University of St. Francis Library Archives

In 1969, the College of St. Francis in Joliet began a cooperation with Lewis College in Romeoville. Students at both schools could choose to take classes at either campus, with CSF named the South Campus and Lewis named the North Campus. (The students also joked that Statesville Prison located between the two was "Central Campus") In 1970 the cooperation became an official trial merger, and Lewis-St. Francis of Illinois was created. The students at this new school quickly adjusted to the new co-ed environments and expanded curriculum taking classes at both campuses using the student bus system to travel between locations. While the merger did not become final, the changes that it brought strengthened both schools, creating co-ed environments with thriving athletic departments and growing academic programs. The Lewis/St. Francis Merger/De-Merger Collection (10-260) at the USF Library Archives contains 10 boxes of documents and information related to these years of cooper