St. Viator College

Infobox University
name = St. Viator College
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established = 1865
closed = 1939
type = Private
affiliation = Catholic
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students = 300
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city = Bourbonnais
state = IL
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country = USA
coor = Coord|41.153620|-87.876140|display=inline,title
campus = Rural (now Suburban)
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sports = Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
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St. Viator College was a Catholic institution of higher education founded 1865http://www.kcc.cc.il.us/hss/jpaul/french%20canadian/Page_17x.html Chronology: A Time-Line of French, French-Canadians, Illinois, Bourbonnais, Kankakee, and the World, p.17] ] in Bourbonnais, Illinois by the Viatorians. St. Viator College had a preparatory department and high school in addition to the college and seminary. Under financial pressure, it closed in 1939. [http://books.google.com/books/pdf/The_Catholic_Encyclopedia.pdf?id=3FEsAAAAIAAJ&output=pdf&sig=jVtxvxuYeWDW2duZWZ1OcTyr8gk The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference.. by Charles George Herbermann, Edward Aloysius Pace, Condé Bénoist Pallen, Thomas Joseph Shahan, John Joseph Wynne. Published 1913, Robert Appleton Co., p.400] ]

St. Viator's grew out of the original village school, in 1865 to an academy for boys [ [http://www.viatorians.com/who/whereinternational.htm Viatorians: Where We Serve Around the World (Chicago)] ] with the help of Father P. Beaudoin and Brothers Martel and Bernard, and in 1868 to a four-year college with the aid of Father Thomas Roy. After nine years of work, Father Roy, after whom Roy Memorial Chapel was named, returned to his home in Canada, and was succeeded by Father M. J. Marsile, who oversaw the College for another 25 years. Marsile Alumni Hall was named in his honour.

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 J. P. O'Mahony C.S.V. was appointed president. For most of its years, the College had an enrollment of over 300 students. Many of the College's graduates were priests, but even more entered the professions of law and medicine. During its existence, St. Viator was the host of the Catholic State Basketball Tournament for Illinois. [ [http://www.ihsa.org/initiatives/hstoric/basketball_cathtourn.htm Illinois High School Association, Illinois H.S.toric: Catholic High School Basketball Tournaments in Illinois by ROBERT PRUTER] ]

St. Viator College was a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1914-1938.

After St. Viator's closed in 1939, the campus was purchased by Olivet Nazarene College. [ [http://www.villageofbourbonnais.com/history.cfm History of the Village of Bourbonnais] ]

Notable people

*Fulton J. Sheen [ [http://www.fultonsheen.com/Archbishop_Fulton_Sheen_biography.cfm www.fultonsheen.com -- Biography] ]
*John Tracy Ellis [http://www.onr.com/user/cat/csw/volume4/v4memoria.htm]
*G. Raymond Sprague [ [http://www.cdop.org/catholic_post/post_5_6_01/news.cfm "Father Sprague, senior priest of diocese, dies at 92," Catholic Archdiocese of Peoria, "Catholic Post", May 6, 2001.] ]
*Bernard James Sheil [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,771646-1,00.html "Meat, and a Bishop," "Time", Monday, Jul. 24, 1939.] ]

Notes and references

External links

* [http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9C0CE6DC123FE433A25755C2A96E9C946696D6CF "PREPAREDNESS IN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS" by JOSEPH F. SMITH. "New York Times", August 26, 1917, Sunday. Section: Instruction, Page 68, 1338 words]

ee also

*Clerics of St. Viator