About Us

History

Inspired by its Catholic and Lasallian heritage, Lewis University offers a values-centered curriculum, rich in the Mission values of knowledge, fidelity, wisdom, and justice and guided by the spirit of association which fosters community in all teaching, learning and service.

Founded in 1932, Lewis began as the Holy Name Technical School, a school for boys, which was established on a campus of 170 acres of farmland that was donated to the archdiocese by Michael and Frances Fitzpatrick of Lockport. The school was incorporated in 1934 under the name Lewis Holy Name Technical School, named after Frank J. Lewis. From the beginning, Frank J. Lewis, the noted Chicago philanthropist and industrialist, took an active interest in the school. He assisted with the funding of various buildings that became the nucleus of the University.

In 1935, the school became Lewis Holy Name School of Aeronautics. The school began emphasizing programs of direct utility to the armed forces, such as flight training. The high school department was closed in 1942, and the campus given over to the U.S. Navy for its flight instructors program. By the end of the war, hundreds of pilots had received training at Lewis. When regular classes resumed in the autumn of 1944, the reorganized school included a junior college. By 1949, women were admitted as students and high school classes were discontinued. The Lewis College of Science and Technology granted its first baccalaureate degrees in 1952.

In 1960 the Brothers of the Christian Schools assumed direction of the institution. As members of a 326-year-old religious congregation devoted exclusively to teaching, the De La Salle Christian Brothers brought to Lewis a new tradition of Lasallian values, based on the teachings of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, their founder and Patron Saint of Educators. The institution became Lewis College in 1962 and achieved accreditation by the North Central Association in 1963.

In the early 1970s the College of Continuing Education was established and a College of Nursing was proposed. The following fall, the Department of Business Administration became the College of Business. With the addition of the new colleges, together with the College of Arts and Sciences, the decision was made in 1973 to become a university. The name was changed to Lewis University.

During the 1980s, Lewis University expanded its programs to off-campus sites in Evergreen Park, Oak Brook, Schaumburg and LaSalle/Peru. In the 1990s, the campus at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park was moved to Hickory Hills. Regional campuses today include Chicago, Hickory Hills, Oak Brook, Shorewood and Tinley Park.

In addition to a strong curriculum, Lewis provides diverse learning opportunities for its students through its renowned athletics program. The Flyer teams have a history of excellence, first in the NAIA and for the past 27 years, in NCAA Division II. Lewis’ athletic teams have captured the Great Lakes Valley Conference All Sports trophy in 12 of the past 27 years. Lewis sponsors 18 athletic teams: nine for men and nine for women, including men’s and women’s cross country, tennis, golf, volleyball, basketball, soccer, track and field, and swimming; women’s softball; and men’s baseball.

The 2003 Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory rated Lewis above the national average in academic advising, instructional effectiveness, campus support services and concern for the individual. Fall 2003 saw a record-breaking enrollment at Lewis, with increases in freshmen, transfer and graduate students. Lewis continued to break enrollment records for five consecutive years, reaching 5,500 total students in 2008. Lewis currently offers nearly 80 undergraduate majors and programs of study. More than 22 graduate programs are also available.

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 for the last five consecutive years by both The Princeton Review and U.S. News and World Report. The University is included in the top tier of U.S. News and World Report’s rankings of the best Midwest master’s-level universities. The Princeton Review named Lewis one of the “Best Midwestern Colleges.”

As Lewis’ history continues to unfold, the University’s values-centered curriculum provides students with the necessary foundation for ethical decision making. Academic programs and learning experiences prepare students for careers, enhance their professional capabilities and promote personal growth and competence. The development of the complete person is promoted through the pursuit of wisdom and justice. Lewis makes available the choice of an affordable institution of higher education by continuously seeking sources of grants and scholarships to supplement tuition costs. Traditional programs are being enhanced and new majors developed in response to community needs, career trends, and an increasingly global and technological society.

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