Cardinal Stritch University

Roman Catholic university in Wisconsin, U.S.

Cardinal Stritch University

Former names	St. Clare College (1937–1946) Cardinal Stritch College (1946–1997)
Motto	Latin: Ut probetis potiora
Motto in English	To value the better things
Type	Private university
Active	1937 (1937)–2023 (2023)
Religious affiliation	Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi (Roman Catholic)
Academic affiliations	ACCU, AFCU, NAICU, CIC, WAICU
Location	Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Campus	Suburban, 40 acres (16 ha)
Colors	Red & white
Nickname	Wolves
Sporting affiliations	NAIA – CCAC
Mascot	Wolfie
Website	www.stritch.edu

Cardinal Stritch University was a private Roman Catholic university with its primary campus in Fox Point and Glendale, Wisconsin. Its enrollment as of fall 2021 was 1,365. The university closed in May 2023 due to financial challenges and declining enrollment.

History

Cardinal Stritch University was founded in 1937 as St. Clare College by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi on Milwaukee's south side as an institution to help the order's sisters effectively train as teachers. The sisters opened a reading clinic in 1943 to help promote literacy in the area; Cardinal Stritch University Literacy Centers still existing today throughout the Milwaukee area, teaching people how to read.

In 1946, the college was renamed Cardinal Stritch College in honor of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's Cardinal Samuel Stritch. The college opened its programs to lay women for the first time and was subsequently accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools in 1953.

Stritch established its first graduate program in 1956, offering majors in special education and reading. The university also opened its doors to men that year, becoming fully co-educational in 1970.

Stritch moved to its current campus in the northern Milwaukee suburb of Fox Point in 1962. This new campus allowed the college to begin many new programs such as the nursing program in 1980 and its College of Business and Management in 1982.

Cardinal Stritch College was renamed Cardinal Stritch University in 1997. The university's first doctoral program (devoted to Leadership for the Advancement of Learning and Service) opened for enrollment the following year. A $14 million expansion and renovation of the university occurred in 2006 with the introduction of online degree programs.

In April 2023, university administrators announced that the university would close in May due to financial challenges and declining enrollment.

Campus

The university was located on a 40-acre (16 ha) campus 9 miles (14 km) north of Milwaukee in the suburbs of Fox Point and Glendale, less than one mile (1.6 km) west of Lake Michigan. In July 2023 the campus was sold to the Ramirez Family Foundation for the construction of a new K-12 school. As of May 2024 most of the former university buildings were being demolished to be replaced with new ones. The gym, library, campus center, and fine arts buildings are slated to be retained.

Academics

Cardinal Stritch University offered more than 60 fields of study throughout four colleges, with bachelor, master, and doctorate degrees.

Athletics

The Cardinal Stritch athletic teams were called the Wolves. The university was a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) since the 1997–98 academic year. The Wolves previously competed in the defunct Lake Michigan Conference of the NCAA Division III ranks from 1974–75 to 1996–97.

Cardinal Stritch competed in 13 intercollegiate varsity sports.

Basketball

The Cardinal Stritch men's basketball team won the Lake Michigan Conference men's basketball championship in 1987. The men's team was also five-time National Little College Athletic Association (now the United States Collegiate Athletic Association) Great Lakes District men's basketball champion from 1983 to 1987. The Cardinal Stritch men's basketball team won the NAIA Division II National Championship in 2013.

Track and field

In 2016, the men's indoor track and field team accomplished a first in Stritch history with a seventh-place finish at the NAIA indoor track and field nationals.

Notable alumni

Rosemary Hinkfuss – Wisconsin State Representative
John E. McCoy – U.S. Air National Guard brigadier general
Kimberla Lawson Roby – author
Anthony Shumaker – Major League Baseball player
Marijuana Pepsi Vandyck – American education professional

Notable faculty

Tamara Grigsby – Wisconsin State Representative
Yasmin Mogahed – author and first female instructor at the AlMaghrib Institute
Marion Verhaalen – composer and musicologist
Thomasita Fessler – painter and chair of the art department

Notes

A decrease from 2,345 during the 2019–2020 school year.

References

"Cardinal Stritch University Student Life". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
Kremer, Rich (2023). "After 85 years, Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee is closing in May". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
^ "Cardinal Stritch University closing in May". WISN. 2023-04-10. Archived from the original on 2023-04-10. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
"Stritch Campus Map (Archived)" (PDF). stritch.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
March, Madison (12 March 2024). "80% of former Cardinal Stritch campus to be torn down for $100M project". WISN 12 ABC. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: WISN-TV. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
"About Us". Cardinal Stritch University. Retrieved 26 February 2018.

