Local Impact of Aviation Industry Presented at White Oak Library
Published: April 12, 2026.
The history behind the Lewis University Airport and the role aviation has played in the Romeoville community was recently presented at the White Oak Library District’s Romeoville branch.
Drs. Ryan Phillips, Chair of the Lewis University Aviation Department, and Kurt Schackmuth, coauthor of Lewis University (Campus History: Illinois), hosted the April 1 “Romeoville’s Aviation Industry” discussion.
During the event, the speakers explored the integral role of the Lewis University Airport within the local community, highlighting how the facility continues to shape the area’s cultural and economic landscape today. The presentation detailed the airport's extensive reach, noting that it provides essential commercial, industrial, instructional, and personal aviation services to Will County.
Additionally, the site serves a regional function as a general aviation reliever for O’Hare and Midway airports. Although it has been owned and operated by the Joliet Regional Port District since 1989, the speakers traced its history back to the 1930s, when it first opened as the Lewis Holy Name School of Aeronautics.
Lewis University is a modern, enterprising, Catholic university with a growing student enrollment from GED through doctoral level programs. As part of the global Lasallian network of 65 universities, Lewis is known for preparing graduates who impact the world for the better. Visit www.lewisu.edu for further information.
