Loyola Celebrates Sesquicentennial

One hundred and fifty years ago this month, the new Saint Ignatius College began its first semester as a Catholic institution of higher education. Two buildings initially composed the college’s campus on West Twelfth Street (now West Roosevelt Road): Saint Ignatius College and the Holy Family Church. Holy Family Church stands today as the second oldest Roman Catholic church in the city of Chicago and one of the few buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The initial building of the church was completed in 1860 and the church complex underwent several additions over the next 14 years. In 1906, the Jesuits purchased what was then known as Hayes Point in Rogers Park to build a new church and bring Catholic collegiate education to the city’s northern reaches.  At about the same time, the Jesuits established their first professional school, the Law School. St. Ignatius College became Loyola University in 1909 and the new University welcomed its first students in Rogers Park in 1912.

A change in scenery isn’t the only thing that’s impacted Loyola during its 150 years. As our campuses geared up for the sesquicentennial, our historians, archivists, and students have worked together to prepare for the celebration. The archivists at Loyola’s University Archives and Special Collections partnered with the Women and Leadership Archives and Public History and Digital Humanities students to develop with an innovative way to commemorate the University’s 150th year. Sesquicentennial Scholars Jennifer Duvall (University Archives and Special Collections) and Scarlett Andes and Regina Hong (Women and Leadership Archives) have been working for the last year on the Sesquicentennial Celebration timeline project. The Scholars merged the vision of an exhibit on student life and the goal of a digital timeline enumerating the connections between the Loyola student body and the world at large. 

The project, Loyola at 150: Student Life Timeline, tackles the history by breaking it down into themed decades. The Scholars looked at contemporary world events, how those impacted Chicago and Loyola’s campuses, and importantly, how students reacted and got involved. For information that does not fit within the timeline format, there are exhibits that allow users to search by subject to explore other aspects of student life.

The project, as with many things, experienced some delays due to the challenges of the pandemic. Nonetheless, it continues to evolve, and you can follow the project on social media! Be sure to check out Twitter using #150thFact for newly shared media every week! Also, watch the recording of the Scholars discussing their project here!