Saint Xavier University (or SXU) is a

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Catholic university in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, United States. Founded in 1846 by the

Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute for women in the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. In 2019, the institute had about 6,200 Religious sister, sisters worldwide, organized into a number ...

, the university enrolls 3,749 students.

History

Saint Xavier University was founded as a women's college by the

in 1846 at the request of Bishop

William Quarter William J. Quarter (January 21, 1806 – April 10, 1848) was an Irish-born Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Chicago from 1844 to 1848. Biography Early years William Quarter was born on January 21, 1806, in Killurin, King's County, in ...

. With the City of Chicago less than 10 years old, the

religious sister A religious sister (abbreviated: Sr.) in the Catholic Church is a woman who has taken public vows in a religious institute dedicated to apostolic works, as distinguished from a nun who lives a cloistered monastic life dedicated to prayer and ...

s, under the guidance of Mother Mary Francis Xavier Warde, R.S.M., established Saint Francis Xavier Female Academy. The academy, which would later become Saint Xavier College, and finally Saint Xavier University, was the first Mercy College and is the oldest chartered college in the city of Chicago. In the year 1846, five sisters of Mercy were sent to the city of Chicago from Pittsburgh to start Catholic work in the new city. The original campus (then referred to as an academy), soon gained, in 1847, a state charter which allowed for the granting of degrees from the academy. After this location Wabash Avenue between Madison and Monroe in downtown Chicago) burned down in the

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago, Illinois during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left mor ...

of 1871, the campus was rebuilt on the southern boundary of Chicago. In 1915, Saint Francis Xavier College for Women opened.

Academics

Saint Xavier University offers undergraduate majors and graduate programs through its two colleges: * The College of Liberal Arts and Education * The College of Nursing, Health Sciences and Business (a recognized Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing) Saint Xavier University has one of the most diverse undergraduate student bodies in Chicago and is a federally designated Hispanic-serving institution.

Campus

Saint Xavier's main campus is located in City of Chicago in the Mt. Greenwood neighborhood on the corner of 103rd Street and Central Park Avenue. It is in close proximity to the suburb of

Evergreen Park, Illinois Evergreen Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. In 2020, the population was 19,943. The village shares a border with Chicago on the north, east, and south sides; while also sharing a border with Oak Lawn on the west side. H ...

. The university's main campusCampus map
is made up of several buildings, including the Warde Academic Center, which is the oldest building on campus and houses administrative offices and the library; the Shannon Center; McDonough Chapel, a small Catholic

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

; the Graham School of Management Building; Andrew Conference Center and Driehaus Center. Within a mile of the main campus are the Visual Arts Center and O'Grady Center, which houses the departments of University Relations and University Advancement. In 2001, an influx of students to the university led to the opening of four new dormitories on campus. Residence halls listed below; * McCarthy Hall (opened 2001) * Morris Hall (opened 2002) * O'Brien Hall (opened 2008) * Pacelli Hall (opened 1959) * Rubloff Hall (opened 2006) In 2009, Arthur Rubloff Hall and O'Brien Halls opened. These residence halls are environmentally friendly, featuring rooftop gardens and clean-source alternative energy.

Athletics

The Saint Xavier (SXU) athletic teams are called the Cougars. The university is 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 higher education, colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic schola ...

(NAIA), primarily competing in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) in most of its sports since the 1973–74 academic year; while its football team competes in the Midwest League of the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA). SXU competes in 20 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, esports, football, golf, soccer, track & field and volleyball; women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading and dance.

Facilities

Athletic facilities on campus include the Shannon Center, which holds up to 3,500 students and houses the university fitness center. It is home to both men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams. Bruce R. Deaton Memorial Field is home to football, soccer, and track.

Accomplishments

In 2011, Saint Xavier won the NAIA Football National Championship.

References

External links

*
Official athletics website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Xavier University Universities and colleges in Chicago Universities and colleges established in 1846 Sisters of Mercy colleges and universities Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities Former women's universities and colleges in the United States 1846 establishments in Illinois Catholic universities and colleges in Illinois