Mertz, James J.

Born May 24, 1882 in Toledo, OH; died January 29, 1979, Chicago, IL. Classicist. James Joseph Mertz entered the Society of Jesus in 1900 and was ordained in 1915. He received an A.B. from St. Louis University in 1916, and an M.A. in Theology in 1918. From 1918 to 1922 Mertz taught at St. Ignatius High School in Chicago, IL. In 1922 he became one of the first faculty members assigned to the new College of Arts and Sciences of Loyola University Chicago in Rogers Park. He became the chairman of the Department of Classical languages in 1930, a postion he retained until 1960. James J. Mertz, S.J., was the driving force behind the Madonna della Strada chapel on Loyola's Lake Shore Campus. He raised over $750,000 to fund the construction of the chapel, which opened in 1943, 19 years after Father Mertz began raising money for its construction. Reverend Mertz passed away on January 29, 1979, at Loyola University Chicago.