University of St. Francis Library Archives

This week is Francis Week at the University of St. Francis (Sunday, October 2nd - Friday, October 8th.  The week long celebration includes recognition events for faculty and staff, guest speakers, and a number of drives to collect books, toys, food, clothing and medical supplies to donate to local agencies. As the greater university celebrates the spirit of St. Francis, the USF Library Archives would like to share some of the items in our collection that also celebrate our Saint.  The archives has artwork depicting St. Francis as well as books within the John L. Raymond Special Collection that are both about him and by him.  To see a list of the books click here . A statue of St. Francis donated to the USF Library Archives Please feel free to stop by the USF Library Archives on the 2nd floor of the Brown Library to view these books and artifacts.

As of September 25, 2011 the library at the University of St. Francis is now known as the LaVerne and Dorothy Brown Library.  In addition to the name change, the front exterior of the library building has gone through some major changes in the last few months.  With generous gifts from both the Browns and the USF Grassroots Campaign, the front porch awning has been renovated and a new signed added to its front.  The front steps were replaced with decorative brick and the handicap ramp moved and extended for better access.  The front lawn saw new plantings and a new seating area adding even more character to the building. A Renovation Timeline: The original look of the Brown Library  Working on the awning The completed awning The porch is ready for demo   Demo of the front steps and handicap ramp   The Brown Library's new exterior - new awning, new steps, and new landscaping ready to enjoy.

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...

The fall semester is underway and the USF Library Archives is as busy as the rest of campus. ** August 31st saw the release of the book The University of St. Francis , a pictorial history of the school. There are copies for sale in the USF Bookstore or the Joliet Area Historical Museum as well as copies available online at Amazon , Barnes & Noble and Borders . ** Founder's Day was September 8th and once again the Archives created displays in various buildings on campus. These displays will be up for the month of September so take some time to visit the Library (just inside the interior doors), the Motherhouse San Damiano hallway (across from the Solutions office) and the Moser Performing Arts Center gallery space. ** Homecoming is the weekend of September 24th-26th . Linnea Knapp, Archives Librarian, and Sister Marian Voelker, Archivist for the Sisters of St. Francis, will be presenting at the Senior Saturdays event , Saturday the 25th at 10:00am in the Library. The...

The USF Library Archives is very appreciative of all the donations that have been received for the collections over the years. In recent history the largest one has been The Barbara A. Cooke Musical Theatre Special Collection , a donation from Ms. Cooke that consists of sheet music, books and other materials related to musical theater. In addition to this generous donation, the Archives has received smaller gifts of materials that both enhance the Archives' materials and increase our knowledge of the history of USF. A recent donation from Mr. James Sczepaniak included materials that his late wife, Mrs. Mary Clare (Gordon) Sczepaniak ('57), collected while she was a student and an alum. Some of the items pictured below will be used in this year's Founder's Day displays in the Moser Performing Arts Center gallery space. If you or someone you know has materials related to the University of St. Francis or its history please feel free to contact the USF Library Archives. ...

In 1997 the St. Joseph College of Nursing joined the College of St. Francis and on January 1, 1998 became the College of Nursing and Allied Health at the newly renamed University of St. Francis. But before this storied nursing school joined USF they had been training nurses in Joliet for almost eight decades. Here's an abbreviated timeline about the history of St. Joseph School of Nursing. 1866 - 4 women form the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart in Seelback, Germany 1876 - Those 4 Sisters arrive in Avilla, Indiana 1881 - The Sisters traveled to Joliet to care for those affected by an epidemic of typhoid fever 1882 - Joliet donates $600 towards the creation of a hospital to be run by the Sisters 1882 - The Sisters of the Sacred Heart purchase the Motherhouse on Broadway from the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate to use as the St. Joseph Hospital *** So begins the relationship between the two congregations. The Sisters of St. Francis provided education for the Si...

The University of St. Francis has a long tradition of celebrating the accomplishments of our graduating students. In the early years of the school the highest honor for a graduating senior was to be named "Miss St. Francis." Elected by secret ballot by the student body and the faculty, this senior was most representative of St. Francis ideals. In 1935, Grace Maguire, president of the senior class, was crowned the first "Miss St. Francis" at a formal coronation ceremony held in the College Auditorium on May 19th. She had 11 ladies in waiting and four local children who formed her court. The tradition continued until 1960 when it was decided that the Baccalaureate Graduation and Honors Day should be combined onto the same day. This merger of events left no room for the ceremonies involved with crowning a senior "Miss St. Francis" so the event was dropped. In the 1954 photo below Sister Elvira Bredel (president - 1953-1962) crowns Geraldine Knowles who ...