intended to be a self-contained educational facility, the interior contained classrooms, laboratories, art and music studios, a library, an auditorium, a chapel, a cafeteria, a swimming pool, a gymnasium, reception areas and meeting rooms, and seven floors of living quarters for the BVM staff. Beginning in 1934 with the two houses east of the Skyscraper, Mundelein College began expanding.[15] By 1991, in addition to the original skyscraper, Mundelein College owned a dormitory (Coffey Hall), the white marble mansion (Piper Hall), the Learning Resource Center (now the Sullivan Center), the Yellow House (also known as the President's House), and a residence for the BVMs (Wright Hall).
In December 2007 the City of Chicago designated the building as an official Chicago Landmark.[17]
Starting in 2005, the Skyscraper Building went through an almost 10 year renovation process modernizing the facility while retaining much of its original deco architectural beauty. In October 2012 the building was rededicated the Mundelein Center for the Fine and Performing Arts. It currently houses the specialized facilities of the Fine and Performing Arts Department of Loyola, and now features a new café, green roof and modern thrust stage, multimedia classrooms, offices, galleries, and event spaces in addition to being the largest academic classroom building on Loyola's Lakeshore Campus.
Residence halls
Although Mundelein College began offering some student housing within the upper floors of the Skyscraper shortly after the college opened, the first official student residence hall was purchased in 1934. Known as Philomena Hall, the twelve-room brick building was one of two mansions separating the Skyscraper from Lake Michigan. Philomena served as a residence hall until 1959 when it was converted into a speech clinic, Student Activities Council official headquarters, and a senior smoker study hall.[18][bettersourceneeded]
In 1961, Philomena Hall was razed to make room for Mundelein College's newest dormitory, Coffey Hall. Opened for occupation in 1962, the new residence hall accommodated 208 students.[19] Coffey Hall has since been renovated for use as department office space. In 1963, Mundelein College purchased Northland Apartments to the west of the Skyscraper. Northland Hall housed a further 250 students. Loyola University Chicago razed Northland Hall in 1992 in order to create a new campus entry.[20][bettersourceneeded]
Libraries
Fountain by Piper Hall
The original library was housed in room 401 of the Skyscraper building. Stocked mainly with donated books, the entire initial library collection was cataloged and shelved in only thirty days. The main book donation came from Rev. John Rothensteiner of St. Louis. The initial donation consisted of 2,000 volumes; however, he later bequeathed his entire 20,000 volume library to the college. This gift was the heart of Mundelein College's rare book collection.[4]
Mundelein College moved its library in 1934 to the white marble mansion purchased from Albert Mussey Johnson. Reading rooms occupied the first two floors of the mansion while the former ballroom on the third floor housed the book stacks. The white marble mansion remained the college's library until 1967. After the books were removed from the mansion, it took on multiple personalities including a student center, a coffee shop, a speech clinic (after Philomena was razed), and the Religious Studies Center. After a 2005 remodeling, the white marble mansion is currently Loyola University Chicago's Piper Hall (see below).[21][bettersourceneeded]
The crowning jewel in the fast-paced growth of the campus during the 1960s, the Learning Resource Center, built in 1967, became Mundelein College's new library. Officially dedicated in 1969, the Learning Resource Center provided Mundelein students with a science and lecture auditorium, 100-seat audiovisual room, faculty and student lounges, seminar rooms, and a rare book room. Today the Learning Resource Center serves the Loyola University Chicago community as the Sullivan Center for Student Services.[22][bettersourceneeded]
Affiliation with Loyola University
Enrollment in Mundelein College dropped dramatically in the 1980s. By the end of the decade, the college could no longer financially support itself. In 1991, Mundelein College became an incorporated college of neighboring Loyola University Chicago.
The ideals and values of the BVM sisters continue through the Gannon Center for Women and Leadership, established by Loyola University Chicago. The Gannon Center located in Piper Hall is home to the Gannon Scholars program (a leadership training organization for twenty female Loyola students), the Women's Studies Department, and the Women and Leadership Archives.
