Rockhurst Traditions

1908
Bishop John J. Hogan approved purchase of land for a Jesuit college.

1909
Rev. Michael Dowling, S.J., bought 25 acres at 53rd and Troost for $50,000.

1910
Charter for awarding degrees was granted to Rockhurst by the state of Missouri.

1914
Academic life began with opening of high school in Sedgwick Hall.

1917
First college classes began with Rev. Alphonse Schwitalla, S.J., as the only faculty member.

1921
First class was graduated. First honorary degree was awarded to Marshal Ferdinand Foch. First Master’s degree to J. Zack Miller III.

1922
Dowling Hall, the first college building, was completed.

1927
Rockhurst Circle was organized. Wilfred C. Bourke Field was completed.

1931
Honorary Directors Association was formed.

1933
Evening Division of College was established.

1937
Conway Hall classroom building was completed.

1938
Mason-Halpin Fieldhouse was dedicated to former Hawk coaches.

1939
North Central Association granted accreditation to Rockhurst College.

1940
First resident students were housed in Dowling Hall.

1946
Division of Business Administration was organized.

1950
St. Francis Xavier Church was dedicated.

1953
Francis Cardinal Spellman was honored guest at first Rockhurst Day.

1954
Jesuit faculty residence was dedicated.

1955
Board of Regents was established.

1956
Visiting Scholar Lecture Series was initiated.

1957
Massman Hall and Xavier-Loyola Hall, student residence, were dedicated.

1959
Fourth floor was added to Conway Hall.

1962
Honors program was initiated. Corcoran Hall, student residence, was completed. Rockhurst High School moved to Greenlease Memorial Campus.

1964
Hawks won N.A.I.A. basketball championship.

1965
Cooperative Education Program was established.

1966
McGee Hall, student residence, was dedicated. Junior Year Abroad program was introduced.

1967
Greenlease Library was dedicated.

1968
Library Guild was founded.

1969
College became coeducational in all divisions. President’s Roundtable was formed.

1973
Physical Education and Convocation Center was completed.

1975
Van Ackeren Gallery of Religious Art opened. Graduate business courses initiated.

1976
Master of Business Administration degree program initiated. Jesuit residence named Van Ackeren Hall in honor of Father Van Ackeren’s 25th year as president.

1977
Lay members added to Board of Trustees; the Rev. Maurice E. Van Ackeren, S.J., appointed chancellor; the Rev. Robert F. Weiss, S.J., inaugurated as 10th president. Season of the Arts program was established.

1978
Executive Fellows Program began.

1979
Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program was approved in conjunction with Research College of Nursing.

1980
Major renovation of Conway and Sedgwick halls was completed. Mabee Theater and campus entryway were dedicated.

1982
Corcoran Hall and Massman Hall Rock Room were renovated. First annual Rockhurst Week was held.

1983
School of Management was established. The Heritage Society was initiated. The Bachelor’s program in Physical Therapy was established.

1984
Conference Center addition to Massman Hall was completed. Mabee Chapel was dedicated.

1985
75th anniversary of the Rockhurst College charter was celebrated. Harry B. Kies Award was established to honor exemplary members of the College community.

1986
First endowed academic chairs were established—the Joseph M. Freeman, S.J., Chair in Philosophy and the George and Gladys Miller Chair in Business Administration. Thomas F. Eagleton Visiting Professorship was established.

1987
Research College of Nursing received North Central Association accreditation. Jesuit community established a scholarship for minority students and students with financial need.

1988
Rev. Thomas J. Savage, S.J., was inaugurated as 11th president. Research College of Nursing received National League for Nursing Accreditation. Global Studies offered.

1989
Master’s program in Occupational Therapy established. Center for Arts and Letters was established.

1990
A Campus Master Plan was announced. The plan takes the College into the next century and was developed with input from students, faculty, staff and the neighborhood.

1991
Rockhurst College Continuing Education Center, Inc., was established. RCCEC acquired National Seminars, Inc. A new Jesuit residence was built and renovation of Van Ackeren Hall for academic use initiated.

1992
The $35 million “Renewing Commitments” Campaign for Rockhurst was announced.

1993
Rockhurst joined Saint Louis University in opening Ignatius Center, the south campus location, one block south of I-435 at 106th and Wornall Road. Master’s program in Physical Therapy was established.

