Stories
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Piper Hall Construction Update
In Summer 2023, Loyola began various stormwater improvements and interventions to protect campus buildings, including Piper Hall. This project includes separation of the storm and sanitary systems. As this project continues, the WLA remains open to visitors by appointment. Work in the plaza in front of Piper Hall will continue through Spring 2024.
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Mundelein at 90 Project Update: June 2023
The Mundelein at 90 digitization project, as supported by the IHDI grant, concluded June 30, 2023. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Illinois Digital Archives, and will continue to make updates to this page as additional items are uploaded.READ MORE -
Celebration of Mundelein College History: April 27, 2023
Join us for a celebration of Mundelein College's history at a reception with refreshments, photo displays, Mundelein trivia, and prizes! Stop by any time for all or part of the evening.DETAILS -
Remembering Enid Baron
Clinical Psychologist, Mundelein College Director of Counseling, and poet Enid Baron passed away in October 2022. Her collection at the WLA includes materials related to her volunteer work with the Poetry Center of Chicago, her work as a counselor, and her published poetry. See the new finding aid for her collection to learn more.READ MORE -
WLA Collection Featured in Chicago Collections Consortium 10th Anniversary Exhibit
Items from the Eleanor Foundation Records at the WLA are featured in the CCC exhibit, A Glimpse Back at Chicago's Communities and Neighborhoods. On each page of this exhibit, photographs, videos, objects, and documents from CCC member collections offer glimpses into the rich history of Chicago's communities and neighborhoods. Explore the West Side chapter to find the images submitted by the WLA!VIEW -
EVENT: The Synod and Women: Which Way to the Future?
Please join us September 27, 2022, for a talk from Phyllis Zagano, an internationally acclaimed Catholic scholar and lecturer on contemporary spirituality and women’s issues in the church. She belonged to the 2016-2018 Papal Commission for the Study of the Diaconate of Women and holds a research appointment at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York.REGISTER -
Ravenwsood ArtWalk
Stop by the WLA's booth at the Ravenswood ArtWalk September 10 and 11, 2022. The WLA holds the collection of Judith Roth, artist and ArtWalk founder, and is happy to help celebrate the ArtWalk's 20th anniversary this year. LEARN MORE -
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Women’s History Month Archives Exchange
Join the WLA and Gerber/Hart Library at 6:30pm on March 31, 2022, for virtual tours of both archives and a "show and tell" of a few favorite collections. WLA Director Emily Reiher will discuss SisterSerpents, a radical feminist art collective that was formed in 1989 Chicago. Archivist Whit Sadusky and librarian Erin Bell of Gerber/Hart will discuss Lorrainne Sade Baskerville, an American social worker and activist best known for founding the transgender advocacy group transGENESIS. Free to attend!REGISTER -
VIDEO: Loyola at 150: Student Life Timeline Project
Did you miss the event on February 16, 2022? Watch the recording of the presentation: Loyola at 150: Student Life timeline Project, now available online. WATCH VIDEO -
EVENT: Loyola at 150: Student Life Timeline Project
Wednesday, February 16, 2022, join us for an online presentation by three of the Sesquicentennial Scholars. Created to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Loyola’s founding, this digital project explores Loyola’s history, the connections between the Loyola student body and the world while highlighting student life at Loyola and Mundelein College. The project features interactive timelines, themed exhibits, and historical photographs and documents from the University Archives and Special Collections and the WLA.REGISTER -
Grant Received: Mundelein at 90
We are pleased to announce the WLA has received a grant to fund the "Mundelein at 90" digitization project, which aims to digitize and provide online access through the Illinois Digital Archives to unique historical records from Mundelein College. Follow the link for more information and updates on the project.LEARN MORE -
Mundelein Reunion 2021: Recap
Did you miss the 2021 Mundelein College Reunion? See the slides presented by WLA Director, Emily Reiher.VIEW -
Celebrating Class of 1971 and the Mundelein College Reunion
On October 2, 2021, Class of 1971 and other Mundelein College alumnae will gather virtually for the annual reunion! To celebrate, we are sharing a timeline of events at Mundelein College from 1967-1971, photos, and other resources for all alumnae!MORE -
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Onsite Researchers at the WLA: Fall 2021
Loyola University Chicago is welcoming visitors back to campus again, and the WLA reading room is now open to researchers by appointment. In accordance with University guidelines, please note the following requirements for onsite research at the WLA: Appointments may be made Monday-Friday concluding by 5pm, masks must be worn indoors in all campus buildings and are available at the WLA if needed, visitors must provide proof of vaccination upon entry or attest to a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 72 hours pre-arrival, and please do not come to campus if you have COVID-19 symptoms. To schedule an appointment, please contact the WLA at wlarchives@LUC.edu. Find additional details on University guidelines at LUC.edu/returntocampus.DETAILS -
Summer 2021 WLA Update
WLA staff will continue to be onsite as needed to fulfill digitization and remote research requests. The WLA may accept donated materials and collections with the Director’s approval. Please contact wlarchives@luc.edu for additional information. -
Loyola at 150: Student Life Timeline is Live!
