Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU), known locally as the Lake, is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

Catholic university in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1895 by the Sisters of Divine Providence, a

religious institute A religious institute is a type of institute of consecrated life in the Catholic Church whose members take religious vows and lead a life in community with fellow members. Religious institutes are one of the two types of institutes of consecrate ...

originating in Lorraine, France, during the 18th century. The Texas chapter of the institute still sponsors the university. Our Lady of the Lake University was the first San Antonio institution of higher education to receive regional accreditation and its Worden School of Social Service is the oldest Social Work school in Texas. Our Lady of the Lake University offers Bachelor's degrees, Master's degrees, and two

doctoral A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...

degree programs across its main campus and its satellite campuses in The Woodlands and in the Rio Grande Valley. The university's athletic team, the Saints, compete in the

Red River Athletic Conference The Red River Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference's 13 member institutions are located in Texas, Louisiana Louisiana , group=pr ...

(RRAC) as part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

History

In 1895, construction began on the main campus of what would become Our Lady of the Lake College. By 1896, high school educational programs were under way. The first college program began in 1911 as a two-year curriculum for women. In 1919, the curriculum was expanded to four years and the institution was admitted to membership in the Texas Association of Colleges. Graduate study began in 1942 and was coeducational from its inception; all programs became fully coeducational in 1969. In 1975, the name of the institution was changed from Our Lady of the Lake College to Our Lady of the Lake University of San Antonio. Our Lady of the Lake University was the first San Antonio institution of higher education to receive regional accreditation. It has been accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools since 1923. In 1927, it became the third Texas school to be approved by the American Association of Universities. As part of its mission to provide education to those with limited access, the university introduced the Weekend College concept at the San Antonio campus in 1978. OLLU began offering "weekend degree" programs at Lone Star College - North Harris in 1986. The Houston program would move to the Lone Star College University Center in 2012, and construction would be completed on its own stand-alone campus, located off Beltway 8 near Interstate 45, in 2018. In 2008, the university began a partnership with school districts in the Rio Grande Valley that would eventually evolve into its satellite campus in La Feria, Texas. University president Tessa Martinez Pollack resigned on March 1, 2013. She began her presidency in 2002. Her resignation followed what the ''

San Antonio Express-News The ''San Antonio Express-News'' is a daily newspaper in San Antonio, Texas. It is owned by the Hearst Corporation and has offices in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. The ''Express-News'' is the third largest newspaper in the state of Texas, with ...

'' characterized as "months of tumult in which students and faculty protested Pollack's decision to eliminate a dozen degree majors, including religious studies and Mexican American studies, which some considered at the core of the Catholic school's mission and identity." Sister Jane Ann Slater, CDP served as interim president until Diane Melby was appointed to the post in July 2015. On May 27, 2021, Melby announced her intention to retire after the 2021–22 school year in an open letter to the OLLU community. A search committee for her successor was formed, and Abel A. Chavez was chosen as the university's 10th president. Chavez began his tenure in July 2022.

2008 fire

On May 6, 2008, a fire was reported on the campus at 7:44 p.m. CDT. The fire affected all four floors of the main building. The fire quickly changed from a three- to four-alarm fire after an hour's time with five pumper trucks battling the blaze. No injuries or deaths occurred. The fire consumed the roof and one spire had collapsed. Much of the damage to the building was due to the amount of water poured into the building to contain the blaze. While the firefighters struggled with the fourth floor, some of the university's IT staff went in and protected the servers that were located on the first floor of the same building. Operations were coordinated from the Library building located across 24th Street from Main. A bomb threat the day before the fire had caused some concern that the incident was arson-related. Firefighters suspect that the fire started on the fourth floor of the Main building due to an electrical short. The community quickly rallied to raise funds for reconstruction, and the project was completed in fall 2010. It hosted its first class since the fire in January 2011.

Academics

Our Lady of the Lake University currently offers Bachelor's degrees in 33 areas of study, Master's degrees in 14 areas of study, and two

degree programs. Classes are offered through traditional weekday, weekend and online formats. Our Lady of the Lake University also offers classes on its satellite campuses in The Woodlands, near Houston, and in the Rio Grande Valley in La Feria, Texas.

Athletics

The Our Lady of the Lake (OLLU) athletic teams are called the Saints (formerly known as the Armadillos until 2009). The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the

(RRAC) since the 2009–10 academic year. The Saints previously competed as an NAIA Independent within the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) from 2007–08 to 2008–09. OLLU competes in 17 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include competitive cheer and competitive dance.