1994
Construction began on the Science Center. Town House Village opened. “Sacred Encounters: Father DeSmet and the Indians of the Rocky Mountain West,” a major exhibit, opened at Ignatius Center. A new core curriculum was implemented, organized around the seven classical modes of inquiry.

1995
Rockhurst approved a new five-year strategic plan. The Rev. Thomas J. Savage, S.J. announced a search process for his successor after leading the College to eight years of growth in students, in the size of the campus and in national recognition.

1996
Rockhurst completed the “Renewing Commitments” Campaign with the first Rockhurst Gala. The campaign raised $41.4 million for new and renovated facilities, endowed scholarships, faculty chairs and other projects. The College also opened the Science Center. The Rev. Peter B. Ely, S.J. was inaugurated as 12th president.

1997
Rockhurst opened the School of Professional Studies, offering baccalaureate degrees in organizational leadership, organizational communication and computer technology.

1998
Rev. Edward Kinerk, S.J., ‘64, became the 13th president of Rockhurst College. A campus-wide technology plan was approved by the Board of Trustees. A new Communication Sciences and Disorders bachelor’s degree program was offered in partnership with Saint Louis University.

1999
Rockhurst changed its name from Rockhurst College to Rockhurst University. Construction began on quadrangle expansion, Greenlease Gallery of Art, and Student Activities Center. University completed purchase of properties needed for Loyola Park expansion.

2000
The University celebrated completion of a $10 million construction project, which included: moving the main entrance from 53rd to 54th St.; creation of a pedestrian mall at 53rd St.; construction of a 90-foot bell tower; a new pergola and fountain; and the Greenlease Gallery of Art. A Catholic Studies Center was established to explore and study the rich traditions of the Catholic Church.

2001
A $50 million capital campaign was launched, with most of the funds slated for construction and renovation of facilities. The School of Management changed its named to the Helzberg School of Management, in recognition of donors Barnett and Shirley Helzberg. The University launched a master of education degree in an effort to address the national teacher shortage.

2002
Conway Hall was reopened following a $6.5 million renovation. The renovation included technological improvement such as computer labs and “smart” classrooms with multimedia capabilities. The School of Professional Studies became part of the new School of Graduate and Professional Studies, new home to graduate programs that had formerly been part of the College of Arts and Sciences (communication sciences and disorders, education, occupational therapy, and physical therapy) and undergraduate programs in communication sciences and disorders, and education.

2003
The completion of the Excellence in the City $50 million campaign was celebrated, with $50.5 million raised. Rockhurst Day was renewed as a campus tradition. The Loyola Park Baseball stadium was inaugurated. A clinical doctorate (DPT) was established in Physical Therapy.

2004
Rockhurst launched a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. Softball was inaugurated as the 11th varsity sport on campus.

2005
The University completed installation of the first campus-wide wireless network of any university in the Kansas City area. The campus welcomed the largest freshman class in 10 years, 370 students, up 50 percent from 2003.

2006
Rev. Thomas B. Curran, O.S.F.S., became the 14th president of the University. Rockhurst named the campus quadrangle the Kinerk Commons in honor of the Rev. Edward Kinerk, S.J., 13th president of the University. The campus welcomed the second largest freshman class in University history, with 396 students.

2007
Rockhurst began a comprehensive strategic planning process and introduced a new shared vision, which was developed with broad input from the University community. Rockhurst established a bachelor’s degree in sports science.

2009
The University welcomed the largest freshman class in its history—417 students.

2010
Rockhurst celebrated the centennial anniversary of its charter with the theme “Learn, Lead, Serve, Celebrate!” A criminal justice degree program was established.

2011
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching recognized Rockhurst University with its prestigious community engagement classification. The University broke ground in March for a new multi-use parking garage and retail facility, which was completed in December.

2012
A branding campaign was launched featuring the tagline, “Where leaders learn.” An extensive redesign of the University’s website accompanied the campaign.

2013
The University was recognized for service to the Southtown community with a public achievement award presented by the Southtown Council. The Israeli ambassador to the Holy See visited campus for a public lecture, classroom discussion and to place a wreath at the plaque commemorating Jesuit victims of Nazi persecution. The men’s soccer team advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four.

