Mundelein College was founded by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVMs), in response to a call by Cardinal George Mundelein for a Catholic women's college in Chicago. Construction of the college's iconic skyscraper began in 1929 and Mundelein opened its doors to students in the fall of 1930 as the first self-contained skyscraper college for women.
For the next 60 years Mundelein College offered its students a comprehensive Catholic liberal arts education. 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. The women who attended Mundelein received an excellent, comprehensive liberal arts education in a stimulating and nurturing environment.
Mundelein College served as the last private Catholic women's college in Illinois until 1991 when it affiliated with neighboring Loyola University Chicago. Today, the legacy and records of Mundelein College are preserved by the Women and Leadership Archives.
View the Mundelein College Timeline for important dates in the school's history.
For more information about the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, please visit the BVM Website.