Joan Pernecke, Interview with Chris Mattix, 2022

Joan Pernecke was born and raised in Southeast Chicago, Il where she attended several Catholic schools including St Felicitas, Queen of All Saints, Saint Scholastica, and Montini Catholic High School. Her family eventually made the move to the North side of Chicago. While in high school, Joan was able to earn sixty college credits, which was an influence in her choice of Mundelein College. When she met with Sister Jean Schmidt, then Dean of Academics, Joan convinced Sister Jean to allow the credits to be applied to her degree. Joan was admitted as a junior to Mundelein in 1975.
Once enrolled, Joan majored in social studies and history. During her first year, Joan lived in Coffey Hall and worked part-time for a professor in the Fashion and Design department and in the Learning Resource Center (LRC). While at Mundelein, Joan participated in a group called Social Interests Society Toward Education Renewal (S.I.S.T.E.R.) which did advocacy work for the environment and migrant worker’s rights which met in Piper Hall.
While attending classes at Mundelein, Joan recalls the interaction of Mundelein students with male students of Loyola during an outbreak of street crime. Joan befriended a group of male students from Iran and fondly remembers her interactions with them during a time of social and political unrest in Iran. Joan graduated from Mundelein in 1977.
During the interview, Joan also recalls meeting the Manson Family and recalls learning their identities while attending a Loyola fraternity event. Additionally, Joan remembers attending a reunion event and reconnecting with Sister Jean following her 100th birthday, where Sister Jean still recalled their first meeting and Joan’s time in Coffey Hall.

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January 12, 2022

Joan Pernecke was a Social Studies major and graduated from Mundelein in 1977. She was raised in the Chicago area where she attended Catholic girls’ schools. During high school, Joan earned 60 college credits before attending Mundelein. She recalls speaking with Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, BVM and using her previous credits to start at Mundelein as a Junior. During her two years at Mundelein, she participated in the organization S.I.S.T.E.R., lived in Coffey Hall, and was an office assistant to a professor in the Home Economics department. Joan recalls several of her relationships with fellow students at Mundelein and Loyola University, including Iranian international students. After graduating from Mundelein, Pernecke obtained her law degree and worked as a prosecutor.

Chris Mattix was a graduate student in the Public History Master’s program at Loyola University Chicago and a graduate assistant at the Women in Leadership Archives in 2021-2023. Chris received their bachelor’s degree in history and human communication from Western Michigan University in 2020 and focuses on the history of the LGBTQIA+ community.

[0:00 - 5:00]: Introductions, family background, and how she ended up at Mundelein.
[5:00 - 10:00]: Working to graduate in two years, deciding her major, on-campus living, on-campus job, classes she took, and losing her notes before finals.
[10:00 - 15:00]: Losing her notes again before finals, someone stealing on campus, and changes at Mundelein while she attended.
[15:00 - 20:00]: Safety on and around campus and Vietnam War protests.
[20:00 - 25:00]: Making friends with Loyola exchange students, roommates, friends, and story about meeting Charles Manson’s followers in California and not knowing who they were until watching a movie about them at Mundelein.
[25:00 - 30:00]: Manson story continued.
[30:00 - 35:00]: Costume party, Learning Resource Center, and faculty that had an influence on her.
[35:00 - 40:00]: Sister Jean remembering her, being the resident bug remover in Coffey Hall, and living in Coffey Hall.
[40:00 - 45:00]: Friends made while living in Coffey Hall and professors she worked with.
[45:00 - 50:00]: Professors continued and changes to Mundelein since her time on campus.
[50:00 - 52:32]: Thanking the BVMs and wrap up.

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), JP 45-50
Alverno College
Avalon Park, JP 0-5
Barbud, Bashad, JP 20-25
Bethlehem, JP 50-55
BoBugliosi, Vinny, JP 25-30
California, JP 20-25, JP 25-30
Carmelite Order, JP 30-35
Chatham, JP 0-5
Chicago, JP 0-5, JP 25-30
Cicero Avenue, JP 0-5
Coffey Hall, JP 5-10, JP 35-40, JP 45-50
DePaul University, JP 0-5
Evanston, JP 0-5
Halloween, JP 30-35
Helter Skelter, JP 20-25, JP 25-30
Hollywood, JP 45-50
Iran, JP 15-20
Iris, JP 40-45
Lake Michigan, JP 5-10
Learning Resource Center, JP 5-10, JP 15-20, JP 30-35, JP 45-50
Lombard, JP 0-5
Los Angeles, JP 20-25
Loyola University Chicago, JP 0-5, JP 15-20, JP 20-25
Magi, JP 50-55
Manson, Charles, JP 20-25, JP 25-30
Messiah, JP 50-55
Montini Catholic, JP 0-5
Mundelein College, JP 0-5, JP 5-10, JP 10-15, JP 15-20, JP 25-30, JP 30-35, JP 35-40, JP 45-50, JP 50-55
Pernecke, Nancy, JP 25-30
Peterson Avenue, JP 0-5
Piper Hall, JP 10-15, JP 15-20, JP 45-50
Procopius (St. Benedictine), JP 0-5
Proudfit, Fairfax Throckmorton, JP 30-35
Queen of All Saints, JP 0-5
Rogers Park, JP 15-20
San Francisco, JP 25-30
Shah of Iran, JP 20-25
Sheridan Road, JP 30-35
S.I.S.T.E.R. (Social Interest Society Toward Education Renewal), JP 10-15, JP 15-20
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, JP 0-5, JP 5-10, JP 30-35, JP 35-40
Sister of Mercy, JP 30-35
Skyscraper (Building), JP 45-50
St. Felicitas, JP 0-5
St. Scholastica, JP 0-5
Tom, JP 25-30
Uncle Dan’s Army and Navy Surplus, JP 20-25
Vespers, JP 45-50
Vietnam War, JP 15-20
Voss, Betty, JP 20-25
Wisconsin, JP 30-35
Wise Men, JP 50-55
Women and Leadership Archives, JP 45-50
Zoroaster, JP 50-55

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