Loras College

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Loras College is a private four-year Catholic university located in Dubuque, Iowa, with a general attendance of approximately 1,800 students. It is one of three post-secondary institutions in the city of Dubuque, and is one of three Catholic colleges in the Archdiocese of Dubuque.

[edit] History

Loras College

Loras College, a liberal arts college, was founded in 1839 by the Most Rev. Mathias Loras, first bishop of Dubuque, who established St. Raphael Seminary to educate young men for the priesthood with the expressed intention of also providing an opportunity for higher education to the citizens of the area. The College has functioned under several names (St. Raphael Seminary, Mt. St. Bernard, St. Joseph College, Dubuque College and Columbia College), finally adopting its present name during its centennial in 1939. From the time of its founding, the college has devoted its faculty and facilities to an undergraduate program; it conferred the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees.

In 1963, when the The Catholic University of America decided to discontinue its branch program of graduate study on the Loras campus, Loras College, realizing the growing need to the locale for study beyond the baccalaureate degree, initiated its Graduate Division offering the Master of Arts degree in some fields.

The College became coeducational in the fall of 1971. In 1973, the Associate of Arts and the Associate of Science degrees were introduced. The Division of Community Education was initiated in 1975.

Both the Undergraduate College and the Graduate Division of Loras College are accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The teacher education program, both at the graduate and undergraduate level, is accredited by the Iowa Department of Education. The undergraduate teacher education program is also accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. The American Chemical Society has approved the undergraduate chemistry program. Loras College is also approved by the Association of American Universities and New York Board of Regents. The Council of Social Work Education has accredited the social work major at the baccalaureate level.

[edit] Athletics

The Rock Bowl (September, 2004)

Loras’ athletic teams are known as the Duhawks, a name bestowed upon the football team by a Detroit Free Press scribe in 1924. The school fields 19 men’s and women’s varsity teams in the NCAA Division III. They are a member of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC). Loras’ colors are Royal Purple and Gold, colors exemplified by the home football uniform of purple jerseys, gold pants and gold helmets with purple face masks.

[edit] Expansion

The college has been expanded in recent years starting with the Alumni Campus Center in 1992 and added a new library in 2001. This new Academic Resource Center contains a collection of approximately of 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 library. The library is also an official document depository for both the United States government and the state of Iowa. The old library, Wahlert Memorial Library, was recently remodeled into classroom space.

The first Saint Raphael's Cathedral building in Dubuque, which was used from 1833 to 1861. The building attached to the rear of the Cathedral was the Bishop's residence, and the first home of what today is called Loras College.

The college finished remodeling the Rock Bowl Stadium in 2005 as Phase I of their "For the Glory" campaign, a $20 million initiative to enhance the athletic and wellness facilities. The new Rock Bowl Stadium now has an artificial turf playing field and brand new seating to accommodate more spectators. The college also honored legendary coach Bob Bierie by naming the field after him, making the official name Bob Bierie Field at the Rock Bowl.

[edit] Graduates

A notable graduate of Loras College was Father Aloysius Schmitt. He was one of those killed on board the USS Oklahoma during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Other notable graduates of Loras College include:

• Raymond Roseliep (class of 1939), American poet famous for haiku.
• John Joseph Paul (class of 1939), Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse.
• David Rabe (class of 1962), playwright and screenwriter.
• Greg Gumbel (class of 1967), CBS sportscaster.
• Bill Bolster (class of 1967), retired CEO of CNBC International.
• Dennis Schmitz, contemporary American poet.
• Steve Westol (class of 1992), Was dishonorably discharged from the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame after an ugly panzerotti "incident" at Marco's in downtown Dubuque.

Although not a graduate, Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Red Faber attended Loras in 1909. Faber set a college record by striking out 24 St. Ambrose batters in a 1909 game before moving on to a 20-year Major League career with the Chicago White Sox. Faber-Clark Field on Loras’ lower campus bears his name today. Film actor Don Ameche was known to have attended during the 1920s as well.

[edit] External links

Beckman Hall, a residence hall, on the left and Hoffmann Hall, housing St. Joseph Auditorium, on the right, as seen from the Alumni Campus Center

• The Loras College Web Site