Roosevelt University

The university is named in honor of both the late President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt . The university was founded in 1945 by Edward J. Sparling , the former president of Central YMCA College in Chicago . He refused to provide Central YMCA College's board with the demographic data of the student body, fearing the board would develop a quota system to limit the number of African Americans , Jews , immigrants , and women at the school. Sparling resigned under protest and took with him many faculty and students to start a new college. Faculty voted in favor 62 to 1, and students 488 to 2 for the school. [ 10 ] [ 11 ] In the beginning, the university had no library , campus , or endowment . The new college was chartered as Thomas Jefferson College on March 28, 1945, and had financial backing from Marshall Field III , the Julius Rosenwald Foundation , the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union , and numerous other individuals and organizations. Two weeks later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt died. The college obtained his widow Eleanor 's permission to rename the institution as Roosevelt College in his memory. [ 12 ] In 1947, the college purchased the Auditorium Building for one dollar, and it became the permanent home. The college was rededicated to both Franklin and Eleanor in 1959. Early advisory board members included Marian Anderson , Pearl Buck , Ralph Bunche , Albert Einstein , Thomas Mann , Gunnar Myrdal , Draper Daniels, and Albert Schweitzer . In August 1996, the university opened its Albert A. Robin Campus in Schaumburg , after a donation from Albert A. Robin, an entrepreneur and immigrant. Robert Morris University Illinois merged with Roosevelt University in 2020. The integrated university continued under the name of Roosevelt University. Robert Morris added its majors to Roosevelt's large portfolio of programs under the name Robert Morris Experiential College, now one of several colleges of Roosevelt University.

[ 13 ] More information Ali Malekzadeh, Charles R. Middleton ... University presidents Ali Malekzadeh [ 14 ] [ 15 ] 2015–Present Charles R. Middleton 2002–2015 Theodore L. Gross 1988–2002 Rolf Weil [ 16 ] 1965–1988 Robert Pitchell [ 17 ] 1963–1964 Edward J. Sparling 1945–1963 Close

Main Campus, Chicago Inside view from balcony of Roosevelt University's Auditorium Theatre . Roosevelt University's Wabash building. Quick facts Academic rankings, National ... Academic rankings National U.S. News & World Report [ 18 ] 390 (tied) Close Chicago classes are held within Roosevelt's historic Auditorium Building at 430 S. Michigan Avenue , blocks from the Magnificent Mile . The Auditorium Building houses the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University and numerous administrative offices for the university. Pro football's 2015 NFL draft was held in the Auditorium on April 30, 2015, the league's first time hosting the draft in Chicago in more than 50 years. The Wabash Building for the downtown campus was completed in 2012. The 32-story vertical campus is the second-tallest higher-education building in the United States and the sixth tallest in the world. It serves as a multipurpose building: housing student services, classrooms, contemporary science labs, administrative offices, and student residences. [ 19 ] Student residences are on the top floors (14–32), with a shared lounge overlooking Lake Michigan on each floor. The university held an open house in the summer of 2012, with classes beginning in the new addition during the fall 2012 semester. [ 20 ] The Lillian and Larry Goodman Center, [ 21 ] the first stand-alone facility for college athletics in Chicago's Loop, is the latest addition to Roosevelt University's downtown Chicago campus and serves as the home for Roosevelt Lakers athletics.

The university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees through six colleges: Chicago College of Performing Arts (Music Conservatory), Chicago College of Performing Arts (Theatre Conservatory), College of Arts & Sciences, College of Education, College of Pharmacy, and the Heller College of Business. [ 24 ] [ 25 ] In addition, the university operates a variety of centers and institutes: [ 26 ] St. Clair Drake Center For African And African-American Studies, [ 27 ] The Mansfield Institute for Social Justice and Transformation, [ 28 ] Roosevelt University Cyber Security Center, [ 29 ] The Center for New Deal Studies, [ 30 ] Policy Research Collaborative, [ 31 ] The Montesquieu Forum, [ 32 ] The Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate, [ 33 ] The Institute for Politics, [ 34 ] and The Institute of Tourism Studies [ 35 ] Social justice, a cornerstone of Roosevelt's history and development, has been purposefully embedded into the school's curriculum and is part of every student's academic experience. Topics previously covered have included such issues as public versus private rights to use city parks, the impact of gentrification following urban modernization projects, and the impact one can have to preserve the earth's natural resources. Student-led research projects and theses have also touched areas such as gender equality and the effects of minimum wage on the economy. [ 36 ] Roosevelt Pledge Beginning in fall 2025, Roosevelt University will implement the "Roosevelt Pledge" program for incoming students, providing free tuition that is not covered by other educational resources for students in families whose annual income is less than $50,000 per year. The financial aid will be renewable for up to four years so long as income and residency requirements are met and the student is a full-time undergraduate student.