Sister Joan Frances Crowley, BVM, Interview with Lisa Oppenheim, 1998

Sister Joan Frances Crowley, BVM was born Dorothy Crowley in Chicago, Illinois in 1919. Sister Joan Frances received a bachelor’s of arts in History from the College of Great Falls (now the University of Montana) and earned a master of arts in History from Marquette University. Sister Joan was affiliated with Mundelein College from 1962 to 1991, holding the positions of Assistant to the Dean in Residency, Instructor of History, Assistant Professor of History, and Professor of History. Additionally, Sister Joan Frances was a published author, Fulbright scholar, and renowned educator. She passed away in 2009 in Dubuque, Iowa.

1998

Sister Joan Frances Crowley, BVM reflects on her upbringing, role as teacher, and later as administrator. The BVMs influenced her in high school in Chicago and she joined after graduating. She found sisterhood difficult, although she thought teaching was rewarding as she could help others. The BVMs sent her to Mundelein College where Sister Ann Ida Gannon placed her in charge of residents. Sister Joan Frances had to deal with students pushing the rules. She concludes by discussing how she negotiated the political climate around the Vietnam War and Civil Rights Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Sister Joan Frances Crowley, BVM
Interview by Lisa Oppenheim, November 16, 1998
Chicago, IL
Time Log

NOTE: Names in the audio have been omitted per the transcript.

Side A

0-5 minutes
She was born in Chicago in 1919. Grew up thinking all Catholics were Democrats who played golf because of her family. Went to high school at Immaculata. Had crushes on nuns and wanted to join the BVMs. Won a scholarship at Mundelein. Found sisterhood difficult; no longer an individual. Finished at the Mother House and then taught during World War II in Butte, Montana. Moved to Academy Des Moines. She spent a few years in Minnesota, then moved to Mundelein. Taught eight years at Loyola, and retired May 1998.
5-10 minutes
She grew up on Wayne Avenue in Rogers Park. Very Catholic, bourgeois neighborhood. St. Ignatius Grammar School. Mother was a homemaker and belonged to club called Glenola Women. Father died at 51. Father loved golf. He missed her when she started as a sister. She was lonely.
10-15 minutes
The day she left the Mother House she felt like she was free. Her heart sinks whenever she returns. She was very athletic. Every year in Catholic school, there was a three day retreat. Received her B.A. at the University of Montana/College of Great Falls, but went to Mundelein for two years. Nuns at St. Ignatius of either English or Irish background. She was attracted to a teaching order. Mother thought the habit was ugly.
15-20 minutes
Habit looked like a Conestoga wagon. Father thought she would not stay in sisterhood; too lively. She had hay fever as a child. Had physical illness because of stress. For Catholics of her generation, the option was marriage, to be a nun or a teacher. Wanted to help others. Felt responsible to her students.
20-25 minutes
Saved the academic life of a student, James. She now lives in a building where she’s the only gentile. The Jewish people are so good to her. She was asked to pray for someone in the hospital and she did. She had marvelous talks. Every relationship involves a responsibility.
25-30 minutes
Butte, Academy Des Moines, then Our Lady of Peace. Mother Superior, Sister Mary Cecilia, told her to report to Mundelein and take over for Sister Mary Crescentia. Taught at Mundelein, took graduate courses at Northwestern. Talked to Sister Ann Ida Gannon to go into residence and be in charge of residents. First was director of residence and later assistant to the dean of residence. 1962, Coffey Hall just opened. Was in charge with everything related to residents: assigning rooms, lived with them, their counselor.
30-35 minutes
Created a House Council. Established a Sanctions Board. Went into and inspected rooms for sloppiness. She was Mrs. Full Charge in every way. She established the rules. Girl whose aunt was chair of a department at Mundelein.
35-40 minutes
Girl came back late to the residence. She eventually had to leave the residence. Boys at Loyola sneaked into Coffey Hall and stole clothing; she was outraged. Dealt with suicides twice.
40-45 minutes
Woman in residence with five children. Friends with Father Austin Walsh. A student, Kay, invited Hugh Hefner up to campus; showed up in his pajamas with a Coke. Kay went to mass the next day. [Water interlude]
45-50 minutes
Loyola boys were very helpful. Loyola students looked out for Mundelein students. Students joked around by giving her a boyfriend - Harry.
50-55 minutes
Northland building. Sister Helen Mary. Class President Mary Alice O’Connell notified her of a student who was pregnant; talk of an abortion. Called young couple, Chuck and Ellen. Chuck called the abortionist on the South Side, threatened to call the police.
55-60 minutes
The student had the baby. Changes in the Catholic Church from the 1960s to the early 1970s. More students attending mass earlier on. Vatican II, new scholarship, new healthful idea of sin.
1.00-1.05
Dress code; she allowed students to wear slacks in Lewis Center, but not in Coffey Hall, McCormick Lounge. 1962-1963 - good grooming at dinner, no curlers, no sweatshirts. No shorts or slacks in the main building or facing Sheridan Road. Ann Jones. General Earl T. Jones of the Alaskan command. Vietnam War. Most of the nuns were anti-war. Some students were anti-war; created divide on campus.