Concordia University is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the three universities in Quebec where English is the primary language of instruction. As of the 2022–23 academic year, there were 49,898 students enrolled in credit and non-credit courses at Concordia, making the university among the largest in Canada by enrolment. The university has two campuses, set approximately 7 kilometres apart: Sir George Williams Campus is the main campus, located in the Quartier Concordia neighbourhood of Downtown Montreal in the borough of Ville Marie; and Loyola Campus in the residential district of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. With four faculties, a school of graduate studies and numerous colleges, centres and institutes, Concordia offers over 400 undergraduate and over 120 graduate programs and courses.
The University of Scranton is a private Jesuit university in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1888 by William O'Hara, the first Bishop of Scranton, as St. Thomas College. In 1938, the college was elevated to university status and took the name The University of Scranton. The institution was operated by the Diocese of Scranton from its founding until 1897. While the Diocese of Scranton retained ownership of the university, it was administered by the Lasallian Christian Brothers from 1888 to 1942. In 1942, the Society of Jesus took ownership and control of the university. During the 1960s, the university became an independent institution under a lay board of trustees.
Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a private Jesuit and Marymount research university in Los Angeles, California. It is located on the west side of the city near Playa Vista. LMU is the parent school to Loyola Law School, which is located in downtown Los Angeles.
Wheaton College is a private Evangelical Christian liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois. It was founded by evangelical abolitionists in 1860. Wheaton College was a stop on the Underground Railroad and graduated one of Illinois' first black college graduates.
Loyola University New Orleans is a private Jesuit university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the name of the Jesuit founder, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, and is a member of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.
Youngstown State University is a public university in Youngstown, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1908 and is the easternmost member of the University System of Ohio.
Northland Scholars Academy, is a college prep high school, formerly a college, in Dunbar, Wisconsin.
Loyola University Maryland is a private Jesuit university in Baltimore, Maryland. Established as Loyola College in Maryland by John Early and eight other members of the Society of Jesus in 1852, it is the ninth-oldest Jesuit college in the United States and the first college in the United States to bear the name of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus.
The Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known by its initials BVM, is a Roman Catholic religious institute founded in the United States by Mother Mary Frances Clarke. Its founders were Irish Catholics. The BVM currently works in twenty-five U.S. states and three foreign countries.
St. Joseph College Seminary was a college of Loyola University Chicago and the college seminary of the Archdiocese of Chicago. It later became a residence hall for Loyola.
The University of Saint Mary of the Lake (USML) is a private Roman Catholic seminary in Mundelein, Illinois. It is the principal seminary and school of theology for the formation of priests in the Archdiocese of Chicago in Illinois. It was chartered by the Illinois General Assembly in 1844. USML is often referred to by the name of its graduate program, Mundelein Seminary. Its compound name is University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary.
Columbia College Chicago is a private art college in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1890, it has 6,493 students pursuing degrees in more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Northland College is a private college in Ashland, Wisconsin. It enrolls 526 full-time undergraduates and employs 60 faculty members and 99 staff members. Northland College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary was an American seminary preparatory school administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago for young men considering the priesthood. Located in downtown Chicago at 103 East Chestnut Street, adjacent to Loyola University Chicago's Water Tower campus, it closed on 22 June 2007, and became the Archbishop Quigley Center, the pastoral center and headquarters of the archdiocese after renovations ending 19 November 2008. Between 1961 and 1990, the seminary was split into two campuses: Quigley South and Quigley North, with Quigley North housed at the original building. The south campus was closed in 1990, with all seminary operations returning to the original building.
Marjorie Tuite, OP was a progressive activist on issues related to the Church and the larger world, such as racism, poverty, war and the ordination of women.
Joseph William McCarthy, AIA, was an architect in the early 20th century most famous for his work on buildings for the Roman Catholic Church. He was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on June 22, 1884, and attended Holy Innocents School in New York City until the 8th grade. He moved to Chicago, Illinois, and graduated from St. Gabriel High School in 1901 before entering the architecture firm of Daniel Burnham, a noted Chicago architect for whom he worked eight years. He then worked for two years with British-born Chicago church architect J.E.O. Pridmore before opening his own practice in 1911.
