Lewis University is a private

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

and

Lasallian french: Frères des Écoles Chrétiennes , image = Signum Fidei.jpg , image_size = 175px , caption = , abbreviation = FSC , nickname = Lasallians , named_after = , formation ...

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

Romeoville, Illinois Romeoville is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The village is located southwest of Chicago on the Des Plaines River. Per the 2020 census, the population was 39,863. It is located in the southwest suburban area of Chicago near ...

, United States. The enrollment is currently around 6,800 students. Lewis offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and programs of study, 22 graduate programs, and accelerated programs for working adults.

History

Lewis University was founded in 1932 by the

Archdiocese of Chicago The Archdiocese of Chicago ( la, Archidiœcesis Chicagiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in Northeastern Illinois, in the United States. It was established as a diocese in 1843 and ...

and Bishop Bernard J. Scheil as the ''Holy Name Technical School''. The school gets its name from philanthropist Frank J. Lewis who funded the construction of many of the school's buildings. During these early days, aviation technology courses were chosen as the special emphasis of instruction, becoming the origin of today's highly regarded Department of Aviation and Transportation Studies. The school was incorporated in 1934 under the name Lewis Holy Name Technical School. In 1935, it became Lewis Holy Name School of Aeronautics, a name which is engraved in stone on the building now known as the Philip Lynch Theatre at the Oremus Fine Arts Center. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, normal classes were suspended as the campus was given to the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

to train pilots. The campus is adjacent to the

Lewis University Airport Lewis University Airport is a public use airport located 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Chicago, in the village of Romeoville in Will County, Illinois, United States. The Joliet Regional Port District assumed ownership of the airport in 198 ...

. Regular classes resumed in late 1944 and the college soon adopted a more traditional arts and science

curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...

. Women were admitted for the first time in 1949. Three years later the school's name was changed to the ''Lewis College of Science and Technology''. The school's name was shortened to simply ''Lewis College'' in 1962 and finally received its current name of ''Lewis University'' in 1973. In 2004 and 2005, Lewis enrolled more than 5,000 total students. Lewis’ strengths as an institution of higher learning have been evidenced through various sources. The University has been cited as one of the best colleges in the region by both ''

The Princeton Review The Princeton Review is an education services company providing tutoring, test preparation and admission resources for students. It was founded in 1981. and since that time has worked with over 400 million students. Services are delivered by 4,0 ...

'' and '' U.S. News & World Report''. The university is included in the top tier of ''U.S. News & World Report''s rankings of the best Midwest master's-level universities, most recently ranked in the Top 20. ''The Princeton Review'' named Lewis one of the "Best Midwestern Colleges," with Lewis being ranked among a select list of 23 Illinois colleges and 158 Midwest institutions. In 2019, Lewis University offered more than 80 undergraduate majors and programs of study, an accelerated degree completion option for working adults, various aviation programs, and 35 graduate programs. The university also offers degree programs in

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

. On February 8, 2016, the Lewis University Presidential Search Committee and Board of Trustees selected David J. Livingston, PhD, then president of

Lourdes University Lourdes University is a private Franciscan university in Sylvania, Ohio. Established in 1958, the university is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania. History In 1916 Mother Adelaide Sandusky traveled from Minnesota to Northwest ...

Sylvania, Ohio Sylvania is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States. The population was 19,011 at the 2020 census. Sylvania is a suburb of Toledo, and encompassed by Sylvania Township. Its northern border is the southern border of the state of Michigan. T ...

, to replace Brother James Gaffney, FSC as the 10th president of the university. Livingston succeeded Brother Gaffney, who retired on June 30, 2016, after 28 years of leadership and service to Lewis University and its students.

Organization

* College of Aviation, Science and Technology * College of Business * College of Education and Social Sciences * College of Humanities, Fine Arts and Communications * College of Nursing and Health Sciences * School of Graduate, Professional and Continuing Education

Athletics

The Lewis athletic teams called are the Flyers. The university is a member of the Division II level of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

(NCAA), primarily competing in the

Great Lakes Valley Conference The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) is a List of NCAA conferences, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the NCAA Division II, Division II level. Its thirteen member institutions a ...

(GLVC) for most of its sports since the 1980–81 academic year; while its men's volleyball team compete in the

Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association The Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) is a college athletic conference whose member schools compete in men's volleyball. The conference footprint is centered in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Missouri in the ...