2014
The University marked a new campus milestone March 7 by breaking ground on its new academic building, Pedro Arrupe, S.J., Hall, located south of the signature bell tower.

2015
Doors opened to Pedro Arrupe, S.J., Hall, housing classrooms with the latest technology, faculty offices, a 500-seat auditorium, the McMeel Family Gallery and a coffee shop. The Helzberg School of Management launched a Master of Science in business intelligence and analytics, part of a growing portfolio of programs designed to meet the increasing need for professionals skilled in working with data.

2016
Rockhurst University earns a statewide first with its Fair Trade Campus designation. The Rockhurst University Leadership Series welcomed astronaut Scott Kelly as its featured speaker and honored Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Sly James, ‘80, with its Rashford-Lyon Award for Leadership and Ethics. New residential housing option, Rock Row, opens south of campus.

2017
The University launches the Hummel Family Scholarship to help future generations of students in financial need. With 696 wins, men’s soccer head coach Tony Tocco becomes winningest college coach in the sport. Volleyball earns first-ever Final Four appearance. Campus Climate Survey launched, asking staff, faculty and students to help shape the University’s diversity and inclusion efforts. Bachelor of Science in Analytics and Technology degree launched.

2020
The University completes the purchase of Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences and as of May, 2020 merges the two institutions into one insitution, thus acquiring a School of Nursing for associates, bachelor, and masters’ level degrees.

1955-1956

André Mercier
Përe Paul Henry, S.J.
Rev. Josef Nuttin

1956-1957

Rev. John Courtney Murray, S.J.
Rev. John C. Ford, S.J.
Rev. Joseph Owens, C.Ss.R.
Rev. John L. Thomas, S.J.

1957-1958

Saul S. Weinberg
Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle
Col. Thomas G. Lanphier Jr.
Senator Stuart Symington
Edward Teller
Sister M. Madeleva, C.S.C.
Clarence K. Streit
Rev. Henri Renard, S.J.

1958-1959

Erik Ritter von Kuehnelt-Leddihn
Rev. Bruce Vawter, C.M.
Rev. Gerald B. Phelan
Rev. Thurston N. Davis, S.J.

1959-1960

Robert Frost
Anton Charles Pegis
Samuel Eliot Morison
William F. Albright

1960-1961

Rev. Joseph M. Bochenski, O.P.
Francis J. Braceland
Harlow M. Shapley
Allan Nevins
Etiënne Gilson

1961-1962

Cleanth Brooks
Jerome Gregory Kerwin
Henry A. Kissinger
Dexter Perkins
Barbara Ward
R. Buckminster Fuller
André Girard
Hans Schwieger
Rev. C.J. McNaspy, S.J.

1962-1963

Rev. Clifford Howell, S.J.
Clinton Rossiter
Roger D. Reid
George Bagshawe Harrison

1963-1964

Peter J.W. DeBye
Douglas Hyde
Paul Engle
James D. Collins

1964-1965

Marguerite Higgins
Harold Clurman
Rev. Virgil C. Blum, S.J.
Hon. Charles Malik
Rev. Roland de Vaux, O.P.
Bernard Cardinal Alfrink

1965-1966

Samuel John Hazo
Ferenc Nagy
Ruth Mary Fox
Rev. Francis X. Murphy, C.Ss.R.
John Canaday

1966-1967

Rev. Hans Kung
Cornelius Ryan
Edward Albee
Alan Lomax

1967-1968

Maynard Mack
Edward Schillebeeckx, O.P.
Robert C. Weaver
Constantinos Doxiadis
Ian L. McHarg
James B. Reston
Walter W. Heller

1968-1969

Bernard J. Lonergan, S.J.
Haynes Johnson
Rollo May
Sir Tyrone Guthrie

1969-1970

John A. McLaughlin
Victor C. Ferkiss
Rev. Walter J. Ong, S.J.
James A. Lovell

1970-1971

Harry A. Schwartz
George Marek
Fernando Belaunde-Terry
Michael Harrington

1971-1972

Edwin O. Reischauer
James M. Gustafson
John Kenneth Galbraith

1972-1973

Gail and Thomas Parker
George Romney
Arthur Schlesinger Jr.
Nathan A. Scott Jr.

