St. Viator College was a Catholic

liberal arts college A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on Undergraduate education, undergraduate study in the Liberal arts education, liberal arts of humanities and science. Such colleges aim to impart ...

in Bourbonnais, Illinois. It is no longer in operation. Today, the site is home to Olivet Nazarene University.

History

St. Viator's grew out of the original

Bourbonnais The Bourbonnais (; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Borbonés'') was a Provinces of France, historic province in the centre of France that corresponds to the modern ''département in France, département'' of Allier, along with part of the ''dépar ...

village school, founded in 1865 by the Viatorians, to an

academy An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

for boys with the help of Father P. Beaudoin and Brothers Martel and Bernard. On September 6, 1868 it became a four-year

with the aid of Father Thomas Roy. After nine years of work, Father Roy returned to his home in Canada, and was succeeded by Father M. J. Marsile, who oversaw the college for another 25 years. In 1906, several buildings were destroyed by fire, but courses continued in improvised quarters and new buildings were erected. Father Marsile afterward resigned, and Reverend John Patrick O'Mahoney C.S.V. was appointed president. Under financial pressure, the college closed in 1938.

Campus

Roy Memorial Chapel was named for Father Thomas Roy, who served as president of the college. Marsile Alumni Hall was named in honour of Father M. J. Marsile, who was college president for 25 years. After St. Viator's closed in 1938, the campus was purchased by Olivet Nazarene College from Olivet, Illinois. Four buildings on the Olivet Nazarene campus are original from the days of St. Viator's 39-

acre The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...

campus.

Academics

St. Viator College had a preparatory department and high school in addition to the college and seminary and, for most of its years, had an enrollment of over 300 students.

Student life

During its existence, St. Viator was the host of the Catholic State Basketball Tournament for Illinois. St. Viator College was a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1916 to 1938.

Notable persons

Many of the college's graduates were priests, but even more entered the professions of law and medicine. Notable alumni included John Tracy Ellis, Sam J. McAllister, Fulton J. Sheen, G. Raymond Sprague, Bernard James Sheil. and Joseph James Smith, youngest son of the notorious gangster and con artist "Soapy" Smith."Soapy's son James" ''Soapy Smith Soap Box'', May 8, 2010.
/ref> Graduates entering the entertainment field include Jack Berch, popular singer and personality on four networks during the Golden Age of Radio.

References

External links

"PREPAREDNESS IN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS" by JOSEPH F. SMITH. ''New York Times'', August 26, 1917, Sunday. Section: Instruction, Page 68, 1338 words
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Viator College Defunct Christian universities and colleges Educational institutions established in 1865 Defunct private universities and colleges in Illinois Educational institutions disestablished in 1939 Burned buildings and structures in the United States 1865 establishments in Illinois 1939 disestablishments in Illinois Catholic universities and colleges in Illinois Education in Kankakee County, Illinois Defunct Catholic universities and colleges in the United States