Launched in May 2021 and created to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Loyola’s founding, the “Loyola at 150: Student Life Timeline” project is a digital project consisting of timelines drawing together significant world, Chicago, institutional, and student events characterizing each decade in Loyola’s history since 1870. The timeline project also includes Mundelein College student experiences. Head over to the website to uncover these stories!VIEW -
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Demo: Accessing the Women and Leadership Archives Online
Emily Reiher, Certified Archivist and WLA Director, gave a brief presentation via Zoom on Using the Women and Leadership Archives Online on February 18, 2021. If you missed the event, you can still watch the presentation.VIEW -
Democracy Limited: Chicago Women and the Vote
"Democracy Limited: Chicago Women and the Vote" is a Chicago History Museum digital exhibit launched in Fall 2020 and curated by LUC faculty member, Elizabeth Fraterrigo. We are pleased to share that an article on the cover of Glos Polek, a publication from the WLA's Polish Women's Alliance of America records, is also included in the exhibit. Click through to explore the exhibit and read the article.
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COVID-19 Update: February 1, 2021
For Spring 2021, WLA staff will be onsite as needed to fulfill digitization and remote research requests. The WLA may accept donated materials and collections with the Director’s approval. Please contact wlarchives@luc.edu for additional information. -
Mundelein 90th Anniversary
2020 marked the 90th Anniversary of Mundelein College opening its doors to students. First presented at the Advent Vespers event on December 5, 2020, we're happy to share this slideshow of images of Mundelein through the decades.VIEW -
Ask an Archivist Day 2020
#AskAnArchivist Day is an opportunity to learn about archives from archival professionals. Check out what WLA Director, Emily Reiher, had to say in response to your questions.WATCH VIDEO -
End of Fall 2020 and Winter Break
Please note the following WLA hours & services for the remainder of the Fall 2020 semester through Winter Break:
• November 9-20: Open by appointment
• November 21-29 (Thanksgiving Week Break): CLOSED
• November 30-December 12 (Last Week of Classes and Finals Week): WLA staff will have their last day of physical access to the collections on Thursday, December 10 and will resume access in the new year. Please contact the Women and Leadership Archives at wlarchives@luc.edu with any digitization requests by Friday, December 4.
• December 13, 2020 - January 18, 2021 (Winter Break): Staff will be working to fulfill reference questions remotely between semesters, except during university holidays. -
Glos Polek Suffrage Articles
In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and thanks to the generosity of the Polish Women's Alliance of America (PWAA), the WLA is pleased to share English translations of select Glos Polek articles from 1913-1920 discussing suffrage and women's role in society. Glos Polek (The Polish Women's Voice) is a publication from the PWAA.
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COVID-19 Update: August 19, 2020
For Fall 2020, WLA staff will be onsite as needed to fulfill digitization and remote research requests. The WLA may accept donated materials and collections with the Director’s approval. Please contact wlarchives@luc.edu for additional information. LEARN MORE -
Explore the WLA's Digital Collections on Preservica
The WLA's digital collections are now available on a new platform called Preservica. This tool allows us to manage digital collections for the long run by keeping secure backups and helping us to migrate formats over time as software changes. View fascinating documents, photographs, and artwork from the WLA's collections wherever you go!VIEW -
Suffrage 2020
The WLA is dedicating 19 days to commemorating the 100th anniversary of the enactment of the 19th Amendment. Follow the WLA on Facebook (facebook.com/WLArchives), August 26-October 29, 2020, as we remember those who fought for women’s suffrage and the continuing journey towards a more equitable society. The 19 Days (and more) can also be found on the WLA website.
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Glos Polek Newspaper Now Available Online!
