University of St Francis

Early history (1865-1929) The University of St. Francis grew out of an earlier high school and Sisters’ Normal Institute (an institution created to train high school graduates to be teachers) by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate in Joliet established on August 2, 1865 by Mother Alfred Moes . By 1869, a boarding school for high school girls opened in Joliet called the St. Francis Academy. The Institute became a college: The Sisters’ Normal Institute of Higher Learning , in 1920. In 1912-1913, a new academic wing was added to the Motherhouse to accommodate the growing educational programs. In 1915, the curriculum at SFA expanded, and the academy reopened in a new space. In 1920, the Congregation amended its original charter to include the formation of a college department and a nurses' training school, Saint Joseph School of Nursing, which opened to the laity that same year. Tower Hall was built in 1922 to provide additional space for the academy and the college. The institute became Assisi Junior College , a two-year junior college, in 1925. Mother M. Thomasine Frye, OSF served as first president with an enrollment of 12 students and 8 teachers.

College of Arts & Sciences College of Business & Health Administration College of Education Leach College of Nursing The university also offers a Physician Assistant program at a campus site in Albuquerque, New Mexico . [ 11 ]

The St. Francis (USF) athletic teams are called the Fighting Saints. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and is part of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) [ 12 ] for most of its sports since the 1973–74 academic year; while its football team competes in the Midwest League of the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA). [ 13 ] USF competes in 20 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, dance, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading. History The University of St. Francis (USF), originally known as the College of St. Francis (CSF), initiated its men's intercollegiate athletics program in 1972. Under the leadership of Elmer Bell, the institution’s first full-time athletic director, CSF launched its inaugural athletic programs, including baseball and men's basketball, both of which adopted the nickname "Falcons." Later during the same year, the men's marathon running team gained national recognition. In 1973, men's cross country became CSF's third athletic program. In 1975, the institution rebranded its athletic teams as the "Fighting Saints." The following year, intercollegiate programs for women's basketball, men's tennis, women's tennis, and women's volleyball were introduced. By 1979, CSF expanded further, adding men's golf and softball to its roster of sports. In 1982, the men's soccer and women's cross country teams began competing. Four years later, in 1986, a recreation center was built for the athletic department, and a men's football program was introduced. Tower Hall was also deeded to the college that year. In 1987, cheerleading was added to CSF’s athletics offerings.

A major milestone occurred in 1993 when the CSF baseball team won the school's first-ever NAIA World Series national championship under head coach Gordie Gillespie , who became college baseball’s all-time winningest coach. In 1995, the university expanded its athletic department with the addition of women's soccer. The year 2000 saw the start of women's golf and women's track & field programs, and in 2007, men's track & field was also introduced. USF's men's cross country team won the NAIA National Championship in 2012, a year which also marked the renaming of the recreation center to the "Pat Sullivan Center" in honor of long-time basketball coach and athletic director Pat Sullivan. In 2013, USF began competing in men’s and women’s bowling. By 2016, the university introduced competitive dance as its 22nd sport. The women's bowling team secured the NAIA Invitational Championship in 2017, followed by the women's cross country team claiming the NAIA National Championship in 2020. In 2021, the men's bowling team added to the university’s accomplishments by winning the NAIA Championship.