Education in Romeoville
Then the Holy Name Technical School for Boys was founded in 1932, its entire enrollment was 15 young men. The school, a project of the Chicago Archdiocese, would not have even been possible without 160 acres of farmland donated by Michael and Frances Fitzpatrick and a generous donation of $100,000 from Chicago industrialist Frank J. Lewis. Early on, the institution became well-known for its aviation program and dedication to Catholic values. Today, the institution celebrates its 75th year of existence. Though the name and size, among other things, have changed many times over, Lewis University’s reputable programs and commitment to what they call “the interaction of knowledge and fidelity in the search for truth” has remained constant throughout the years.
During World War II, what was then known as the Lewis School of Aeronautics shut down its high school department and turned itself over to the U.S. Navy. By the early 1950s, the newly christened Lewis College of Science and Technology was offering baccalaureate degrees to both men and women.
The 1960s brought the institution accreditation, increased enrollment, campus expansion and the new name of Lewis College. In the 1970s, Lewis added a College of Continuing Education, a College of Business, and several graduate programs. Because of these changes, the school decided on the more appropriate moniker of Lewis University, the title that it currently holds today.
The 1980s and 1990s were a period of continued renovation and expansion. Highlights include the College of Nursing, additional graduate programs, the Harold E. White Aviation Center, the Student Recreation and Fitness Center, the Neil Carey Arena and North Hall. Today, the Lewis Flight Team is still nationally recognized, and the school continues to build on their success, adding new hangars to the aviation center.
This rich history was physically revisited in October when Kurt Schackmuth, a Lewis historian and Director of Mission and the First Year Experience, facilitated a Campus History Walk. Other anniversary celebrations included a special Homecoming held in June dedicating the new Time Plaza, the Alumni Golf Outing, a special 75th Anniversary Mass, and a film festival showing classics from the 1930s, the decade the school was founded.
Celebrations aside, the anniversary year has been an eventful one. Lewis University has shattered its enrollment record for the fourth year in a row, with an incoming class of over 600 students and a total student body of over 5,200. To accommodate this growth, the school opened Mother Theresa Hall, hot on the heels of opening Pope John Paul II Hall in the fall of 2005. Lewis now has 11 residence halls housing almost 1,000 students. In addition, the school opened Common Grounds, a 24-hour convenience store/coffee shop on campus. Critical accolades continued to pile up this year, as the University was highly ranked by both The Princeton Review and U.S. News and World Reports.
Northern Exposure: JJC’s Romeoville Campus
Joliet Junior College has long been known for being America’s oldest public community college, for being one of Illinois’ largest community colleges, and of course, for being in Joliet. However, as it continues to grow, the North Campus located in Romeoville, may alter that last item. The 35,000 square foot campus includes general classrooms, situated on 40 acres, features a biology lab, a chemistry lab, four computer skills labs, a photography lab, a student resource center, and a student lounge. The campus not only offers general education classes, but also offers specialized programs—some located exclusively at the North Campus.
The Nurse Assistant Training Program prepares nurse assistants to administer care in hospitals and in long-term care facilities. Using Cisco Networks Web technology, the CNT Program is a successful e-learning program that prepares students for the technologies of the 21st century. A recently added photography lab has enabled the campus to offer classes in black and white photography. The 911 Public Safety Telecommunicator Training Program, offered only on the North Campus, is designed to certify or recertify public safety telecommunication operators. Illinois Institute of Technology is even offering graduate and undergraduate courses using Distance Learning Technology. In its over 13 years of existence, the JJC North Campus has worked hard to put itself on the educational map—and it is succeeding.
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