(MIVA). Since it is not a sponsored sport at the Division II level, the men's volleyball team is the only program that plays in Division I. Prior to joining the NCAA, Lewis was a member of the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...

(NAIA), primarily competing in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) from 1954–55 to 1979–80. Lewis competes in 22 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field and volleyball.

Men's volleyball

The men's volleyball team is the only program that plays in Division I. In 2003 the men's volleyball team won the NCAA Division I/II National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship by defeating

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

, but it later voluntarily gave back its title after an internal investigation found ineligibility issues that had been kept from the NCAA. The program has climbed their way back into the Top-10 rankings of DI-II schools. The Flyers qualified for the NCAA Championship and participated in the 1998 Final Four. In 1998 the Flyers also won their conference title. The Flyers were runners-up to

Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Chicago (Loyola or LUC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus, Loyola is one of the largest Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Cathol ...

in the 2015 NCAA Final.

Women's volleyball

The women's volleyball team has qualified for 16 straight NCAA Regional Championships, having made it to the final 4 in 2018

Track & field/cross country

The men's and women's track and field and cross country teams have had a long history of success, with 85 athletes being awarded All-American since 1988. Alum Isaac Jean-Paul, who won an NCAA Championship in the HJ, went on to win a World Championship in the Paralympics High jump in 2017 in London, jumping a world record 2.17m.

Baseball

As a member of the NAIA, the Flyers won the

NAIA Baseball World Series The NAIA World Series (officially branded as the Avista NAIA World Series for sponsorship purposes from 2013) is a double-elimination tournament, held since 1957, to determine the baseball champion of the National Association of Intercollegiate At ...

from 1974 to 76, and finished as runners-up in 1966 and 1980.

Club sports

Lewis has many club sports as well, such as hockey and rugby.

Notable alumni

Arts, culture and entertainment

Kay Cannon Kay Cannon (born August 22, 1974) is an American screenwriter, producer, director, and actress. She is best known for writing and producing the ''Pitch Perfect'' film series (2012–2017). She made her directorial debut with the comedy film '' ...

, wrote the screenplay for the ''

Pitch Perfect ''Pitch Perfect'' is a 2012 American musical comedy film directed by Jason Moore and written by Kay Cannon. It features an ensemble cast, including Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Skylar Astin, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Hana Mae Lee, Alexis Knap ...

'' movies, directed '' Blockers'', 2021 ''Cinderella'', 2010 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series (''

30 Rock ''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', takes ...

''), actress and improvisational performer *

John Caponera John Caponera (born 1959) is an American comedian and actor. He starred in the 1994 TV series '' The Good Life'' with Drew Carey as Caponera's co-star. (Carey recalls Caponera as "one of the nicest, funniest, and hardest-working guys I've ever kn ...

, television actor and comedian *

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...

, real name Yvette Marie Stevens, performer and eight-time

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

award-winning artist; four-time

American Music Award The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produc ...

-winning artist;

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...

Lifetime Achievement Award winner *

John Loprieno John A. Loprieno (born October 7, 1960) is an American actor and writer. He has appeared on the soap operas ''Search for Tomorrow'' and ''As the World Turns'', but is perhaps best known for his role as Cord Roberts on the ABC soap opera '' One L ...

, television actor in ''

One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...

'', ''

Search for Tomorrow ''Search for Tomorrow'' is an American television soap opera. It began its run on CBS on September 3, 1951, and concluded on NBC, 35 years later, on December 26, 1986. Set in the fictional town of Henderson in an unspecified state, the show focu ...

'', and ''

As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other soa ...

Government, law, politics and activism

James Laski James J. "Jim" Laski (born 1954) was the City Clerk of Chicago, Illinois from 1995–2006. The former congressional aid and city alderman resigned from the City Clerk's office following his indictment for obstruction of justice Obstruction o ...

, former

Chicago City Clerk The City Clerk of Chicago is in charge of record-keeping for the city of Chicago and its elections. When the Chicago City Council is in session, the City Clerk serves as council secretary. This position is a citywide elected office, one of three ...

, controversial

talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...

host, and author of ''My Fall From Grace — From City Hall to Prison Walls'' *

Edward Maloney Edward D. Maloney is a former Democratic member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 18th district from 2003 to 2013. Early life Maloney earned his undergraduate degree in political science from Lewis University and went on to receive ...

, former member of the

Illinois Senate The Illinois Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state, State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adop ...

