A Comprehensive History of Loras College

Loras College, a private Catholic institution in Dubuque, Iowa, boasts a rich and evolving history, deeply intertwined with the development of education and religious life in the region. From its humble beginnings as a seminary to its current status as a comprehensive college offering both undergraduate and graduate programs, Loras has consistently adapted to meet the changing needs of its students and community. This article delves into the significant periods and milestones that have shaped Loras College into the institution it is today.

The Foundation: Saint Raphael's Seminary (1839-1850)

The story of Loras College begins with Bishop Mathias Loras of the Diocese of Dubuque. In 1839, he established Saint Raphael's Seminary in the back of Saint Raphael's Cathedral in Dubuque. This marked the beginning of higher education in Iowa, making Loras the state's first institution of higher learning. The initial student body was diverse, comprising four seminarians from France, two members of a Sioux tribe, and several local students.

This early focus on inclusivity and a broad educational mission set the stage for the college's future development. The seminary aimed to provide a foundation in religious studies and prepare young men for service within the church and the wider community.

Relocation and Renaming: Mount St. Bernard's College and Seminary (1850-1873)

In 1850, Bishop Loras made the decision to move the seminary from its downtown location to a more rural setting within Dubuque. This move was motivated by a desire to provide a more secluded and focused environment for the students, away from the distractions of the city. Additionally, the new location included farmland to grow food for the college, making it more self-sufficient. Along with the relocation came a new name: Mount St. Bernard's College and Seminary.

Father Joseph Cretin served as the first president of Mount St. Bernard's. He later became the first bishop of the Diocese of Saint Paul, highlighting the institution's role in developing leaders for the Catholic Church. However, the financial Panic of 1857 had a severe impact on St. Bernard's, ultimately leading to its closure in 1860.

Re-establishment as St. Joseph's College (1873)

After a period of dormancy, John Hennessy, who became bishop in 1866, recognized the need for a Catholic educational institution in Dubuque. In 1873, he established St. Joseph's College in Dubuque, offering a high school and a four-year college program. By 1878, St. Joseph's College had expanded its curriculum to include three departments: preparatory, commercial, and ecclesiastical, catering to a variety of student interests and career paths.

Despite these efforts, enrollment at St. Joseph's had fallen to 56 students by 1886. In response, the college added a classical, philosophical, and theological course with Christian doctrine and foreign languages, aiming to attract more students with a broader and more rigorous academic program.

Transition and Conflict: Dubuque College (1914)

In 1914, St. Joseph's College underwent another transformation, becoming Dubuque College and introducing a four-year degree program. This marked a significant step in the college's evolution toward becoming a modern liberal arts institution.

However, this period was not without its challenges. Dubuque College faced conflict with the Dubuque German College due to the similarity of their names, leading to confusion and competition.

The Loras College Era (1939-Present)

In 1939, Dubuque College was renamed Loras College, honoring its founder, Bishop Mathias Loras. This name change signified a renewed commitment to the college's Catholic heritage and its mission of providing a comprehensive education rooted in faith and values. That same year, the national Catholic honor society, Delta Epsilon Sigma, was founded at Loras.

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During World War II, Loras College participated in the V-12 Navy College Training Program, offering officer training to naval personnel.

In 1963, when Catholic University of America discontinued its graduate program at Loras, the college initiated its Graduate Division, offering the Master of Arts degree in some fields.

The college continued to expand its offerings, introducing Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees in 1973. The Division of Community Education was initiated in 1975.

In 1987, the administrations of Loras College and Clarke College in Dubuque began exploring a merger, but the discussions ultimately did not result in a consolidation.

Academics and Accreditation

Loras College offers a wide range of academic programs, with 49 majors, 11 stand-alone minors, and nine pre-professional programs for undergraduates. Students can also participate in summer classes, internships, field experiences, and study abroad programs, providing them with diverse learning opportunities.

Loras is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ensuring the quality and credibility of its academic programs. The teacher education program, both at the graduate and undergraduate levels, is approved by the Iowa Department of Education. The undergraduate teacher education program is also accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. The American Chemical Society has approved the undergraduate chemistry program.

Campus and Facilities

Loras College occupies a 65-acre campus on several hills in Dubuque. The campus contains 23 buildings, two athletic fields, a stadium, and five tennis courts. The campus is bounded by Loras Boulevard on the south, Kirkwood Street on the north, Henion Street on the east, and Alta Vista Street on the west. It is surrounded by residential neighborhoods.

