JoBeth Halpin, Interview with Melissa Newman, 2022

JoBeth Halpin was a Psychology and Education major and graduated from Mundelein in 1972. She lived in Coffey Hall all four years and was a Resident Advisor her senior year. She talks about the shift in culture from her first semester to her second, which spoke to the larger systemic changes she would see throughout her time at Mundelein. JoBeth was also an elevator operator and planned parties and mixers as the Social Chairman for the Student Government. She marks this as a time of real change in the country as well as in herself; JoBeth was active in the anti-war protest marches and learned a lot about herself and the person she wanted to be. She fondly remembers her music appreciation class with Sister Judith and her interactions with Sister Jean Dolores. Above all else, Mundelein shaped who JoBeth is as a person and values the long-lasting connections she still has from her time there.

January 13, 2022

JoBeth Halpin was born in Evanston, Illinois in 1949 and grew up in Elmhurst. She attended the Immaculata Catholic schools growing up, and while her parents wanted her to choose a Catholic college, JoBeth chose Mundelein because of its location in Chicago and not for its religious affiliations. As a freshmen, JoBeth was very excited to make friends and be on campus. She wanted to get to know everyone and her job as an elevator operator in the Skyscraper helped her achieve that: she was always friendly and chatty with those coming and going to classes. She was a psychology and education major, lived in Coffey Hall, and was the Social Chairman for the Mundelein Student Council.

Mundelein meant so much to JoBeth from how it shaped her as a person, to the relationships she formed with students and faculty. She still has a group of 8-10 friends from Mundelein that she still keeps in touch with. Mundelein was such a happy place for JoBeth. She frequently went to Hamilton’s and Yackney’s, planned and attended parties and mixers, and got into hi-jinks with her fellow Coffey Hall residents.

Melissa Newman was a graduate student at Loyola University Chicago and a graduate assistant at the Women and Leadership Archives in 2020-2022.

0-5 Minutes: Halpin’s childhood, family background, education background, reason for choice of Mundelein and major.

5-10 Minutes: Living on campus, making friends at Mundelein, Halpin’s time as a resident assistant.

10-15 Minutes: Candlelighting ceremony at Mundelein, Halpin’s time as an elevator operator.

15-20 Minutes: Halpin’s student jobs, recreation on campus, Mundelein dress code, residential rules, changes in Mundelein rules, the first Earth Day.

20-25 Minutes: CON-CUR conference, curriculum changes, student activism on campus, the war in Vietnam, Mundelein’s reaction to the Kent State Massacre, Mundelein Student Strike.

25-30 Minutes: Mundelein Student Strike, Faculty support for student activism, Halpin’s visit to Rome with the John Felice Rome Center.

30-35 Minutes: Halpin’s semester in Rome, Mundelein before computers, dating at Mundelein.

35-40 Minutes: Socializing at Mundelein, Rogers Park restaurants and bars, Greek Life at Mundelein, Loyola-Mundelein mixers, the Learning Resource Center.

40-45 Minutes: Halpin’s reflection on meaningful experiences at Mundelein, life at an all-women's college, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, music appreciation with Sister Judith Dewell.

45-50 Minutes: Taking classes at Loyola, interaction with Loyola students, resident hall room checks, curfew, visiting home, commuter students.

50-55 Minutes: Mundelein College Degree Completion Program, commuter students, Halpin’s time in the social chairman in student government, socialization in Coffey Hall.

55-60 Minutes: Halpin’s reflection on important national issues during her time at Mundelein.

60-67:18 Minutes: Staff/ Faculty activism, student-teacher dynamics at Mundelein, Halpin’s Mundelein class ring, reflections on Mundelein College.

Broadway Avenue, JBH 35-40

Clark Avenue, JBH 35-40

Chicago, IL., JBH 15-20, JBH 55-60

Dewell, Judith (Sister), JBH 40-45

Earth Day, JBH 15-20, JBH 20-25

Ebay, JBH 60-67:18

Evanston, IL, JBH 0-5

Georgetown University, JBH 30-35

Grant Park, Chicago, IL., JBH 20-25

Hamilton's- A Chicago Bar-Grill, JBH 35-40

Illinois Institute of Technology, JBH 30-35

Illinois State University, JBH 0-5

Jewel Osco, JBH 50-55

Kelly, Carol, JBH 10-15,

Kennedy, John F., JBH 55-60

Kennedy, Robert, JBH 55-60

Kent State Massacre, JBH 20-25, JBH 55-60

King Jr., Martin Luther, JBH 55-60

Lake Michigan, JBH 35-40

Loyola University Chicago, JBH 20-25, JBH 30-35, JBH 35-40, JBH 40-45, JBH 55-60

Loyola University Chicago, John Felice Rome Center, JBH 25-30, JBH 30-35, JBH 40-45, JBH 45-50,

Millen, Mimi, JBH 5-10,

Mundelein College, JBH 0-5, JBH 5-10, JBH 10-15, JBH 15-20, JBH 20-25, JBH 25-30, JBH 30-35, JBH 35-40, JBH 40-45, JBH 45-50, JBH 50-55, JBH 55-60, JBH 60-67:18

Mundelein College Candlelighting Ceremony, JBH 5-10, JBH 10-15,

Mundelein College Coffey Hall, JBH 0-5, JBH 5-10, JBH 30-35, JBH 50-55

Mundelein College Commuter Lounge, JBH 45-50

Mundelein College Degree Completion Program, JBH 50-55

Mundelein College Learning Resource Center, JBH 35-40

Mundelein College Piper Hall, JBH 35-40

Mundelein College Skyscraper Building, JBH 15-20, JBH 45-50

Mundelein College Tea Room, JBH 15-20

National Guard, JBH 20-25, JBH 55-60, JBH 60-67:18

Northwestern University, JBH 20-25

Oak Park, IL, JBH 0-5

Palatine, IL., JBH 0-5

Rogers Park, Chicago, IL., JBH 35-40

Rome, Italy, JBH 25-30, JBH 30-35, JBH 40-45, JBH 50-55

Saint Xavier University, JBH 30-35

Sister Jean (Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, BVM), JBH 40-45, JBH 60-67:18

Sheridan Road, JBH 20-25, JBH 35-40

Triton College, JBH 0-5

University of Dayton, JBH 0-5

University of Illinois, Chicago, JBH 0-5

Washington, D.C., JBH 55-60

Vietnam War, JBH 20-25, JBH 55-60

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