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Sister Mary John Michael Dee, BVM describes her childhood and education before arriving at Mundelein after profession with the BVMs. Sister Mary John Michael was one of the original five novitiates hand chosen by Sister Mary Justicia to join the faculty and undergo graduate studies in 1931. Sister Mary John Michael names the five: Sister Mary Columba Kriebs, Sister Irma Corcoran, Sister Mary Francine Gould, Sister Mary Sylvester Geisler, and Sister Mary John Michael Dee. Sister Mary John Michael was sent to the University of Michigan with Sister Mary Columba for one year to earn their master’s degrees.
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Sister Mary Francine Gould, BVM interviews with Sister Mary DeCock, BVM. She describes growing up in Chicago, and eventually entering the BVMs in 1929. Sister Mary Francine served as part of the first set of sisters to teach at Mundelein College. She encountered various pressures in the early years of Mundelein, working alongside and occasionally standing in for Sister Justicia Coffey, BVM. Her time at Clarke College was much more calm in comparison to Mundelein. She eventually retired from Clarke in 1972 before moving to the BVM Mother House in Dubuque, Iowa.
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Sister Irma Corcoran, BVM recollects her experiences in graduate school at Columbia University as the only sister on the entire campus. Sister Irma reflects on all of the presidents at Mundelein during her 61 years there, from the skyscraper’s dedication until Loyola took possession of the building in 1961. Asserts that Sister Mary Justicia was not just a builder but was a school woman as well. Discusses Mundelein’s mission as a “city college” for “work a day” city women. Sister Irma describes several of her colleagues on the Mundelein faculty and recalls several anecdotes which draw a rich portrait of the daily life of Mundelein in the 1930s and 1940s.
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Sister Irma Corcoran, BVM describes her work as a Milton scholar with a focus on early seventeenth-century scholarship on Genesis. Sister Irma reflects on her formative childhood experiences and her friendships. Sister Irma was one of the “first five,” a group of academically inclined novitiates hand picked by Mundelein’s first president, Sister Justicia Coffey. The five young sisters were educated at various institutions and then returned to Mundelein to teach. Sister Irma discusses her daily duties as one of Mundelein’s first faculty members.
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Mundelein College superintendent of maintenance, John Slobodnik recollects the condition of Mundelein skyscraper in the months before the college’s affiliation with Loyola in 1991. He recounts the multimillion dollar refurbishment that he and his crew undertook the affiliation and describes the various projects he oversaw in the decades that followed. Slobodnik expresses his deep support for the mission of Mundelein and expresses the practical necessity for the affiliation.
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A staff member at both Mundelein College and Loyola University Chicago, Carmen Navarette reflects on her life serving Latino students at both. She grew up in Colombia, spending most of her life in the United States. She started in 1985 to lead the Hispanic Women’s Program. Navarette constantly felt supported by all of the BVMs. After Mundelein affiliated with Loyola, she continued to serve as a liaison to Latinos. She works to recruit students to the university. She concludes her oral history reflecting fondly on the BVMs and their willingness to help people.
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Member of the class of 1951, Kathryn Quinn Knowles recounts her memories as a student at Mundelein, particularly her work as a staff member for literary magazines, Quest and The Review. Quinn Knowles recounts her experiences with several Mundelein faculty members such as Sister Richard, Sister Clara in the library, and Sister John Michael Dee. Quinn Knowles recounts several visitors to Mundelein Assemblies including author, Graham Green and ex-communist Catholic convert, Elizabeth Bentley.
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Grevas discusses with Sister Mary Alma Sullivan, BVM her life trajectory. She was born to Greek immigrants in Chicago in 1930. She explains that although her parents raised her in the Greek Orthodox Church, she learned more about Christianity through Catholic schools, including Mundelein College. At Mundelein College, she did well in her studies, graduating in 1951. Following graduation, she taught for a few years before getting married. Grevas concludes by talking about her community service work in her hometown of Rock Island, Illinois.
