That all may have life, that all may be one, that all we believe and all we become may be for…the greater glory of God Tony Alonso
Over the last 50 years LMU has expanded its programs and enhanced the campus to provide for the care and integral development of students, meeting the educational challenges of the times. The University reflects the many facets of diversity that characterize our rich and complex local and global reality. With initiative, creativity, and imagination LMU provides a path for students to develop their full potential, becoming leaders in society, the arts, industry, and other fields of influence. Despite the women making the L into an M, on the hillside, the partnership has endured. Rooted in the educational traditions and charisms of the Jesuits, Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, with the commitment of the Administration and Board of Trustees, LMU will in successive decades continue to form and educate women and men for others, persons with “intelligent hearts and compassionate minds”.
The merger of Loyola University and Marymount College in 1973 after five years of affiliation has justly been called a landmark in the history of American Catholic higher education. The newly-created Loyola Marymount University strengthened both institutions through the benefits of co-education, a broader curriculum, greater emphasis on racial and cultural diversity, and increased enrollment. It also combined the academic and spiritual traditions of three religious orders, the Society of Jesus, the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange.
The merger literally transformed the University. The College of Communication and Fine Arts was formed to encompass Loyola’s Department of Communication Arts and three programs in which Marymount excelled — art and art history, music and theatre arts.. Women and lay people joined the University’s Board of Trustees for the first time. Female undergraduates took science classes. Male students became art or music majors.
Today, a half-century after the merger, Loyola Marymount is a far different and better place. Students, faculty, staff and alumni owe much to all who worked so hard to make this landmark event a reality.
LMU Vistas Magazine 25th Anniversary Tribute
