Mundelein College

Women's Catholic College established by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virigin Mary (BVMs) in 1930; merged with Loyola University Chicago in 1991; the final Mundelein graduation took place in 1993. Mundelein was the first self-contained skyscraper college for women in the world and the last four-year women's college in Illinois at the time of its affiliation with Loyola. The official groundbreaking for the school occured on November 1, 1929, just days after the stock market crashed. The building, popularly known as the Skyscraper, was completed nine months later in 1930 in time for the start of the school year that fall. The school was created at the request of Greorge Cardinal Mundelein, who dedicated an organ to the college upon its opening. The first and third president of the school was Sr. Mary Justicia Coffey, BVM, the last president, Sr. Carolyn Farrel, BVM. The Mundelein College campus included the Skyscraper building, Philomena Hall (1934, later demolished), Piper Hall (1934, the current home of the Sr. Ann Ida Gannon, BVM Center for Women and Leadership), Wright Hall (1959), Coffey Hall (1962), Northland Hall (1963, demolished 1992), the Yellow House (1956), and the Learning Resource Center (1969). The women who were educated at Mundelein came from many ethnic and socio-economic groups and were often the first females in their families to attend college. Mundelein pioneered such areas as Weekend College, credit for lifetime experience, graduate religious education for women, graduate liberal studies, and Latina outreach.

From the description of Mundelein College records, 1833-2008, bulk 1929-1993. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 568225118