Marquette University

• 1. Founding And Early Years

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  On the 28th of August 1881, John Martin Henni established Marquette College in Milwaukee. The first Catholic bishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee led this effort with funding from Belgian businessman Guillaume Joseph DeBuey. The new institution served a specific community: German immigrants seeking affordable education. Father Jacques Marquette, a seventeenth-century missionary and explorer, provided the namesake for the school. The highest priority was to offer accessible learning to the area's emerging population. By 1887, five students received their Bachelor of Arts degrees. Between 1891 and 1906, the college employed only one full-time lay professor. Many classes were taught by master's students during those early years. By 1906, Marquette had awarded 186 Bachelor of Arts degrees and 38 Master of Arts degrees. One student earned a Bachelor of Science degree. This small beginning laid the groundwork for future expansion.

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• 2. Evolution Into A University

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  Marquette College officially became a university in 1907 after affiliating with a local medical school. The campus moved to its present location that same year. Johnston Hall stood as the first building erected on these new grounds. It now houses the university's College of Communication. Marquette University High School separated from the preparatory department in 1907. An engineering college opened in 1908 alongside two purchased law schools. These institutions formed the foundation of the current law program. The all-male institution admitted its first female students in 1909. This move made it the first coeducational Catholic university in the world. Female enrollment reached 375 by 1916. Other Catholic institutions began adopting similar approaches during the 1910s and 1920s. Marquette acquired the Wisconsin College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1913. This acquisition led to the formation of the Marquette University School of Medicine. Rapid expansion occurred during the 1920s and post-World War II years. New facilities included libraries, athletics buildings, classrooms, and residence halls. The student population increased markedly to meet this growth. Construction projects addressed needs for law, business, dentistry, and liberal arts schools. The university offered the first degree program specializing in hospital administration in the United States. Two students graduated from this pioneering program in 1927.

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• 3. Campus Expansion And Architecture

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  The campus stretches twelve blocks east to west and five blocks north to south. Wisconsin Avenue bisects the grounds, placing academic buildings on the south side. Residence halls and other offices occupy the north side. Lake Michigan lies roughly one mile east of the campus edge. Marquette absorbed many existing buildings into its infrastructure. Charles Cobeen Hall was a former hotel constructed in the 1920s. M. Carpenter Tower is an Art Deco building also built in the 1920s. Both structures now serve as undergraduate residence halls. Glenn Humphrey Hall once housed the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin before becoming a student residence hall. David Straz Tower formerly operated as the Downtown Milwaukee YMCA. It functions today as a residence hall, recreation center, and administrative office. Mashuda Hall served as the Coach House Motor Inn where The Beatles stayed during their 1964 tour. Abbottsford Hall became The Abbottsford Hotel until the university purchased it for graduate apartments. The university bought the Marquette Apartments complex in 2008. This property was remodeled as McCabe Hall prior to the 2009, 2010 academic year. Wild Commons replaced McCormick Hall following the 2018, 2019 academic year. Robert Wild requested his name be removed from the building weeks after opening. Dr. E. J. And Margaret O'Brien Hall now stands at that site. An $600 million project revealed plans in January 2017 to transform the campus.

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• 4. Athletic History And Identity

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  The men's basketball team won the NCAA Championship title in 1977 by defeating the University of North Carolina. Intercollegiate athletic teams were known as the Warriors from May 1954 to July 1994. The nickname changed to Golden Eagles due to concerns about Native American mascots. Football was discontinued after the 1960 season for financial reasons. Basketball became the leading spectator sport at the university. In 2004, the Board of Trustees briefly changed the nickname to Gold. Intense negative reaction led to another series of votes restoring Golden Eagles in June 2005. Iggy received its name in July 2020 as the official mascot. It honors St. Ignatius of Loyola. Marquette is a Division I member of the NCAA and competes in the Big East Conference. Eleven varsity teams participate including cross-country, golf, soccer, track and field, tennis, and volleyball. Men's and women's lacrosse began competition in 2013. Since joining the Big East in 2005, the Golden Eagles have won conference championships in multiple sports. Milwaukee was named one of America's great college basketball towns by CNN in 2009. The men's basketball team reached the Final Four in 2003, boosting national exposure.

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• 5. Academic Rankings And Programs

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  Marquette University had an enrollment of about 11,000 students in 2023. The institution offers programs in liberal arts, business, communication, education, engineering, law, and health sciences. Over 68 doctoral and master's degree programs exist alongside a law school and dental school. The dental school remains the only such facility in Wisconsin. U.S. News & World Report ranked Marquette 86th overall among 443 undergraduate programs for national universities in 2025. The magazine tied it for 17th out of 80 in Best Undergraduate Teaching. Forbes ranked Marquette 84th among research universities and 114th overall in their 2024-25 list. The Wall Street Journal placed Marquette at 56th in its 2024 Best Colleges ranking. Princeton Review named Marquette one of the Best 386 Colleges in the U.S. in 2020. Kiplinger's Personal Finance ranked Marquette 75th in the country among best value private universities. Graduate statistics program ranked 86th while English program ranked 108th by U.S. News & World Report as of 2023. Physical therapy program tied for 13th best in the nation as of 2023. Undergraduate nursing program ranked 29th best in the country in 2023.

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• 6. Social Controversies And Protests

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  On the 16th of May 1968, African-American students withdrew from Marquette University to protest institutional racism. They demanded immediate hiring of an African-American administrator. A rally at the student union culminated in arrests of seven people who refused to leave after closing. Marquette moved toward hiring an administrator on May 17 to end the campus protest. In April 2010, Marquette offered a position as dean to Jodi O'Brien over concerns about her scholarly writing. The offer was rescinded on May 2 due to Catholic teaching conflicts regarding same-sex marriage. Faculty and students protested the decision across both universities. On the 21st of June 2011, a nineteen-year-old student reported being raped by an athlete. No report was taken by university officers and city police were not notified. Marquette acknowledged failing to notify police violated state law for ten years. Independent research deemed Marquette the least sexually healthy college in the nation in 2016. In fall 2014, an undergraduate student disagreed with how a course instructor handled gay rights topics. Professor John McAdams posted about this incident on his personal blog. He faced suspension for refusing to apologize for the post. This earned Marquette a spot on the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education's 2016 list of worst colleges for free speech.

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• 7. Notable Alumni And Faculty

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  As of April 2013, approximately 110,000 living alumni belonged to the Marquette University Alumni Association. Some received Pulitzer Prizes, Fulbright Scholarships, Truman Scholarships, Academy Awards, and Emmy Awards. Comedian Chris Farley and actor Nicholas D'Agosto worked in arts and media. Journalist Gail Collins and sports columnist Steve Rushin also graduated from the school. Former Sears chairman Edward Brennan and Texas Instruments co-founder Patrick E. Haggerty led business careers. U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy and Representative Gwen Moore served in politics. Professional basketball players Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler attended the university. Olympic medalists included track athletes Ralph Metcalfe and speedskater Brian Hansen. NASA Dryden director John A. Manke and endocrinologist George Delahunty contributed to science. Les Aspin taught political science from 1969 to 1971 before the Center for Government bore his name. Bud Selig served as Commissioner of Major League Baseball while holding adjunct faculty status. Russ Feingold was a visiting professor in 2011. Michael Zimmer works in computer science today. The university counts 43 Fulbright Scholars and six Truman Scholars among its people.

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