About Us

75th Anniversary

The 1960s

A new phase in the history of Lewis began in 1960 when the De La Salle Christian Brothers assumed direction of the institution at the invitation of Bishop Martin McNamara of Joliet. As members of a 325-year-old religious congregation devoted exclusively to teaching, the De La Salle Christian Brothers brought to Lewis a new tradition of Lasallian values, based on the teachings of St. John Baptist de La Salle, their founder. The first group of Brothers on campus successfully combined their efforts with those of the dedicated lay faculty to inaugurate a program of major improvements.

Brother Raymond McManaman, FSC, was one of the first group of De La Salle Christian Brothers to come to Lewis. He served as Dean of Students and other administrative and faculty positions as needed. He continues to teach today in the Theology department.

Accreditation: The institution became Lewis College in 1962 and achieved accreditation by the North Central Association in 1963. The growth of higher education in the 1960¹s was reflected in the school's rapidly increasing enrollment, which reached 2,000 students by 1970. To accommodate the larger student body, a major construction program added new classrooms and laboratories, two residence halls, a Learning Resource Center, a gymnasium, and a modern aviation technical center to the campus.

Merger Discussion: A dialogue concerning possible merger with the College of St. Francis was initiated in 1968, resulting in a high degree of cooperation between the two colleges. Although the merger did not occur, this cooperation was reflected during the 1970-71 academic year by the use of the name Lewis-St. Francis of Illinois.

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