External links

Official website

Colleges and universities in Wisconsin

Private
institutions

University of
Wisconsin System

Main campuses	Eau Claire Green Bay La Crosse Madison Milwaukee Oshkosh Parkside Platteville River Falls Stevens Point Stout Superior Whitewater
Branch campuses	Baraboo/Sauk County Barron County Fond du Lac Fox Cities Manitowoc Marinette Marshfield Richland Rock County Sheboygan Washington County Waukesha Wausau

Wisconsin Technical
College System

Tribal institutions

Defunct

v t e Colleges and universities in the Milwaukee metropolitan area
Four-year colleges	Alverno Carthage Carroll Concordia Marquette Medical College of Wisconsin MIAD MSOE Mount Mary UWM UW–Parkside Wis. Lutheran
Two-year colleges	Gateway Tech MATC UWM–Washington Co. UWM–Waukesha Waukesha Tech

v t e Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference
Full members	CCSJ Crimson Wave Governors State Jaguars Holy Cross Saints Indiana-Northwest RedHawks Indiana-South Bend Titans Judson Eagles Olivet Nazarene Tigers Roosevelt Lakers St. Ambrose Fighting Bees St. Francis Fighting Saints Saint Xavier Cougars Trinity Christian Trolls

v t e Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
Milwaukee area	Alverno Concordia University Wisconsin Marquette Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design Milwaukee School of Engineering Mount Mary Wisconsin Lutheran
Wisconsin area	Beloit Carroll Carthage Edgewood Lakeland (WI) Lawrence Marian (WI) Northland Ripon (WI) St. Norbert Viterbo

v t e Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities
Alvernia University Briar Cliff University Felician College Franciscan University of Steubenville Franciscan School of Theology Hilbert College Lourdes University Madonna University Marian University Neumann University Quincy University Siena College St. Bonaventure University St. Francis College St. Francis University University of St. Francis (IL) University of Saint Francis (IN) Viterbo University

Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities

v t e Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Archbishops	John Henni Michael Heiss Frederick Katzer Sebastian Gebhard Messmer Samuel Stritch Moses E. Kiley Albert Gregory Meyer William Edward Cousins Rembert Weakland Timothy M. Dolan Jerome Edward Listecki
Auxiliary bishops	Joseph Maria Koudelka Edward Kozłowski Roman Richard Atkielski Leo Joseph Brust Richard J. Sklba William P. Callahan Donald J. Hying Jeffrey Robert Haines James Thomas Schuerman
Churches	List List of churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee Cathedral Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist Basilicas Basilica of St. Josaphat, Milwaukee Holy Hill National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians, Hubertus Parishes St. John Vianney Church, Brookfield St. John the Baptist Church, Johnsburg Gesu Church, Milwaukee Holy Trinity Church, Milwaukee Old St. Mary's Church, Milwaukee St. Adalbert's Church, Milwaukee St. Hedwig's Church, Milwaukee St. Stanislaus Church, Milwaukee St. Patrick's Church, Milwaukee Saints Peter and Paul Church, Milwaukee St. Vincent de Paul Church, Milwaukee St. Mary's Church, Port Washington St. Patrick's Church, Racine St. Joseph's Church, Waukesha Former St. John of God Church, Kewaskum St. Patrick's Church, Adell St. Augustine Church, Trenton Chapel St. Joan of Arc Chapel, Milwaukee Shrine Archdiocesan Marian Shrine
Education	Higher education Alverno College Marian University Marquette University Mount Mary University Seminaries Saint Francis de Sales Seminary Sacred Heart School of Theology High schools Burlington Catholic Central High School, Burlington Catholic Memorial High School, Waukesha Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Milwaukee Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, Milwaukee Dominican High School, Whitefish Bay Marquette University High School, Milwaukee Messmer High School, Milwaukee Pius XI High School, Milwaukee St. Anthony High School, Milwaukee St. Catherine's High School, Racine St. Joan Antida High School, Milwaukee St. Joseph Catholic Academy, Kenosha (previously as St. Joseph High School) St. Lawrence Seminary High School, Mt. Calvary St. Mary's Springs Academy, Fond du Lac St. Thomas More High School, Milwaukee Former Cardinal Stritch University St. John's School for the Deaf
Priests	Peter Abbelen Dismas Becker Fabian Bruskewitz Jan Romuald Byzewski Kilian Caspar Flasch Raphael Michael Fliss Augustus F. Gearhard Boleslaus Goral James Groppi Hyacinth (Jacek) Gulski Francis J. Haas Jerome J. Hastrich James Michael Harvey Wacław Kruszka David John Malloy Aloisius Joseph Muench William Patrick O'Connor Joseph Perry Augustine Francis Schinner Charles Asa Schleck Paul Francis Tanner
Cemeteries	Calvary Cemetery, Milwaukee Mount Olivet Cemetery, Milwaukee
Miscellany	Saint Dismas Prison Ministry
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