Glos Polek (The Polish Women's Voice), a publication from the Polish Women's Alliance of America, is now available online. Browse Glos Polek issues from 1902-2007 as part of the Women and Leadership Archives Digital Collections.GALLERY -
Mundelein Timeline Updated
The Mundelein College Timeline has recently been updated with more photos and information. Follow the link for a more in-depth look at Mundelein over the years.VIEW -
Organizing Your Personal and Family Archives: June 10, 2020
Did you miss the event? Follow the link to view the slides from the presentation: Organizing Your Personal and Family Archives. Emily Reiher, WLA Director, presented information about storing and handling items safely, encountering outdated formats, purchasing supplies, and managing digital items. LEARN MORE -
PWA Preservation Project Update
The preservation project between the Polish Women's Alliance of America and the WLA is well underway! Read the latest update in the June 2020 issue of Fraternally Yours (Zenska Jednota), the official publication for the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association.READ -
WLA 25th Highlighted in Salt Magazine, Winter 2020
The Women and Leadership Archives 25th Anniversary was highlighted in the latest edition of Salt (a magazine published for friends & family of the Sisters of Charity, BVM). Read the full issue here!READ -
COVID-19 Update
March 18, 2020 Update: The WLA is closed to all onsite visitors until further notice. Please contact us at wlarchives@luc.edu with any questions or remote research requests.
Effective March 16, 2020, the Women and Leadership Archives will be operating by appointment only for the Loyola University Chicago community (faculty, students, and alumni). These researchers are encouraged to contact the WLA to see if virtual accommodations can be made or if an in-person visit is necessary. All other in-person visits and events will be postponed until further notice. WLA staff are available to conduct research, digitize items, and conduct other services to provide access to collections remotely. For more information, please contact the WLA at wlarchives@luc.edu. Follow the link for information regarding Loyola University Chicago’s response to COVID-19.LEARN MORE -
The Past, Present, & Future of Feminist Spaces: POSTPONED
This event, sponsored by Loyola's Women's Studies & Gender Studies Program and Women & Children First bookstore, has been postponed until further notice. -
Pop-Up Library at the WLA, Spring 2020: CANCELED
The remaining pop-up events in March and April have been canceled. -
Spring 2020 Hours
*Effective March 16, 2020, the Women and Leadership Archives will be operating by appointment only for the Loyola University Chicago community (faculty, students, and alumni). See COVID-19 UPDATE in the News section for full details.* The WLA is open Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm during the spring semester (January 13-April 24, 2020). We will be closed January 20 and April 10 for holidays. Appointments are encouraged but not required. If you would like to visit the archives outside of our regular hours, please call 773.508.8837 or email WLArchives@luc.edu to schedule a visit. -
Open House Chicago 2019
For 110 years, Piper Hall has served as a home, coffeehouse, religious studies center, and archives - and you can come visit! As part the Chicago Architecture Center’s Open House Chicago, the Women and Leadership Archives welcomes you to beautiful Piper Hall at Loyola University Chicago. On October 19 and 20 from 10am-5pm, this historic white mansion on the lakeside will stand alongside hundreds of other architectural gems in the city for this annual event, along with Loyola's Mundelein Center and the Information Commons. We hope you'll include us on your list as you explore all that the city's neighborhoods have to offer. (Photo by Eric Allix Rogers)VISIT -
Jean Fritz and the Chicago Seven Trial
Jean Fritz, a 51-year-old mother of three, found herself in the middle of one of the most publicized a controversial trial of her time. She spent four months sequestered in a hotel and separated from her family and the outside world as she, and the other eleven jurors, held the fate of seven young defendants in their hands.
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LYPW Polish Translation
We are happy to announce (just in time for the Legion's 80th anniversary in 2019!) that the Legion of Young Polish Women Digital Exhibit is now available in Polish! Follow the link to get access to the English and Polish versions of the digital exhibit.VIEW -
WLA 25th Anniversary Celebration
The WLA is celebrating 25 years! Join us on September 27, 2019, for refreshments, conversation, and exhibits as we look to the next 25 years of collecting and preserving women’s stories. REGISTER NOW -
Loyola Awards Grant to Help Commemorate 150-Year History
Loyola has started initial planning for its 150th anniversary by documenting and digitizing its rich history. The grant will fund employment for four graduate students as Sesquicentennial Scholars in University Archives and Special Collections in Cudahy Library and the Women and Leadership Archives in Piper Hall. -
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Unsung Heroes in the History of STEM and Health Sciences
Sister Mary Therese Langerbeck, BVM, reportedly “the world’s first Sister-Doctor of Astrophysics” has been included in the Society of American Archivists list of "Unsung Heroes in the History of STEM and Health Sciences." Sr. Langerbeck taught physics at Mundelein College in Chicago from 1936-1970. (Photo: Sister Langerbeck with globe, n.d.)LEARN MORE -
WLA closed January 30 & 31
Due to the predicted record-breaking frigid temps, the WLA will be closed Wednesday (1/30) and Thursday (1/31). Regular hours will resume on Friday (2/1). Stay warm! -
Risk Versus Benefit
The Society of American Archivists awarded Nancy Freeman, recent WLA Director, honorable mention in the 2018 Archives Short Fiction Contest for her short story, "Risk Versus Benefit." READ MORE -
Class visit at Water Tower Campus
On October 29, 2018, Nancy Freeman, WLA Director, visited COMM 402: Organizational Leadership and Change Management taught by Adjunct Faculty, Mary Hills. Nancy talked about archives and how to use archival collections. Although the class was offsite at the Water Tower Campus, a few archival collections travelled to class so students could work together in small groups to delve further into collections and analyze the content of the records.