History

OLLU began its athletics program in 2007 with volleyball and men's soccer; followed by women's soccer, men's tennis, and men's golf in 2008; later softball, men's and women's basketball, and men's and women's cross-country in 2009, and finally baseball and men's and women's track and field in 2014. The university added women's golf, women's tennis, competitive cheer and dance for the 2020–21 school year, and began a drumline in 2022-23. On December 12, 2020, the Saints men's basketball team defeated NCAA Division I member Texas State 61–58. On April 17, 2020, the Saints men's track and field team won their first conference championship in school history. In 2021–22, the women's basketball team won their eighth RRAC regular-season title and fourth conference tournament title, going undefeated in conference play. They also made their ninth appearance in the NAIA National Tournament, losing to Wayland Baptist in the opening round. OLLU's softball team finished with the best overall record in the conference, and advanced to the championship game of the NAIA National Championship Opening Round's Gulf Shores bracket. The Saints' women's 4x100 relay team also made an appearance in the national championships. On February 12, 2022, university play-by-play announcer Michael Thompson fell down the bleachers at a women's basketball game after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was rushed to the hospital and died shortly thereafter.

Campus

The university's historic Main Building was completed in 1895. Today, it is home to the university cafeteria, several classrooms and offices, and the Veronica Salazar Media Center. Sacred Heart Convenual Chapel, completed in 1923, was designed by architect Leo M. J. Dielmann. The University Wellness and Activities Center (UWAC) and adjacent athletic fields are home to the university's athletic teams, as well as exercise facilities for student use. The university has four residence halls. Three of these (Ayres, Centennial, and Flores) are traditional dorm-style housing, with the Slater Apartments providing apartment-style housing. Students are served by the

VIA Metropolitan Transit VIA Metropolitan Transit (or VIA) is the mass transit agency serving San Antonio, Texas, United States, and its surrounding municipalities. It began operation in 1978 as a successor to the San Antonio Transit System. In , the system had a riders ...

system for free with student IDs.

Student life

In 2007, the university hosted an initial event to kickstart

San Japan San Japan is an annual three-day anime convention held during August/September at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio Grand Hyatt Hotel, and San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk in San Antonio. The convention is held over Labor Day ...

, a local anime convention. The campus has the following fraternities and sororities: two multicultural sororities

Delta Xi Nu Delta Xi Nu Multicultural Sorority, Inc. () is a sorority that was established at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East-Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Vall ...

and

Theta Nu Xi Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Inc. () is a historically multicultural sorority founded on April 11, 1997, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), by seven women who sought to bridge cultural gaps. Theta Nu Xi was incorpora ...

, Latina sorority

Kappa Delta Chi Kappa Delta Chi Sorority, Inc. (), also known as K-D Chi (pronounced Kay-Dee-Kie) is a Greek letter, intercollegiate Latina founded sorority in the United States. KDChi is a 501(c)(7) organization that prides itself on graduating all of its memb ...

, service sorority

Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha International () is a community and collegiate service organization for anyone ages 18 and older. The organization states that its purpose "is to inspire leadership and service by bringing good people together to pursue progr ...

, and Christian fraternity

Sigma Theta Epsilon Sigma Theta Epsilon () was an interdenominational national Christian fraternal organization whose last active chapter appears to have ceased operations in . Its first name as an emerging national fraternity was Delta Sigma Theta in , but due to ...

. The university also hosts over 50 clubs and organizations.

Former operations

OLLU previously hosted weekend classes at Brookhaven College in Farmers Branch, Texas, near Dallas. The Dallas Weekend College (DWEC) began operations in fall 1994 and moved to Brookhaven in 1997.

Notable people

Alumni

Bernard Ardisana Brigadier General Bernard Ardisana (October 27, 1924 – January 14, 1978) was the assistant deputy director for operations at the National Security Agency at Fort George G. Meade. During his tenure with the US Military he also commanded the ...

, military intelligence officer * Robert Anthony Brucato, bishop and prelate *

Rosie Castro Maria del Rosario "Rosie" Castro (born 1947) is an American civil rights activist and educator from San Antonio, Texas, who has been involved in several prominent groups, such as the Young Democrats of America, the Mexican American Youth Organizat ...

, civil rights activist *

Anna Eastman Anna Eastman is an American politician. She represented the 148th district in the Texas House of Representatives for under a year from February 2020 to January 2021. On July 14, 2020, Eastman was defeated in her re-election attempt by Penny Moral ...

, former politician in the Texas House of Representatives *

Francis James Furey Francis James Furey (February 22, 1905 – April 23, 1979) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania from 1960 to 1863, as bishop of the Diocese of ...

