When St. Ignatius College, Loyola‘s predecessor, opened its doors in 1870, a lot of other doors across the city of Chicago were closed to its students. Most of the college’s first students were of Irish extraction, the sons or grandsons of immigrants who were subject to the prejudices of that time. Virtually all were the first in their families to attend college
They were welcome at Loyola, which has, since its earliest days, prided itself on its diverse student body and its enrollment of first-in-their-families college students. When Mundelein College opened in 1930, it made higher education accessible to young women at a time when few women attended college. Like their Loyola counterparts, many of those young women’s parents had never gone to college.
“The Jesuits and Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVMs) were fearless in their commitment to providing higher education in the ‘City of Big Shoulders,’” says historian Ellen Skerrett, who is currently writing a history of Loyola and Mundelein. “It was incredible, considering how few Americans earned high-school diplomas, much less college degrees, in the first decades of the 20th century.”
Loyola’s and Mundelein’s commitment to widening educational opportunities has always been closely tied to their identities as urban institutions. As Chicago’s ethnic makeup shifted, so did the enrollment of Loyola and Mundelein. As an example, Skerrett cites the St. Ignatius class of 1900, which mirrored the turn-of-the-century Irish, German, French, and Polish diversity of Chicago.
Although Loyola and Mundelein now operate as one institution, and women now outnumber men in colleges and universities, Loyola continues its mission of extending educational opportunity to diverse and first-generation students. With the support of the University’s alumni and friends, Loyola offers a wide array of scholarship and financial assistance programs that make Loyola accessible to bright and committed students from a variety of economic circumstances.
“We also continue our strong commitment to a diverse student population by actively recruiting minority students,” says April Hansen, director of undergraduate admission, noting that Latino, Asian American, African American, Native American, and other minority populations make up about 37 percent of Loyola’s student enrollment.
Karnell Black, a junior communication major, is the first in his family to attend college. He was drawn by Loyola’s urban setting, and has enjoyed the academic environment so much that he’s changed his career plans from law to higher education administration.
“I’d love to be a dean of students or vice president for student affairs,” explains Black, who’s already amassing related experience as a resident assistant, student ambassador in the undergraduate admission office, and peer minister to first-year students, among other activities.
Remembering the day he received his acceptance letter from Loyola, Black recounts a scene that has likely been repeated in the households of first-generation Loyola and Mundelein students for 137 years.
“I was jumping around, going crazy, and so was my mom. It was a great day when I learned I’d been invited into the Loyola community.”
Welcoming students from all ethnic groups, religious beliefs, and economic backgrounds is a crucial part of Loyola’s Jesuit identity. As the social makeup of Chicago and the nation continue to evolve, so will Loyola’s student body.