…the essence of the process we call education is all about connecting heads to hearts and to hands…to achieve otherwise impossible objectives.” Mary Milligan RSHM
In 1967 Mothers Raymunde McKay, RSHM and Felix Montgomery, CSJ Orange, concerned about the future of Catholic Women’s Colleges and Colleges for Sisters, began and completed the process of affiliation, St. Joseph’s College, Orange, with Marymount College.
Time for conversations around affiliating with Loyola University seemed right. Father Charles Casassa, SJ, President of Loyola University forewarned Sister Raymunde that Cardinal McIntyre was not open to coeducation when she asked if she might approach him. The Cardinal was receptive to a co-institutional arrangement and Sister Raymunde informed the Regents about the possibility of moving Marymount College onto the campus of Loyola University.
Approval was given by religious superiors, Cardinal McIntyre, and respective Boards and by June 1966 the Boards of Regents of Loyola and Marymount were meeting. With a provisional Memorandum of Agreement signed in October 1966, the co-instructional affiliation was announced in January 1967. In October 1967 the “coordinated university” would be known as Marymount College at Loyola University beginning September 1968.
As Marymount College at Loyola University, the RSHM and Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange moved to Westchester in 1968. In December 1969 Cardinal McIntyre dedicated the Leavey Faculty Center, a chapel, faculty offices and a residence for the RSHM and Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange.
By summer 1968, McKay Hall was ready for occupancy and 421 women had registered for class. The academic year 1969-70 brought nearly 1000 new Marymount students. Upper-division students identified more with Marymount, the seniors demanding their own graduation ceremony the first year. Co-instruction took hold of the Marymount and Loyola students. 1970-71 saw the combining of student governments. In 1973 the first female editor of the campus newspaper was elected, and the fine and performing arts flourished.
