The Marquette Journal

Right now, you’re probably reading this as a diversion from studying for finals or, at the very least, dreading them in some form or another. But just imagine how much more upset about finals you’d be if you were about to be tested on your comprehension of Latin or your understanding of philosophy (unless that’s your cup of tea – in which case, good luck with that). It would be more than a little bizarre, knowing that the very material that would determine whether or not you’d get a diploma at the end of your time at Marquette had little to do with your intended career.

But when it was opened in 1881, the curriculum of Marquette College consisted almost exclusively of courses such as these, called classical studies, according to history professor Thomas J. Jablonsky’s book “Milwaukee’s Jesuit University.” After three preparatory years, students spent four more years studying composition, poetry, rhetoric and oratory and philosophy. According to Jablonsky, the intention was to produce highly intelligent students who could excel in any field. To meet demand, however, Marquette began to offer courses in the social and natural sciences starting in 1901, although classical studies remained the primary focus.

Shortly thereafter, Jablonsky wrote, Marquette College’s president the Rev. Alexander Burrows realized that Marquette Colllege was becoming overcrowded and was in need of a new building. The college was in debt from the original building purchase, but help came from Robert Johnston, who donated $110,000. In gratitude, the structure, completed in 1907, was named for him. Since then, Johnston Hall has remained one of the key buildings at Marquette.

With this new building came the transition from college to university. According to Jablonsky, Marquette affiliated itself with the Milwaukee Medical College in 1907, which effectively transformed Marquette into a university. Marquette continued to expand further, purchasing two law schools in 1908. By 1922, Marquette had added departments of engineering, business administration, journalism, music, speech and graduate studies.

The Great Depression and World War II, however, limited Marquette’s ability for academic expansion. Jablonsky wrote that budget cuts during the Depression forced the closure of the nursing program and the College of Music, and the graduate program was forced to discontinue its doctoral programs during the war because their standards weren’t high enough. Although the College of Music was never restored, reimplementation of the nursing program and doctoral program did occur.

Following World War II, enrollment at Marquette increased, peaking at 8,603 students in 1948. According to Jablonsky, an increase in students spurred an academic overhaul. In 1951, Father Virgil Roach, dean of liberal arts, abolished the Bachelor’s of Science degree in medicine and dentistry. As a result, students in these degrees were required to take four years in the liberal arts, and Latin became a graduation requirement for a Bachelor of Arts degree.

In preparation for the school’s 75th anniversary in 1954, university president the Rev. Edward O’Donnell began an extensive analysis of the university, Jablonsky wrote. O’Donnell concluded that vast differences existed among the university’s programs, leading him to publish the first draft of a faculty handbook in 1957, which caused professors to quickly revise their curriculum. Roach’s changes in the liberal arts curriculum were overturned in 1959, and an honors program was started in 1963. Changes weren’t limited to the undergraduate programs; doctoral degrees were reinstated in 1957 and master’s degree programs were added.

In 1965, the Rev. John Raynor was named university president, according to Jablonsky. One of his first actions was to disaffiliate with the Milwaukee Medical College, which had been a financial burden to the university for years. Raynor also approved a revised core curriculum that removed mandatory minors and a required speech class, the last remnants of the original curriculum.

Raynor also altered the structure of administration and faculty. Michael Price, former associate dean, remembers a more controversial change – the requirement of intensive evaluation for tenure. According to Price, this was the first time that faculty had truly been evaluated. Faculty members were required to supply a 140- to 150-page teaching summary within seven years of being hired and received regular student evaluations.

“The hope was that it would improve teaching,” Price said.

In addition, Raynor devised a Committee on Administrators in 1982, which Price served on. The committee “worked out nitty-gritty daily problems,” Price said, such as ensuring that staff members had appropriate benefits packages.

Succeeding Raynor as president was the Rev. Al DiUlio, who initiated the creation of the College of Health Sciences and the College of Professional Studies during his tenure. David Buckholdt, who was associate vice president under DiUlio and later vice president of academic affairs, said he recalled the additions as a big change. Previously, health science majors were scattered throughout the university’s colleges. Buckholdt said the College of Professional Studies also began to offer weekend and night courses for working adults, which had been previously lacking at Marquette.

Beginning in the 1970s, Buckholdt said Marquette began to become known as an unsafe campus. To improve safety, DiUlio began the Campus Circle campaign to buy out buildings around campus, thus creating some controversy during his presidency.

“(Safety) was always the first question asked,” Buckholdt said, remembering conversations with high school seniors interested in Marquette. Perceptions of on-campus safety had an impact, and in 1991, Buckholdt said applications decreased more than 50 percent. Realizing action was necessary, DiUlio began purchasing housing units, businesses and bars around campus, including most of Wells Street, and renovated them extensively. Although at the time both Buckholdt and Robert Shuter, professor of communication studies, disagreed with DiUlio’s actions, they believe the plan was ultimately successful.

“DiUlio made the difference,” Shuter said. “He saved the university.”

DiUlio’s term ended in 1995 and he was succeeded by the Rev. Robert A. Wild, current university president. Wild added the Core of Common Studies in 2002 and created the Center for Teaching and Learning. Buckholdt advocated for the Center, which focuses on preparing faculty and graduate students to become better teachers, and he is its founding director.

It remains to be seen what else will change during Father Wild’s tenure as university president. It seems almost certain that Marquette won’t be returning to a focus on classical studies anytime in the future, so don’t worry about taking that Latin class next semester unless you’re actually interested in the subject. The only thing that seems certain is that Marquette will retain its Jesuit origins and ideals it was founded upon back in 1881.