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A member of the Mundelein 1951 class, Sister Mary Alma Sullivan, BVM returned after graduation to teach English for over two decades. Sister Mary Alma recounts memories of her childhood in Chicago and her extended family gatherings in Freeport, Illinois where her grandfather played fiddle. Sister Mary Alma discusses the “double sided” nature of Mundelein College training in which the students were taught both to become both housewives and rigorous burgeoning academics. Sister Mary Alma describes the interior of the skyscraper in detail, particularly her recollections of working on the Skyscraper student newspaper on the fifth floor.
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Margaret Egan Namovic was a 1951 Mundelein graduate. Egan Namovic recollects her Chicago, Irish Catholic family background and the decision making process that resulted in her attendance at Mundelein. Egan Namovic loved her experiences at Mundelein and asserts that it, “opened up the world” for her. She majored in Physics and recollects her experiences with the eminent Mundelein physicist and professor, Sister Therese Langerbeck who was “like a second mother to her.” Egan Namovic recounts her participation in the Red Cross as a student and her early professional career as a chemist for several companies including Kraft Foods where she developed innovative food products. Egan Namovic concludes her interview by recounting her experiences as a young mother of many children in Skokie, Illinois.
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Sister Irene Meyer, BVM reflects on how Mundelein College shaped her as a graduate of the class of 1951. She grew up in a German Lutheran family, but was interested in the Catholic Church, and chose Mundelein because it was Catholic. Sister Irene studied Psychology and played in the college’s orchestra. She received her doctorate at St. Louis University, returning to Mundelein to teach Psychology and Continuing Education. Mundelein emphasized service learning, which she advocated. Sister Irene finishes talking about her career later in life working in public health at a community health center and through her own private practice.
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Sister Judith Therese McNulty, BVM considers her the impact of Mundelein College upon her life as an alumna of the class of 1951. She grew up in an Irish Catholic family. Sister Judith Therese attended Mundelein because she lived in St. Gertrude’s Parish. Her classmates were some of her best and lasting friends. She enjoyed her classes, as well as her extracurricular activities at Mundelein. The college fostered leadership among the women. Sister Judith Therese concludes the interview by evaluating why single-sex schools have closed, considering finances and increasing comfort between men and women.
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Joan Holland was a 1951 graduate of Mundelein College. Holland discusses her childhood in Evanston, Illinois and her high school experiences at Loretto Academy in Hamilton, Ontario. Holland was a child actress and she briefly outlines her “Hollywood” experiences on the set of several movies including the award winning, The Great Ziegfeld. Holland discusses her experiences at Mundelein, in particular her recollections of English professor, Sister Irma Corcoran, her best friend among the Mundelein faculty. Holland discusses her social activism after her graduation, including a 1989 peace march which took her to several cities including Washington D.C. and Philadelphia.
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Member of the Mundelein Class of 1938, Kay Heerey Sullivan begins her interview by recollecting her early educational pathway from Chicago’s Siena High School to Mundelein College. Heerey Sullivan was an Economics major and she relays her fondness for Sister Mary Pierre Flynn who taught in the department and became a lifelong friend to her students. Heerey Sullivan was on the staff of the student paper, The Skyscraper and was involved with the Chicago Inter-Student Catholic Action, CISCA. Heerey Sullivan reflects on cooperation between Loyola and Mundelein which enriched their students’ social and educational experiences.
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McCambridge focuses her solo interview on Sister Mary Leola Oliver, BVM and how she influenced her life. She grew up on the South Side of Chicago, attending college at Mundelein. McCambridge began her association with sister right as she began in college and took performing arts classes. Oliver emphasized diction, body movement, and overall excellence. The choir that Oliver composed of Mundelein students gained citywide attention and eventually performed on NBC. That particular moment pushed McCambridge into fame. She credits all of her success in the interview not to herself, but rather to Sister Mary Leola Oliver.