, prelate and bishop (honorary degree) * Jon Garcia, director *

Julian S. Garcia Julian S. Garcia has been involved in Chicano literature since the late 1970s when the San Antonio arts and politics journal ''Caracol'' had its offices on West Commerce Street in San Antonio, Texas. In 1985, Garcia became one of ''Caracol'' associ ...

, writer, op-ed writer for the San Antonio Express-News. He is the author of La Fantastica Curandera. *

Jovita González Jovita González (January 18, 1904 – 1983) was a well-respected Mexican-American folklorist, educator, and writer, best known for writing '' Caballero: A Historical Novel'' (co-written with Margaret Eimer, pseudonym Eve Raleigh). González was a ...

, folklorist, educator, and writerSee Wittliff Collections of Jovita González Mireles Papers *

Naomi Gonzalez Naomi R. Gonzalez (born June 4, 1978) is an attorney and politician from El Paso, Texas. She was a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015, where she represented the 76th district in El Paso County. She lost h ...

, attorney and former politician in the Texas House of Representatives *

Charles Victor Grahmann Charles Victor Grahmann (July 15, 1931 – August 14, 2018) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Dallas in Texas from 1990 to 2007. He also served as bishop of the Diocese of Victori ...

, prelate and bishop *

Maria Hernandez Ferrier Maria Hernandez Ferrier is a former government official and the first president of Texas A&M University–San Antonio from 2010-2014. After working as an unlicensed nurse's assistant for minimum wage, Ferrier attended her first community college ...

, former government official and first president of Texas A&M University–San Antonio * Arcadia Hernández López, bilingual educator * Christine Hernandez, educator and former politician in the Texas House of Representatives *

William F. Kernan General William F. "Buck" Kernan (born January 29, 1946) was born in Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He was commissioned in November 1968 from Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Our Lad ...

, United States Army General *

Charles Kettles Charles Seymour Kettles (January 9, 1930 – January 21, 2019) was a United States Army lieutenant colonel and a Medal of Honor recipient. Early life Kettles was born in Ypsilanti, Michigan, on January 9, 1930. He studied engineering at Michi ...

, Medal of Honor recipient * Jonathan Joss, actor *

Theresa Angela Lane Theresa Angela Lane (February 7, 1915 – August 6, 1974) was an American teacher, librarian, and archivist. She was the first to be professionally trained as an archivist at the Catholic Archives of Texas in Austin and helped found the Society ...

, teacher and archivist *

Helen Miller Helen Miller may refer to: * Helen Miller (cricketer) (1915–1972), New Zealand cricketer * Helen Miller (politician) (born 1945), American politician * Helen Miller (songwriter) (1925–2006), American songwriter * Helen Hill Miller (1899–1995 ...

, former member of the Iowa House of Representatives * Ciro Rodriguez, politician and judge *

Mario Marcel Salas Mario Marcel Salas (born July 30, 1949 in San Antonio, Texas) is a civil rights leader for over 30 years, and an author and politician. His parents were an Afro-Mexican father and a mixed race mother. He graduated from Phyllis Wheatley High School, ...

, civil rights activist *

Shelley Sekula-Gibbs Shelley Sekula-Gibbs (born June 22, 1953) is an American physician and politician, who serves as a director of The Woodlands, Texas Township board of directors. She served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representin ...

, former member of the United States House of Representatives *

Elizabeth Anne Sueltenfuss Sister Elizabeth Anne Sueltenfuss (April 14, 1921 – December 19, 2009) was an American education, educator and Catholicism, Catholic Religious sister (Catholic), sister. Sueltenfuss was born on April 14, 1921, in San Antonio, Texas, to Edward L ...

, fourth president and first female president of the university * D'Angelo Wallace, YouTube commentator

People

* Sandra Cisneros, former

writer-in-residence Artist-in-residence, or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs which involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs which provide artists with space a ...

at the university *

Suzy González Suzy González (born 1989) is an American artist and activist, she is known for her paintings and zines that explore social and political issues. She is part of the artist/art curation duo, ''Dos Mestizx,'' along with artist Michael Menchaca. Si ...

, artist and adjunct professor *

James Johnson Kelly James Johnson Kelly (March 29, 1928 – December 29, 2018) was a United States Army Air Force/United States Air Force officer who served with the 99th Fighter Squadron and 332nd Fighter Group. He served in the Korean War at the Battle of Chosin ...

Tuskegee Airman The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332d Fighter Group and the 477th Fighter Group, 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of the ...

and former university trustee

References

External links

Official website

Official athletics website
{{authority control Educational institutions established in 1895 Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Universities and colleges in San Antonio 1895 establishments in Texas Catholic universities and colleges in Texas Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities Former women's universities and colleges in the United States Congregation of Divine Providence