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Loyola Awards Grant to Help Commemorate 150-Year History
Loyola has started initial planning for its 150th anniversary by documenting and digitizing its rich history. The grant will fund employment for four graduate students as Sesquicentennial Scholars in University Archives and Special Collections in Cudahy Library and the Women and Leadership Archives in Piper Hall.
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Introducing Voices From Mundelein: Media Portal
The WLA’s new portal features more than 30 interviews that allow listeners to discover the history of Mundelein College through the personal experiences of students, faculty, and staff. This resource, created by Loyola History PhD candidates Jenny Clay and Nathan Ellstrand, was funded through the LUC Libraries.LEARN MORE -
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Adapt or Perish
The Women and Leadership Archives provided records to Gallery 400’s new exhibit, Chicago Disability Activism, Arts, and Design: 1970s to Today. On display through October 20, 2018, the exhibit explores the disability rights movement in Chicago through the artwork of Chicago-based artists with disabilities.
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Chicago’s Innovative Sisters of Theater
Check out the September 25, 2018 post from the Lakefront Historian, a student-run public history blog from Chicago: Chicago’s Innovative Sisters of Theater: A Reflection on the Mundelein College Drama Department.READ MORE -
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Polish Women's Alliance and WLA Preservation Project
The Polish Women's Alliance (PWA) and the Women and Leadership Archives (WLA) have teamed up for the PWA Preservation Project, launched in December 2016. The PWA is one of the oldest fraternal benefit societies founded by women to help them and those they care about establish financial security and economic independence.
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Peace Studies Digital Exhibit
Oral histories tell the story of Peace Studies at Loyola University Chicago which was conceived out of an obligation to make a difference in the world. That responsibility was the primary mission of Mundelein College, which launched the Peace Studies program in 1989 and brought it to Loyola when the two institutions affiliated in 1991. Visit the digital exhibit created in 2018.VIEW -
Loyola's Women and Leadership Archives Captures Chicago's History of Activism
Nancy Freeman, WLA Director, was interviewed by Rebellious Magazine about MuCUBA (Mundelein College United Black Association), quiet leaders, and the stories told through archival materials. Read the March 5, 2017 article here.READ MORE -
Congratulations, Kate!
One of the our graduate assistants at the WLA, Kate Johnson, is graduating May 2018 with an M.A. in Public History from Loyola University Chicago. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors! [Pictured: Kate Johnson and Nancy Freeman, WLA Director] -
Suzanne Bost WLA Summer Research Grant Publication
Suzanne Bost, PhD, Professor of English and Graduate Program Director of Women's Studies and Gender Studies at Loyola, was the recipient of the 2015 Women and Leadership Archives (WLA) Summer Research Grant. Her research at the WLA culminated in the article, “Identity and Cross-Cultural Empathy: Writing to Sister Maryagnes Curran, O.S.F.” published in the Summer 2017 issue of Feminist Formations. READ MORE -
Mundelein College Records Grant Completed!
