Dominican College of Racine

For other colleges with the same name, see Dominican College

Dominican College of Racine was a college in Racine, Wisconsin founded in 1864 as St. Catherine's Female Academy and later known as St. Albertus Junior College (1935-1946), Dominican College (1946-1957), Dominican College of Racine (1957-1972), and College of Racine (1972-1974).^[1]

History

It was founded in 1864 in Racine by the Sisters of the Order of St. Dominic as St. Catherine's Female Academy^[2]

• In 1888, a normal school was added to the Academy to train young women of the community for the teaching profession.
• In 1924, St. Catherine's High School was built in Racine and the Academy closed, but the normal school continued to operate until 1935 when St. Albertus Junior College replaced it.
• In 1935, accreditation was obtained from the University of Wisconsin
• In 1946, the school changed its name to Dominican College, added a fourth year of study, admitted full-time lay students for the first time and the State Department of Education granted approval for the school to confer Bachelor of Science degrees in Music and Education.
• In 1948, the first graduation ceremony was held with 6 graduates and a full-time advisory board was instituted.
• In 1955, the Congregation of St. Catherine of Sienna purchased 25 acres of lake frontage, five miles north of Racine, as a site for an expanded campus and
• In 1957, the school was incorporated as Dominican College of Racine, Incorporated and the following year, groundbreaking occurred at the new campus
• In September 1960, the school moved to the new campus with 363 full and part-time students and a faculty of 30 nuns, 2 priests and a lay business manager.
• In 1962, it was accredited by North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and purchased additional land
• In 1968, management of the college was transferred from the Dominican Sisters to an independent nondenominational board.^[3]
• In 1970, the college underwent a major administrative reorganization, involving restructuring of administrative positions and responsibilities, and replacement of the traditional academic departments with four broad divisions.
• In 1972, a program offering a Masters of Science Degree in Education was introduced, and the college changed its name to the College of Racine.^[4]
• In 1973, it joined the Union of Experimenting Colleges and Universities and introduced the Racine Plan, a year-round academic program of six short terms.

Closing

Despite increased enrollment and an increasing respect for the college's innovative academic programs, the college faced serious financial difficulties by 1974. Factors contributing to these problems, included construction of the Theatre/Gymnasium Complex without long-term financing, high interest rates for short-term loans, a decline in the stock market, a rapid increase in operating costs, and a reduction of contributed services. On March 15, 1974, the college filed bankruptcy papers. Numerous members of the administration, faculty, and student body undertook the task of raising 1.75 million dollars needed to keep the college operating. A merger with Lewis University near Lockport, Illinois also was attempted. All attempts failed. The college held its final commencement ceremonies on June 8, 1974 and a few summer courses were held until August. Eventually the college property was divided and the buildings were sold.

Sports

In 63-64 Dominican's basketball team was known as the Shakespearean Players. When Paul Pryor was hired during the first part of 64-65, he began by changing the name to the Squires.^[5] The school started playing intercollegiate basketball in the 1964-1965 season. They continued to play under the name of the Squires ^[6] In addition to basketball, the 1966-67 Squires also participated in intercollegiate golf, tennis and softball.^[7] By 1968, the school had changed its nickname to the Lakers.^[8]

During the 1973-1974 school year, Bill Cofield was hired as athletic director and basketball head coach. He became the nation's first black athletic director and head coach at a predominantly white institution of higher learning by accepting these positions.

Bo Ryan began his collegiate coaching career in 1973 as an assistant coach under Bill Cofield, the Dominican basketball team went 14-15 that year. During that same season, Ryan would earn the first of many Coach of the Year honors in his career as head coach of the Dominican baseball team.

Student Organizations

Student organizations at the college included^[9]

• Actors Studio
• Alpha Phi Omega (National Scout Fraternity), Rho Phi Chapter
• Alpha Mu Gamma, Delta Zeta Chapter
• Arcato (Photo Club)
• Association for the Advancement of Blacks
• Chi Gamma Gamma
• Confraternity of the Christian Doctrine
• Delta Kappa Chi Sorority
• Dominican College Players
• Epsilon Alpha Delta Fraternity
• Family Life Club
• Gamma Delta Iota Fraternity
• International Club
• Lakefront Players
• Lambda Iota Tau
• National Federation of Catholic College Students
• National Student Association
• Progressive Party
• Sigma Theta Phi Sorority
• Silence
• Sodality of Our Lady
• Student National Education Association, Dominican College Chapter
• Student Rathskeller

Notable Faculty and Alumni

Faculty

• Bronislaw "Bruno" Bak - Multi-media Artist^[10]
• Bill Cofield - American basketball coach and was the first African American head coach of a major sport in the Big Ten Conference
• Sr. Dolores Enderle, OP - Author - "A Time to Grow, the third volume of the history of the Racine Dominican Sisters" ^[11]
• Sr. Monica Gabriel, OP - Artist - sculptor and painter ^[12]
• William J. Geisheker - Musician ^[13]
• Sr. Mary Hortense Kohler OP - historian; author - "Rooted In Hope: The Story Of The Dominican Sisters Of Racine, Wisconsin"
• T.L. Orcutt - American Novelist
• Paul Pryor - National League Umpire
• Bo Ryan - Head Coach of University of Wisconsin–Madison Badgers men's basketball team

Alumni

• Rev. Steven M. Avella '73 - Published author^[14]
• Christopher Crowe '72 - Writer and producer^{[15] [16] [17]}
• Marcel Dandeneau '60, '74 - Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly^[18]
• George N. Gillett, Jr. '61 - Businessman
• Elsa Lamelas '73 - Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge^[19]
• William D. Lutz '62 - American Linguist
• Rose Thering - Roman Catholic Dominican Religious Sister, who gained note as an activist against antisemitism
• Caryl Nelson Yasko '63 - Artist^[20]

References

1. "College of Racine Records, 1936-1975". Archival Resources in Wisconsin: Descriptive Finding Aids. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
2. "College of Racine Biography/History". Archival Resources in Wisconsin: Descriptive Finding Aids. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
3. Lay Board to operate Dominican College
4. Dominican now College of Racine
5. (12-9-64 & 5-2-67 articles in "Vanguard" - Dominican College's school paper)
6. Superior, Dominican win college games
7. (5-2-67 article in "Vanguard" - Dominican College's school paper)
8. UWM Submerges Dominican, 90-47
9. "Student Records, subject file". Archival Resources in Wisconsin: Descriptive Finding Aids. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
10. http://www.poles.org/db/b_names/Bak_BM.html
11. http://www.racinedominicans.org/a-timeline.cfm
12. http://www.domlife.org/2011Stories/opracine_sister_artist.htm
13. http://www.angelfire.com/emo/hcentral/band3/hist_Geish.html
14. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=steven+m+avella
15. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0189610/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
16. http://www.filmreference.com/film/27/Christopher-Crowe.html
17. https://www.linkedin.com/pub/chris-crowe/4/8b2/31
18. 'Wisconsin Blue Book 1975,' Biographical Sketch of Marcel Dandeneau, pg. 63
19. http://www.gab.wi.gov/about/members/lamelas
20. https://sites.google.com/site/carylyaskoartist/Biography