archive
Event: November 19, 2024
Join us for "Preserving a Legacy: The League of Women for Community Service Archives & the Black Women's Club Movement," a talk from Dr. Johnnie Hamilton-Mason (Simmons University) who will situate the League, its founding, and mission within the broader Black women’s club movement of the early 20th century.
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WLA 30th Anniversary Celebration
As we closeout our anniversary year, please join us at the WLA 30th Anniversary Celebration on November 7, 2024. Enjoy refreshments, conversation, and a display highlighting WLA collections. Guests will hear brief remarks from the WLA Director and can purchase tickets to participate in the prize raffle. Follow the link to learn more and register.
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Remembering Mary Ann Smith
The WLA remembers former 48th Ward Alderman Mary Ann Smith, who passed away on July 31, 2024. In serving the 48th ward, Smith was dedicated to matters concerning economic and residential development, environmental issues, community outreach through education, traffic and transportation improvements, and expanding services to youth and the elderly. As an advocate for human rights, she promoted ethnic and racial diversity in the Edgewater and Uptown business districts and worked to integrate the new immigrant community. Known as “Chicago’s Green Alderman” Smith also served on various parks and environmental committees and earned a United Nations Environment Programme Award for Citizen Action to Protect the Global Environment. Learn more about Mary Ann Smith’s life and career through her collection's finding aid.
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Sister Jean: Back in the Day
On August 21, 2024, Sister Jean celebrates her 105th birthday! Before the world fell in love with her, we knew Sister Jean (Jean Dolores Schmidt, BVM) from her long career at Mundelein College.
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'90s Crafts and Snacks: Aug 28, 2024
We're going back to the '90s to celebrate the WLA's 30th Anniversary! Stop by the Information Commons entrance during the first week of classes on August 28 to grab a '90s snack and craft kit.
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Study Hall: April 25, 29, & 30
WLA anniversary events continue with study hall hours. The WLA reading room (Piper Hall, third floor) will be open as a quiet study space for students leading up to final exams. ‘90s snacks will be provided!
LEARN MORE'90s Crafts and Snacks Events Celebrate the WLA's 30th Anniversary!
We're going back to the '90s to celebrate the WLA's 30th Anniversary! We'll be sharing '90s snacks and crafts with the Loyola community. From 11am-1pm, we'll be in the Information Commons on April 11th and 17th and in Damen on April 16th!
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Explore the Mundelein College Collection Online
Explore the Mundelein College photographs now available online in the Illinois Digital Archives. During a webinar on March 30, 2023, Emily Reiher, WLA Director, demonstrated how to browse and search for materials in the online collection. Watch the recording of the demonstration now!
WATCH VIDEO
Step into the Buildings of Mundelein College
Visit our new digital resource that tells the stories of some of the buildings that were once part of Mundelein College's campus. See historic photos and learn the history discovered in the Mundelein College Records of buildings that still stand or have since been demolished. We will be adding more buildings for you to explore in the coming weeks!
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Access the WLA’s Digital Collections (Video)
Learn how to access the WLA's digital collections in our latest instructional video. We'll walk you through exploring digitized materials in Preservica.
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Why is there an angel on our webpage?
Curious as to why there is an angel on the side of our page? Click here to learn more!
The WLA Remembers Patricia A. Crowley, OSB
Sr. Patricia A. Crowley, OSB, who dedicated her life to serving people experiencing homelessness and other social justice issues, passed away October 14, 2023. Services will be held on November 4 in Evanston, IL.
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Open House Chicago 2024
On October 19–20, the Women and Leadership Archives (WLA) is hosting Piper Hall as part of Open House Chicago with the Chicago Architecture Center! The first floor will be open to visitors 10am-4pm each day. We’re one of more than 170 sites in 20+ neighborhoods welcoming visitors for this FREE annual architecture festival.
DETAILSMundelein Reunion 2024
Mundelein Reunion Weekend is September 28-29, 2024! All alumnae are invited back to campus to reconnect with friends and classmates, explore campus, and celebrate the Mundelein College legacy. Congrats, Class of 1974: It’s your 50th Mundelein reunion! Follow the link to register for events, including building tours and an open house hosted by the WLA.
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Remembering Alice Bourke Hayes, Ph.D.
The WLA remembers Alice Bourke Hayes, Ph.D. A graduate of Mundelein College Class of 1959, Dr. Hayes served as president of the University of San Diego 1995-2003. She also served as served as vice president for academic affairs, associate academic vice president, dean for the natural sciences and chairperson of the department of natural sciences at Loyola University of Chicago. Hayes was a botanist who conducted research in mycology, was a member of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Space Biology Program, and served on advisory panels of the National Science Foundation. Read her WLA collection’s finding aid to learn more.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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!