The Women and Leadership Archives is pleased to announce completion of an Illinois State Records Advisory Board (ISHRAB) 2016-2017 grant. WLA received a $5,000 grant from ISHRAB to re-organize and make more accessible the records of Mundelein College. The College operated from 1930-1991 and when it closed, was the last all women’s college in Illinois. Loyola’s University Libraries and Gannon Center for Women also contributed funding to the project. Recent Loyola graduate, Caroline Giannakopoulos, led the grant project and produced a finding aid, or road map, for the records of Mundelein College. A big thank you to ISHRAB and Loyola’s University Libraries and Gannon Center for Women! -
History Fair Students
We were happy to have a number of History Fair students research at the WLA in 2018. One pair of students created this documentary about the Equal Rights Amendment. Check it out here!WATCH VIDEO -
Students, Scholars Explore African-American Archives in Chicago Libraries
The March 9, 2018 UChicago News article, "Students, Scholars Explore African-American Archives in Chicago Libraries" features Megan Naylor, Archie Motley Archival Intern at the WLA last year, along with a photo of her and Melanie Chambliss, current intern at the WLA. Megan and Melanie were both working with the Carol Moseley Braun collection at the WLA.READ MORE -
120th Anniversary of the Founding of the Polish Women's Alliance of America
Sunday, April 29, 2018, celebrate the PWA 120th Anniversary with the WLA! A lunch and presentation of the WLA/PWA Preservation Project will take place in the Klarchek Information Commons 4th Floor. REGISTER NOW -
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Chicago Open Archives 2017: Hidden Stories
Guerilla art! Communists! A bowling poet!...? Uncover clues from various WLA collections that tell the stories of Mollie West (Chicago labor leader, women’s right activist, and one-time Communist Party member), SisterSerpents (Chicago feminist art collective that made political statements through art), and Eleanor Risteen Gordon (professor, poet, and bowling enthusiast).
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Marie Sklodowska Curie: Piecing Together the Historical Puzzle
Thank you to everyone who attended the 5th Annual Focus on the Book: "Marie Skłodowska Curie: Piecing Together the Historical Puzzle" on October 26, 2017. Helena Pycior, Professor Emerita of the Department of History at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, presented an interesting program about Marie Skłodowska Curie, renowned scientist and twice Nobel Prize winner, became known as the “healer of cancer.”
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Researching at the WLA
Want to know how to research at an archives? Find out how to use the Women and Leadership Archives (WLA) in this short video created by Graduate Assistant Ellen Bushong. Lu Wolf, mascot of Loyola University Chicago, experiences the archives first-hand and learns how to use our finding aids, navigate the WLA website, and how to properly handle documents, photos, journals, and much more! -
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BMRC Archie Motley Archival Intern at the WLA
The BMRC (Black Metropolis Research Consortium) has named Megan Naylor as the Archie Motley Archival Intern for Summer 2017 where she will work at the WLA. This program is designed to provide students of color with opportunities to gain practical work experience in archives management, and to recruit students of color into the archives profession as a means to address the critical issue of the underrepresentation of people of color in the field.
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Polish Women's Alliance of America Spring Luncheon & Fundraiser: May 21
Polish Women's Alliance of America Spring Luncheon & Fundraiser for the PWA Archives Preservation Project at Loyola University Chicago: Celebrating Women's Ethnic Voices Please join PWA Council 27 for an interesting event exploring women’s ethnic voices in journalism as we observe UNESCO World Press Freedom Day on Sunday, May 21, 2017.
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Women and Labor: The Story of Mollie West Lunchtime Program
Loyola’s Center for Textual Studies and Digital Humanities' second Fall 2016 lunchtime program is co-sponsored with the Women and Leadership Archives. The lunchtime program features the WLA's new digital exhibit: Women and Labor: The Story of Mollie West.
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From Mundelein to Loyola: The Origins of the Peace Studies Program
In fall of 2014, Kathleen Maas Weigert, Ph.D., the first Carolyn Farrell, BVM, Professor, hired Kathleen Ermitage to undertake an oral history project to document the origins of the Loyola University Chicago Peace Studies Program. Its roots lay in Mundelein College, a woman’s college which the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary founded in 1930.
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WLA Participating in 2016 Chicago Open Archives
Chicago Open Archives is a chance for the public to explore over thirty archives and cultural institutions around the city. During the three-day event, visitors can engage with history and have a chance to talk with archivists, librarians, and curators.
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History Fair Success for Emily Stevens
The WLA celebrates Emily Stevens, now a senior at Maine South High School. Emily researched at the WLA for the 2014-2015 season and experienced big successes, advancing to the state level and winning the Margaret Cross Norton Award for the Best Use of Primary Sources. Here’s more about Emily's topic and a chance to view her winning dramatic presentation!
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The History of the Women and Leadership Archives
When Mundelein College affiliated with neighboring Loyola University in 1991, Sister Carolyn Farrell, BVM, President of Mundelein, and others immediately began planning for a center at Loyola that would carry on Mundelein’s legacy of women’s education and leadership. As part of the future Gannon Center for Women and Leadership, Carolyn Farrell envisioned an archives that would care for Mundelein’s records and collect other valuable collections on women and leadership.