1973-1974

Rev. Robert North, S.J.
Nila Magidoff
Cornelio Fabro
Paul Ramsey

1974-1975

Bill Schustik
John Hope Franklin
Howard James
Hon. Floyd R. Gibson
Russell Millin
Willard Bunch
Hon. Harold Holliday Sr.
Ralph Martin
Robert Sigman
Austin Van Buskirk
John F. Mee

1975-1976

Elizabeth Janeway
Martin E. Marty
Anthony Burgess
Daniel Bell
Henry Steele Commager

1976-1977

Louis L’Amour
John T. Noonan Jr.
Claire Hollingworth
Herbert Baumel
Alfonzo Ortiz

1977-1978

Frank Manley
Rev. David Tracy
Clarence C. Walton
Captain Grace Murry
Hopper, U.S.N.
L’Abbé Germain Marc’hadour

1978-1979

Rev. Walter J. Burghardt, S.J.
David S. Broder
Jack Reynolds
Thomas Hoving

1979-1980

John Macquarrie
Wayne Clayson Booth
Lerone Bennett Jr.
Garry Wills
Rev. William Sloane Coffin, Jr.
Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr.

1980-1981

Anthony Lewis
Ralph McInerny
Rev. Robert Drinan, S.J.
Lester Carl Thurow
Paul Craig Roberts
Natalie Hinderas
Yale Brozen

1981-1982

Rev. Joseph A. Fitzmyer, S.J.
David D. Burns
Fritjof Capra
Robert E. White

1982-1983

Mortimer J. Adler
Stanley Siegel
Erik Ritter von Kuehnelt-Leddihn
Malcolm Toon
James MacGregor Burns
Alfred Kahn

1983-1984

Rev. Jared Wicks, S.J.
Rev. Ladislas Orsy, S.J.
Jonathan D. Spence
Jerry Lee Jordan
Ernest L. Boyer
Edmund S. Wehrle

1984-1985

Vernon J. Bourke
Rev. David Gill, S.J.
Jean-Michel Cousteau
Robert Farris Thompson
Stanton Samenow
William Poole

1985-1986

Col. John Cottell
Jeremy Rifkin
Rev. Avery Dulles, S.J.
Jaroslav Pelikan
Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum
Rev. William Byron, S.J.
Jean Dietz Moss
Rev. William Wallace, O.P.
Owen Gingerich
Malcolm Miller
Leif Olsen

1986-1987

Amb. Philip Habib
Rev. Piet Schoonenberg, S.J.
Rev. Robert C. Baumiller, S.J.
Bert Hornback
Malcolm Miller
Rev. W. Norris Clarke, S.J.

1987-1988

Loret Miller Ruppe
Guido Fernandez
James F. Scott
Rev. James Hennesey, S.J.
Rev. Leo Sweeney, S.O.
John T. Noonan Jr.

1988-1989

Richard Neuhaus
Rev. Martin McCarthy, S.J.
Fred Barnes
Thomas Flanagan
Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C.

1989-1990

Rev. Peter Milward, S.J.
Monika Hellwig
Arthur L. Caplan
Robert Jay Lifton
John M. Merriman
Harry Edwards
Rev. Jon Sobrino, S.J.

1990-1991

Rev. Marvin R. O’Connell
Julie Roy Jeffrey
Robert Collier
Rev. Robert Brungs, S.J.
Charles E. Rice
Rev. John Powell, S.J.
Rev. George Hunt, S.J.

1991-1992

Sr. Mary Clark, R.S.C.J.
Adele Dutton Terrell
Marion Montgomery
Rev. Richard P. McBrien
Sidney Callahan
Eoin McKiernan

1992-1993

Clarence Page
Catharine Stimpson
Theodore Hamerow
James Shenton
Mary Jo Nye
Rev. Gerald McCool, S.J.
Rev. Carl Starkloff, S.J.

