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University of St. Francis

Coordinates: 41°31′59″N 88°05′44″W / 41.5330°N 88.0955°W / 41.5330; -88.0955
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This article is about the university in Illinois. For the university in Indiana, see University of Saint Francis (Indiana). For other uses, see University of Saint Francis.
University of St. Francis
Former names
The Sisters' Normal Institute of Higher Learning (1920–1925)
Assisi Junior College (1925–1930)
College of St. Francis (1930–1998)
MottoPrimo Unctio et Postea Speculatio
Motto in English
Holiness First and Then Learning
TypePrivate university
Established1920; 104 years ago (1920)
Religious affiliation
Roman Catholic Church (Congregation of the Third Order of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate)
Endowment$26.6 million (2022)[1]
PresidentArvid C. Johnson III
Academic staff
298
Students3,185 (2023-2024)[2]
Undergraduates1,306 (2023-2024)
Postgraduates1,879 (2023-2024)
Location
Joliet
,
Illinois
,
United States
CampusMain Campus: Suburban, 22 acres (8.9 ha)
ColorsBrown & Gold
   
NicknameFighting Saints
Sporting affiliations
NAIA – CCAC and MSFA
MascotBernie the St. Bernard
Websitewww.stfrancis.edu

The University of St. Francis (USF) is a private Franciscan university with its main campus in Joliet, Illinois. It enrolls nearly 3,200 students at locations throughout the country with about 1,300 students at its main campus.

History

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The University of St. Francis grew out of an earlier high school and Sisters’ Normal Institute (an institution created to train high school graduates to be teachers) by the Congregation of the Sisters of St Francis of Mary Immaculate established on August 2, 1865 by Mother Alfred Moes. By 1869, a boarding school for high school girls opened in Joliet called the St. Francis Academy. The Institute became a college: The Sisters’ Normal Institute of Higher Learning, in 1920.[1]

The institute became Assisi Junior College, a two-year junior college, in 1925. Mother M. Thomasine Frye, OSF served as first president with an enrollment of 12 students and 8 teachers. In 1930, the school was reorganized with a full college curriculum as the College of St. Francis with bachelor's degree granting authority. In 1935, the all-female college began an affiliation with the St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing – to create the St. Francis College of Nursing.

During the Second World War, new programs in science and Spanish were added and in 1945 a student-run radio station, WCSF, was established on campus.

In 1962, Anita Marie Jochem was named the college's fourth president and the last congregational sister president. The college officially incorporated as its own institution, separate from the congregation, with its own charter and by-laws. The college became coeducational in 1971 and the next year saw the beginning of athletic programs.

The school became the University of St. Francis in 1998, the same year the school began offering online courses and degree programs. In 2000, the university received doctoral degree granting authority and by 2004 was organized in five colleges; College of Arts & Sciences, College of Business & Health Administration, College of Education, College of Nursing and Health Professions, and College of Professional Studies.[3]

In 2013, Arvid Johnson became the university's ninth president and the university's first overseas graduate program was established with Brno University of Technology in the Czech Republic. The university's St. Bonaventure Campus opened in downtown Joliet with additional classrooms, offices, and a business incubator. In 2016, Guardian Angel Hall opened to students at St. Clare Campus, located at 1550 Plainfield Road (about one mile from the main campus) as the home to the USF Leach College of Nursing.

In 2018, new construction was completed on the LaVerne & Dorothy Brown Science Hall on the main campus. The university celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2020.

Colleges and schools

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The university also offers a Physician Assistant program at a campus site in Albuquerque, New Mexico.[4]

Athletics

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The St. Francis (USF) athletic teams are called the Fighting Saints. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and is part of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC)[5] for most of its sports since the 1973–74 academic year; while its football team competes in the Midwest League of the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA).[6]

USF competes in 20 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, dance, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading.

History

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The University of St. Francis (USF), originally known as the College of St. Francis (CSF), initiated its men's intercollegiate athletics program in 1972. Under the leadership of Elmer Bell, the institution’s first full-time athletic director, CSF launched its inaugural athletic programs, including baseball and men's basketball, both of which adopted the nickname "Falcons." Later during the same year, the men's marathon running team gained national recognition. In 1973, men's cross country became CSF's third athletic program.

In 1975, the institution rebranded its athletic teams as the "Fighting Saints." The following year, intercollegiate programs for women's basketball, men's tennis, women's tennis, and women's volleyball were introduced. By 1979, CSF expanded further, adding men's golf and softball to its roster of sports. In 1982, the men's soccer and women's cross country teams began competing. Four years later, in 1986, a recreation center was built for the athletic department, and a men's football program was introduced. Tower Hall was also deeded to the college that year. In 1987, cheerleading was added to CSF’s athletics offerings.

A major milestone occurred in 1993 when the CSF baseball team won the school's first-ever NAIA World Series national championship under head coach Gordie Gillespie, who became college baseball’s all-time winningest coach. In 1995, the university expanded its athletic department with the addition of women's soccer. The year 2000 saw the start of women's golf and women's track & field programs, and in 2007, men's track & field was also introduced.

USF's men's cross country team won the NAIA National Championship in 2012, a year which also marked the renaming of the recreation center to the "Pat Sullivan Center" in honor of long-time basketball coach and athletic director Pat Sullivan. In 2013, USF began competing in men’s and women’s bowling. By 2016, the university introduced competitive dance as its 22nd sport. The women's bowling team secured the NAIA Invitational Championship in 2017, followed by the women's cross country team claiming the NAIA National Championship in 2020. In 2021, the men's bowling team added to the university’s accomplishments by winning the NAIA Championship.

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ "University of St. Francis". DATA USA. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Saint Stats" (PDF). University of St. Francis. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  3. ^ "About Us". University of St. Francis. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Albuquerque Campus". University of St. Francis. University of St. Francis. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  5. ^ "CCAC History". Chicagoland Collegiate Athletics Conference. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  6. ^ "MSFA Members". Mid-States Football Association. National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
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41°31′59″N 88°05′44″W / 41.5330°N 88.0955°W / 41.5330; -88.0955

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