Loyola University Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus, Loyola is one of the largest Catholic universities in the United States. Its namesake is Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Loyola's professional schools include programs in medicine, nursing, and health sciences anchored by the Loyola University Medical Center. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".
William Moylan was born in Ireland on June 22, 1822. He emigrated to the United States early in his life, and before joining the Society of Jesuits was committed to volunteer work. Moylan, as a secular priest, worked with the Native Americans and fishermen on the Gaspé Peninsula. When he was 29, on November 14, 1851 he joined the Society of Jesuits. After joining the Society, he was assigned to teach a course at Fordham University. After several other positions, including at St. Francis Xavier's, Moylan became the ninth president of Fordham in 1865.
Sister Jean, BVM, is an American religious sister of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and chaplain for the Loyola Ramblers men's basketball team of Loyola University Chicago.
The Women and Leadership Archives is an archives in Chicago, Illinois. Located on the Campus of Loyola University Chicago. Established in 1994, the Women and Leadership Archives (WLA) collects and makes available permanently valuable records of women and women's organizations, which document women's lives, roles, and contributions. Organizationally, the WLA is part of both the Ann Ida Gannon, BVM, Center for Women and Leadership, and part of Loyola University Chicago's Library system.
↑ Ann M. Harrington and Prudence Moylan, ed., Mundelein Voices: The Women's College Experience, 1930–1991 (Chicago: Loyola University Press, 2001).
↑ Edward R. Kantowicz, Corporation Sole: Cardinal Mundelein and Chicago Catholicism (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1983).
1 2 3 Harrington and Moylan, ed., Mundelein Voices.
↑ Women and Leadership Archives (WLA). Mundelein College Record Collection. F.5..23e. Foucault Pendulum
↑ Women and Leadership Archives (WLA). Mundelein College Record Collection. N.4..1 Skyscraper Vol. 12-16, 1941–1946
↑ Women and Leadership Archives (WLA). Mundelein College Record Collection. N.4..1 Skyscraper Vol. 12-16, 1941-1946, and Women and Leadership Archives (WLA). Mundelein College Record Collection. B.1..3g. 2006 Chicago Landmark Application.
1 2 3 4 Prudence Moylan, "A Catholic Women's College Absorbed by a University: The Case of Mundelein College", in Challenged by Coeducation: Women's Colleges Since the 1960s (Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press, 2006).
↑ Women and Leadership Archives. Mundelein College Record Collection. M.4..2. Selma March, 1965.
↑ Women and Leadership Archives (WLA). Mundelein College Record Collection. M.4..3c. College "Strike", May 1970.
↑ Women and Leadership Archives (WLA). Mundelein College Record Collection. O.2..3e.2 Mother Teresa files.
↑ Women and Leadership Archives (WLA). Mundelein College Record Collection. B.1..3g. 2006 Chicago Landmark Application.
↑ Women and Leadership Archives (WLA). Mundelein College Record Collection. A4..1b. Angels.
↑ Nairne W. Fisher, "My Life, 1899 to 1972 (written May 1972).
↑ Women and Leadership Archives (WLA). Mundelein College Record Collection. B4..1 History/Scotty's Story.
↑ Women and Leadership Archives (WLA). Mundelein College Record Collection. B.1..3a. Letter of Approval, April 1980.
↑ Lauerman, Connie. "Lady In Waiting." Chicago Tribune. September 2, 1996. p. 2. Retrieved on March 14, 2014.
Further reading
CHAMBERS, CAROLE ZUCCO. "THE PRESIDENTIAL YEARS OF SISTER ANN IDA GANNON, BVM, MUNDELEIN COLLEGE, 1957-1975." (PhD dissertation, Loyola University Chicago; ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 1978. 7807064).
Harrington, Ann M., and Prudence Moylan, eds. Mundelein Voices: The Women's College Experience, 1930–1991 (Loyola University Press, 2001).
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