1993-1994

Rev. Robert Barth, S.J.
Rev. Stanley Jaki
Bel Kaufman
Al Eaton
Joseph Pappin
Jacob Neusner

1994-1995

Zev Kedem
Rev. Richard Blake, S.J.
Christina Hoff Sommers
Rev. Brian Davies, O.P.
Paula Rothenberg
Cardinal Joseph Bernardin
Rev. J. Bryan Hehir

1995-1996

Paul Lombardo
H. James Birx
Rev. John Kavanaugh, S.J.
William Eckhardt
Toinette Eugene
Cardinal Roger Mahony
Rev. Michael Himes

1996-1997

Michael Medved
Professor Timothy McDermott
Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky
James Q. Wilson

1997-1998

Stanley Fish
Rev. Raymond Brown
Dallas Willard
Gertrude Himmelfarb

1998-1999

Joseph E. Persico
Peter Awn
Leroy Hood
David Lehman
Rt. Rev. Msgr. Robert
Sokolowski

1999-2000

Helen Thomas
Richard Bernstein
Jody Williams
Cyprian Davis, O.S.B.
Maxine Greene
Linda Zagzebski

2000-2001

The Rev. Kevin Burke, S.J.
Mary E. Shaw
Rigoberta Menchú Tuma
Steven Benson
Jean B. Elshtain
David J. O’Brien
The Rev. Robert J. Schreiter
Daniel Callahan

2001-2002

Edmund Pellegrino
Mairead Corrigan Maguire
Kenneth Goodpaster
The Rev. Terrence Dempsey, S.J.
The Rev. James V. Shall, S.J.
J. Matthew Ashley

2002-2003

Garry Wills
Oscar Arias
Daniel Dombrowski
R. Scott Appleby
John L. Esposito
Bill Kurtis

2003-2004

Chris Hedges
Corey Flintoff
Adolfo Pérez Esquival
Tom Fox
Jorge Gracia
Michael Cuneo

2004-2005

John Foreyt
Terrence Roberts
Mark Nanos
José Ramos-Horta
The Rev. Ronald Rolheiser, O.M.I.
Dava Sobel
Jude Dougherty
Kathleen Mahoney

2005-2006

David A. Prentice
Kevin Willmott
Sen. George J. Mitchell
The Rev. Charles M. Shelton, S.J.

2006-2007

Rev. Joseph Koterski, S.J.
Carolyn Maher
Christina Chan
Rev. George Coyne, S.J.
Robert L. Wilken
Gerald Coles

2007-2008

Paul G. Schervish
Ralph McInerny
Kevin Fox Gotham
Lt. Cmdr. Charles D. Swift (Ret.)
Rev. Jan Michael Joncas
Deborah Burger
Diana L. Hayes

2008-2009

James Sterba
Jon Coleman
Leonard Krishtalka
Richard Lindzen
Rev. James Profit, S.J.
Tissa Hami

2009-2010

Andrew Card
Thomas Hibbs
Jon Lee Anderson
Rev. Greg Boyle, S.J.
Lisa Wagner

2010-2011

Luis E. Lugo
The V. Rev. Douglas
Marcouiller, S.J.
David Nichols
Stephen Barr
Rev. John Haughey, S.J.
Claire Gaudiani
Juan Cole
Rev. Robert Spitzer, S.J.
Brenda Cárdenas

2011-2012

         Reza Aslan
         Daniel Sulmasy, O.F.M.
         Peter Sacks
         Melissa Harris-Perry
         Rev. Joseph Tetlow, S.J.

2012-2013          

          Martha Farah
          William Sweet
          Vincent Rougeau
          Chad Freidrichs
          Diana Butler Bass
          Fawaz Gerges

 2013-2014

          Thomas Madden
          Ambassador Zion Evrony
          Sister Carol Keehan, D.C.
          Gregory Beabout
          Rev. Gabriel Gionti, S.J.
          Phyllis Zagano

2014-2015

Gregory Beabout
Mark Emmert
Radley Balko
Nina Tandon
John Allen
Nathan Brown
Ramesh Ponnuru

2015-2016

Shiraz Bayjoo
Kevin F. Burke, S.J.
Ernesto Nieto
Helen Fisher
John Hittinger
Laura Murphy
Jonathan Ebel

2016-2017

Tom Gallagher
Jenny Yang
Eva Kor
Stephen Kinzer
Kristin Heyer
Peter Simpson

2017-2018

Rev. Terrence Dempsey, SJ.
Piotr Jarosznski
Andrew Sullivan
Michael Morell
Jack Gilbert
Craig Harline
Jamie Arndt

2018-2019

 Karla Scott
 Rev. Barton T. Geger, S.J.
 Rev. David A. Brown, S.J.
 Rev. Bryan Massingale
 Cathy O’Neil
 Cardinal Peter Turkson