Key buildings and facilities on campus include:

Athletic Wellness Center: Opened in 2008, it is used for men's and women's basketball and volleyball along with men's wrestling.
Academic Resource Center: Home to the main library, with 355,000 items.
Christ the King Chapel: The main chapel on campus Built in 1946, is decorated in a pre-Vatican II Streamline Moderne architectural style. The chapel holds daily mass, Thursday night exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and reconciliation, and mass Sunday night with student lectors, cantors, musicians, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, greeters, acolytes, and sacristans. The chapel connects to Keane Hall via a skywalk.
Hoffmann Hall: The oldest building on the campus, with parts of the building built in 1902. It includes a clock tower, and houses various academic uses, a pre-Vatican II architectural-themed adoration chapel named St. Joseph's, along with St. Joseph's Auditorium. The auditorium is the home of the Loras Players, the oldest continually running theater group west of the Mississippi River.
Keane Hall: Located on the top of the highest hill in Dubuque.
The Visitation Complex: The former convent of the Visitation Sisters, it now houses art and music classes. Gallagher Hall is used for recitals.

The Alumni Campus Center was built in 1992, and added a new library in 2001. The Academic Resource Center contains a collection of approximately 355,000 items and 11,000 magazine subscriptions. In addition to its broad general collection, the library contains a rich heritage in its special collections of rare books, as well as the photographs and manuscripts in the Center for Dubuque History located in the lower level of the library. The library is also an official document depository for both the United States government and the state of Iowa.

Loras purchased Cox Street which runs through campus from the city of Dubuque for $50,000. The school has since shut the street down and replaced it with a pedestrian-friendly walk way to improve pedestrian safety and help upgrade the area aesthetically. In 2015, a school spirit shop, The Duhawk Shop, and Einstein Bros. Bagels opened in the Alumni Campus Center.

St. Pius X Seminary

St. Pius X Seminary, located on the Loras College campus, is operated by the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The seminary prepares Minor (College) Seminarians for the priesthood, specifically preparing candidates for entrance into Major Seminary & Theological studies. Through Loras, the seminary provides full training in Philosophical studies, while giving students the necessary religious studies courses required for entrance into Major Seminary.

The seminary has operated under various names and conditions at Loras College since 1839 until adopting its present name in 1954. St. Pius X has prepared many seminarians across Iowa and the surrounding states for the priesthood, counting over 30 bishops as alumni.

Athletics: The Duhawks

Loras' athletic teams are known as the Duhawks, a name bestowed upon the football team by a Detroit Free Press scribe in 1924 converging Dubuque and Hawks. The school fields 23 men's and women's varsity teams in the NCAA Division III. They are a member of the American Rivers Conference (ARC). Lorasâ colors are Purple, Rah Rah Gold, and Metallic Gold.

The men's soccer team has advanced to the NCAA Division III Final Four five times since 2007, and once to the NCAA Division III Championship game in 2015. Denise Udelhofen ('90) serves as the director of athletics for the Duhawks and is assisted by head men's soccer coach and director of soccer operations, Dan Rothert ('96).

The Loras Duhawks football team represents Loras College in college football at the NCAA Division III level. The Duhawks are members of the American Rivers Conference (ARC), fielding its team in the ARC since 1986 when it was named the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC). The Duhawks play their home games at Rock Bowl Stadium in Dubuque, Iowa. The team was also previously known as the St. Loras claims 1 conference title, which came in 1948.

Notable Alumni

Loras College has produced a diverse array of successful individuals in various fields, including:

Red Faber: Professional baseball pitcher who attended Loras in 1909. Faber set a college record by striking out 24 St. Ambrose University batters in a 1909 game. Played for 20 years with the Chicago White Sox.
Matthew Fox: Creation Spirituality founder, attended Loras in 1958. He was eventually ordained as a Dominican priest but then silenced for a year (forbidden to teach theology) by Cardinal Josef Ratzinger in 1988. In 1993, he was expelled from the Dominican order and effectively from the Catholic Church at the order of Ratzinger.
Edward Grace: (class of 1988), chief of law enforcement for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2016, he received the Sammie Award for Career Achievement.
Javier Manzano: (class of 1998), freelance photographer, who received the Public Photo Prize Award at the 20th edition of the Bayeux Calvados-Normandy Awards held in Bayeux, France.
Reverend Aloysius Schmitt: Sailor on the USS Oklahoma during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Loras College currently counts over 30 bishops as alumni.

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