REGISTERVIDEO: 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.
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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.
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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 MOREMundelein Reunion 2021: Recap
Did you miss the 2021 Mundelein College Reunion? See the slides presented by WLA Director, Emily Reiher.
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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!
MOREOnsite 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.
DETAILSSummer 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!
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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.
VIEWCOVID-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.
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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 VIDEOEnd 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.
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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
READCOVID-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.
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)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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 MOREWLA 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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 MOREMundelein 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!
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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.
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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.
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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!
Color Our Collections with Our New Coloring Book
The WLA joined other institutions in Color Our Collections, a fun way to connect with library and archives collections! Print, color, and share our 2024 coloring book, which features artwork from the Judith Roth collection.
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We're Hiring! Graduate Assistant Positions Open Now
The WLA is looking for Loyola graduate students to join the team this Fall. Apply by July 1, 2024 for first consideration.Tap "Learn More" for more information and how to apply!
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Gannon Center Program Manager
Join the team! The Gannon Center for Women and Leadership is now hiring for a Program Manager. Follow the link for details and how to apply.
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Sister Jean Memoir 2023-2024 Rambler Read
The Rambler Read is Loyola's common reading experience, an opportunity for the Loyola community to foster meaningful discussion and engagement on issues that impact our community. This year's Rambler Read is "Wake Up With Purpose!: What I've Learned In My First Hundred Years" by Sister Jean and Seth Davis. Learn more in the Libraries Research Guide.
READ MORERemembering Suellen Hoy, Ph.D.
The WLA remembers award-winning historian Suellen Hoy, who passed away on May 4, 2023. Dr. Hoy researched and published works on public health, women reformers, and Catholic women religious orders, particularly those residing in Chicago. She was also a founder of the National Council on Public History. She received numerous fellowships and prizes to support her research, including two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Conference on the History of Women Religious in 2007. Learn more about Dr. Hoy’s life and career through her collection's finding aid.
LEARN MORECarolyn Farrell, BVM Remembered
Carolyn Farrell, BVM at the Gannon Center, circa 2005
Sister Carolyn Farrell, BVM, the last president of Mundelein College and founding director of the Gannon Center for Women and Leadership, passed away on June 14, 2020. After a long career in education and public service, Farrell came to Mundelein College in 1991 to guide the women’s college into an affiliation with Loyola University Chicago. To continue the college’s legacy, Farrell envisioned a center that would continue to support women’s education and leadership at Loyola. As she worked to make the Gannon Center a reality, she led Mundelein alumnae and friends in raising funds to restore the historic Piper Hall to be the permanent home of the Gannon Center and the Women and Leadership Archives.
Born in Des Moines, Iowa, on November 2, 1934, to parents James and Catherine Farrell, Carolyn was the oldest of six children. At the age of 18, she entered the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (B.V.M.) congregation in Dubuque, Iowa. Farrell was professed in 1956 as Sister Mary Lester, B.V.M., taking her final vows on July 16, 1961.
In 1977, Farrell was the first woman elected to the City Council of Dubuque. Because of the unique structure of the Dubuque City Council, the five council members are required to elect one of their own to serve as Mayor for one year each January. Farrell was elected Mayor of Dubuque on January 7, 1980 and became the first woman religious to serve as the mayor of a city.
In 1991, Farrell accepted the Interim Presidency of Mundelein College in Chicago, Illinois. As President, she was chief negotiator with the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Loyola University Chicago to achieve the Memorandum of Agreement between Mundelein College and Loyola University Chicago, signed in June 1991, which brought about the affiliation of Mundelein College with Loyola University Chicago. She then went on to serve as Associate Vice President of the new Mundelein College at Loyola University. Farrell led efforts to create the Gannon Center for Women and Leadership, established in 1993, to continue the spirit and legacy of Mundelein. Plans for the center also included establishing the Women and Leadership Archives, opened in 1994. Farrell was director of the Gannon Center until her retirement in 2006. She continued to be a friend to the Gannon Center and the Women and Leadership Archives and donated her personal papers to the archives.
Carolyn Farrell is sworn in as Mayor of Dubuque, 1980.
- Read Farrell's obituary on the BVM website.
- Read the Finding Aid for Carolyn Farrell, BVM’s collection
- View photos of Farrell
- Learn about the Farrell Professorship at the Gannon Center
- Watch a 2017 video by the Mundelein College Alumnae Board honoring Farrell.
If you would like more information about Carolyn Farrell, BVM or about use of photos from the WLA, please contact the WLA at wlarchives@luc.edu.