About Us

75th Anniversary

The 1930s

Founding: Founded in 1932 under the direction of the Chicago Archdiocese and Bishop Bernard J. Sheil, Lewis began as the Holy Name Technical School, a school for boys which opened with 15 students. The school was established on a campus of 160 acres of farmland that was donated to the Archdiocese by Michael Fitzpatrick and his sister, Frances Fitzpatrick of Lockport. 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.

Funding was a challenge, but Frank J. Lewis offered to match one dollar for every three dollars raised by the Archdiocese in an initial pledge. Bishop Sheil asked the Holy Name Society for help and received approximately $100,000 from Mr. Lewis, an enormous sum for the times. The first faculty members were three German Franciscan Brothers and two lay instructors.

Aviation Focus: During these early days, aviation technology courses became the special emphasis of instruction and the origin of today's highly regarded Aviation program. The school was incorporated in 1934 under the name Lewis Holy Name Technical School. In 1935, it became the Lewis Holy Name School of Aeronautics, a name which is engraved in stone on the building now known as the Oremus Fine Arts Center. In the late 1930s, an airstrip was built on campus with faculty and students assisting in construction. This airstrip was the origin of what became Lewis University Airport.

The Golden Flyers, a group of alumni from the 30s, 40s and 50s participate in annual events, sponsored by the Lewis Alumni Relations.
The Lewis Flight Team is often invited to National Competition. They competed in Nationals in Spring, 2008.

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