Side B

0-5 minutes
Mundelein went on strike as did Northwestern as part of the Vietnam War. Every night students stood at curve of Sheridan Road holding up sign that said, “Honk twice if you’re against the war.” Students had boyfriends enlisted. They went on marches. Her family was pro-war. Talk about closing school. Sullivan High School went on strike, joined Loyola and Mundelein. Eva Emerson.
5-10 minutes
Emerson responsible for Northwestern going on strike. Bus went to Selma. Group of anti-black students threatened to prevent the bus from going. Mostly nuns who went; Mary DeCock. Death of Martin Luther King. Frightening time. Black students from Coffey Hall disappeared into Northland; didn’t see them for 24 hours. They stopped speaking to anyone white. One student, Diane, talked about transferring to Morehouse. Bomb scare in Northland and Sullivan buildings.
10-15 minutes
Black students demanded their own stationary, that they paint their own rooms. Student from upper middle class household in Memphis; foul-mouthed. The students invited the Black Panthers from Northwestern to come talk; took over McCormick Lounge. Two maids, Mary and Irene. Sisters stepped back and let the black students have their way. This was 1968, she left 1970. Help in the kitchens all black. Went to their weddings and funerals.
15-20 minutes
She was cut off from the world. Ate very often with the students. Lesbian students. Cut off from what they were studying. [Interview ends at 18:16, tape goes till 20:34] [Transcript mentions follow-up phone call about her real name, Dorothy, and how she chose her name, Joan Frances, as part of sisterhood]

Sister Joan Frances Crowley, BVM 1998 Index

KEY
JFC 1998=Joan Frances Crowley 1998 Interview

INDEX
Abortion, JFC 1998 Side A 0-5
Academy Des Moines, JFC 1998 Side A 0-5, JFC 1998 Side A 25-30
Black Panther Party, JFC 1998 Side B 10-15
Black students, JFC 1998 Side B 5-10, JFC 1998 Side B 10-15
Butte, Montana, JFC 1998 Side A 0-5, JFC 1998 Side A 25-30
BVM Mother House, JFC 1998 Side A 0-5, JFC 1998 Side A 10-15
BVMs, JFC 1998 Side A 0-5
Catholic Church, JFC 1998 Side A 55-60
Catholics, JFC 1998 Side A 0-5, JFC 1998 Side A 5-10, JFC 1998 Side A 15-20
Chicago, Illinois, JFC 1998 Side A 0-5
Coffey Hall, JFC 1998 Side A 25-30, JFC 1998 Side A 35-40, JFC 1998 Side A 1.00-1.05, JFC 1998 Side B 5-10
College of Great Falls, JFC 1998 Side A 10-15
DeCock, Mary, JFC 1998 Side B 5-10
Democrats, JFC 1998 Side A 0-5
Dougherty, Mary Cecilia, JFC 1998 Side A 25-30
Dress code, JFC 1998 Side A 1.00-1.05
Emerson, Eva, JFC 1998 Side B 0-5
Gannon, Ann Ida, JFC 1998 Side A 25-30
Glenola Women, JFC 1998 Side A 5-10
Habit, JFC 1998 Side A 10-15, JFC 1998 Side A 15-20
Hefner, Hugh, JFC 1998 Side A 40-45
House Council, JFC 1998 Side A 30-35
Immaculata High School, JFC 1998 Side A 0-5
Jewish people, JFC 1998 Side A 20-25
Jones, Ann, JFC 1998 Side A 1.00-1.05
Jones, Earl T., JFC 1998 Side A 1.00-1.05
King, Jr., Martin Luther, JFC 1998 Side B 5-10
Lesbian students, JFC 1998 Side B 15-20
Lewis Center, JFC 1998 Side A 1.00-1.05
Loyola University Chicago, JFC 1998 Side A 0-5, JFC 1998 Side A 30-35, JFC 1998 Side A 35-40, JFC 1998 Side A 45-50, JFC 1998 Side B 0-5
McCormick Lounge, JFC 1998 Side A 1.00-1.05, JFC 1998 Side B 10-15
Memphis, Tennessee, JFC 1998 Side B 10-15
Morehouse College, JFC 1998 Side B 5-10
Mundelein College, JFC 1998 Side A 0-5, JFC 1998 Side A 10-15, JFC 1998 Side A 25-30, JFC 1998 Side A 30-35, JFC 1998 Side A 45-50, JFC 1998 Side B 0-5
Northland Hall, JFC 1998 Side A 50-55, JFC 1998 Side B 5-10
Northwestern University, JFC 1998 Side A 25-30, JFC 1998 Side B 5-10, JFC 1998 Side B 10-15
O’Connell, Mary Alice, JFC 1998 Side A 50-55
Our Lady of Peace, JFC 1998 Side A 25-30
Rogers Park, JFC 1998 Side A 5-10
St. Ignatius Grammar School, JFC 1998 Side A 5-10, JFC 1998 Side A 10-15
Sanctions Board, JFC 1998 Side A 30-35
Selma, Alabama, JFC 1998 Side B 5-10
Sheridan Road, JFC 1998 Side A 1.00-1.05, JFC 1998 Side B 0-5
South Side, Chicago, JFC 1998 Side A 50-55
Sullivan Center, JFC 1998 Side B 5-10
Sullivan High School, JFC 1998 Side B 0-5
Thornton, Mary Crescentia, JFC 1998 Side A 25-30
University of Montana, JFC 1998 Side A 10-15
Vatican II, JFC 1998 Side A 55-60
Vietnam War, JFC 1998 Side A 1.00-1.05
Vietnam War Strike, JFC 1998 Side B 0-5
Walsh, Austin, JFC 1998 Side A 40-45
World War II, JFC 1998 Side A 0-5

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