Tim McCarthy Timothy J. McCarthy (born June 20, 1949) is an American former policeman and special agent in the United States Secret Service. McCarthy is best known for defending President Ronald Reagan during the assassination attempt on Reagan's life on M ...

, former Chief of Police of Orland Park, Illinois; former member of the United States Secret Service. During the 1981 Reagan assassination attempt, he turned into the line of fire, shielded Ronald Reagan, and was wounded from one of John Hinckley, Jr.'s bullets. * Paul Modrowski, earned his degree while in

Stateville Correctional Center Stateville Correctional Center (SCC) is a maximum security state prison for men in Crest Hill, Illinois, United States, near Chicago. It is a part of the Illinois Department of Corrections. History Opened in 1925, Stateville was built to ...

; currently writes a blog from prison *

Tom O'Halleran Thomas Charles O'Halleran (; born January 24, 1946) is an American politician serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for since 2017. Beginning his political career as a Republican Party (United States), Repu ...

, member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

, representing

Arizona's 1st congressional district Arizona's 1st congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of Arizona, covering northeastern Maricopa County. Before 2023, geographically, it was the eleventh-largest congressional district in the country and incl ...

* Charles H. Ramsey, Commissioner of the

Philadelphia Police Department The Philadelphia Police Department (PPD or Philly PD) is the law enforcement agency, police agency responsible for law enforcement and investigations within the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The PPD is one of the oldest municipal police a ...

(2008–present); Chief of the

Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPDC), more commonly known as the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the DC Police, and, colloquially, the DCPD, is the primary law enforcement agency for the District of Columb ...

(1998–2006) * Arthur Turner, member and Deputy Majority Leader of the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...

* Julia Tukai Zvobgo, Zimbabwean activist and politician

Science, technology and medicine

* Michael H. Wynn, podiatrist responsible for the development of the CO₂ laser technique for the treatment of

bunion A bunion, also known as hallux valgus, is a deformity of the joint connecting the big toe to the foot. The big toe often bends towards the other toes and the joint becomes red and painful. The onset of bunions is typically gradual. Complicatio ...

Sports

Jenny Bindon Jenny Lynn Bindon (née Bourn; born 25 February 1973) is an American-born association football coach and former goalkeeper who represented New Zealand at the international level. She played 77 full internationals in between 2004 and 2010. She mo ...

, goalkeeper for the New Zealand women's football team at the 2007 and 2011 Women's World Cup, the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

, and the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

John Dolinsky John Dolinsky is a retired German-American soccer player who played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer League, United Soccer League and American Indoor Soccer Association. He also coached in the American Indoor So ...

, German-American soccer player who played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer League, United Soccer League and American Indoor Soccer Association *

J. J. Furmaniak Jason Joseph "J. J." Furmaniak (born July 31, 1979) is a former American professional baseball infielder, who played in the major leagues for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Oakland Athletics. Early life and career Furmaniak was born in Bolingbro ...

, professional

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

baseball player with the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...

Rick Huisman Richard Allen Huisman (born May 17, 1969) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for the Kansas City Royals in 1995 and 1996. Amateur career Huisman attended Timothy Christian High School in Elmhurst, Illinois and g ...

, professional MLB baseball player with the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

* Kristle Lowell, 2013 Team USA World Champion trampoline gymnast * Wayne Molis, NBA center/forward (

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

) *

George Schmidt George Schmidt (October 28, 1927 – August 29, 1995) was an American football defensive end in the National Football League. He played professionally for the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Cardinals (NFL, 1920–59), Chicago Cardinals. ...

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

Player for the 1952

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

and 1953

Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ca ...

Ed Spiezio Edward Wayne Spiezio (born October 31, 1941) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1964 to 1972 for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. Listed at and ...

, former third baseman in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

who played from 1964 through 1972 for the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

and

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

* Paul Stevens, college baseball coach at

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

Ernie Young Ernest Wesley Young (born July 8, 1969) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and current coach for the United States national baseball team. He played in parts of eight seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for five different ...

, baseball player with the

Oakland A's The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

and

Campus media

* '' The Lewis Flyer'' * WLRA (88.1 FM)

References

External links

*
Official athletics website
{{Coord, 41.604781, -88.080524, type:edu_globe:earth_region:US-IL, display=inline,title Lasallian colleges and universities Educational institutions established in 1932 Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Education in Will County, Illinois Buildings and structures in Will County, Illinois Romeoville, Illinois Catholic universities and colleges in Illinois Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet in Illinois Aviation schools in the United States 1932 establishments in Illinois