Loyola University Chicago

Women and Leadership Archives

LUC Sesquicentennial

Celebrating 150 years of Loyola University Chicago (1870-2020)

Loyola at 150: Student Life Timeline

The WLA is proud to announce that the Loyola at 150: Student Life Timeline is live! Created to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Loyola’s founding, the digital project was developed by the Sesquicentennial Scholars, a team of graduate students working at both the WLA and University Archives and Special Collections. 

For 150 years, students at Loyola University Chicago have found ways to engage with the changing world around them. The timeline organizes student life chronologically, divided into decades with themes summing up how students’ activities in each decade were connected to what was going on in the world around them. Because Mundelein College bordered on Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus campus and the two student bodies frequently interacted and responded to the same world events, Mundelein student experiences are included in the story as well. 

Head over to the website to uncover stories of how each generation of students honored Loyola’s mission of social justice by getting involved and making a difference. 

Videos to watch:

Then and Now: 150 Years at Loyola University Chicago

Since early 2018, the Sesquicentennial Scholars have been preparing for Loyola's 150th anniversary in 2020. The scholars have created a digital exhibit built on four themes — Loyola Through the Years, Faith and Social Justice, Student Life, and Campuses. Learn how Loyola has changed over time through the lens of these broad themes.

Loyola Awards Grant to Help Commemorate 150-Year History

The Center for Textual Studies and Digital Humanities (CTSDH), Public History Program, and the University Libraries are the recipients of a three-year grant to help prepare for the university’s 150th anniversary celebration which takes place in 2020.

Loyola's Women and Leadership Archives (WLA) holds the records of Mundelein College, an all-women's college established in 1930 by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVMs). From the beginning, Mundelein and nearby Loyola shared faculty, activities, and social justice values, eventually merging in 1991. According to WLA Director Nancy Freeman, "The 150th Scholars are excellent partners with the WLA to highlight the often unknown history of Mundelein, an integral part of Loyola's past. The Scholars bring energy, enthusiasm, and a strong desire to tell varied stories. It's fun and exciting to see their research and ideas!"