Marquette University Walking Tour

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Dedicated in 2009, this six-foot statue of Mother Teresa of Calcutta adorns Marquette University's campus. In recognition of her numerous good deeds worldwide, Mother Teresa was awarded the Pere Marquette Discovery Award in 1981. She visited the university that same year to accept the award in person. During the ceremony, she spoke in front of some 10,000 people, and thousands more watched on local access television.

2. Marquette University's Old Gym

Marquette University’s Old Gym, located at 1532 W. Clybourn Street, was built in 1922 to accommodate the large student body and a serious intercollegiate sports program. The Marquette University basketball team used the Old Gym for both practice and games until 1956, after which it was used only for practice. Today the Old Gym is home to several Marquette University sports teams including men’s and women’s tennis and track and field. Marquette University’s Army and Naval ROTC departments are located in the east and west wings.

3. McCormick Hall

Built by Marquette University in 1966, McCormick Hall is home to over 700 first year students. The distinct architectural style has made McCormick Hall an icon of the university's campus for some 50 years. The building is named after Marquette University Law School alumnus Victor McCormick. In 2016 it was announced that the university plans to demolish the dorm around 2018.

4. The Plankinton Estate

The land and mansions of the Plankinton Estate were crucial to the development of the current campus of Marquette University. Marquette bought the three mansions belonging to John Plankinton, a leader of the meatpacking industry in Milwaukee, in 1918. The two mansions previously used by John and his son William were used for various academic purposes for several decades, while the Knights of Columbus used the mansion that was the former of John’s daughter, Elizabeth Plankinton, as a clubhouse. Elizabeth Plankinton's mansion was the last remaining piece of the Plankinton Estate, but it was demolished in October 1980 to create more space for the university. Many organizations and people fought to keep the mansion as a monument to the history of Grand Avenue, but in the end it proved to be fruitless. Today the Alumni Memorial Union stands where the mansion once stood.

5. Civil Rights Protests, Marquette University

The rich history of diversity within both Marquette University and Milwaukee itself has had a profound impact on the university, especially in the 1960s. Many students paid very close attention to the Civil Rights marches of the time, and themselves often gathered to protest the marginalization of African Americans. Most activity on Marquette's campus was spearheaded by the organization Students United for Racial Equality (SURE). Specific issues that students protested over were greater inclusion for minorities within the university and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. One notable demonstration in the push for Civil Rights involved student protesters locking university faculty in the Brooks Memorial Union. While issues involving Civil Rights are still very much an area of focus in the university, there's no doubt that the 1960s were a high-point in demonstrations on Marquette's campus.

6. Peter A. Brooks Memorial Union (1953-2001)

The Peter A. Brooks Memorial Union stood from 1953 until 2001. The building served as the second student union for Marquette University and was named after former University President The Very Reverend Peter A. Brooks. While the building ceased all operations in 1990, it continued to stand until it was demolished in 2001. Today the former location of the union is home to Marquette's Raynor Library.

7. Schroeder Hall

Schroeder Hall has operated as one of Marquette's residence halls for over half a century. The facility takes its name from Walter Schroeder, who was a patron of the University and a member of the Board of Trustees, as well as a successful hotel owner in Wisconsin.

8. Abraham Lincoln's "Mudsill" Speech

The Wisconsin State Fair in 1859 was located in Milwaukee where the Wisconsin Agricultural Society drew thousands of people to the city to look at the exhibits of produce and livestock. The keynote speaker for the fair was none other than Abraham Lincoln, the future president of the United States. During his speech, Abraham Lincoln spoke against the proslavery "mudsill" theory, which asserted that farmers and laborers would always remain on the bottom floor of society. Proponents of the mudsill theory, like South Carolina Senator James H. Hammond, held that the people who control capital will also be above labor for hire or slaves. Proponents of this theory placed free workers in the same class with enslaved people but Lincoln argued that this theory didn't make sense. A farmer is a free laborer, he says, who works with both his hands and his mind. Education is therefore key to keeping up with technological innovations and new techniques in farming, something that the mudsill theory dismisses. The spot where he gave the speech is commemorated with a plaque at the corner of 13th and Wells outside Marquette’s Schroeder Hall.

9. Al McGuire Center

Opened in 2003, the Al McGuire Center, or “The Al,” is Marquette’s state-of-the-art athletics complex. It is named after the legendary men’s basketball coach who led the team to an NCAA championship in 1977.

10. Gesu Church

On May 21, 1893, the cornerstone of Gesu Church was laid on 12th Street and Grand Avenue (now Wisconsin Avenue). The building was modeled after the Cathedral of Chartres in France. Nearly 125 years later, the Jesuit parish serves both Marquette University and the larger Milwaukee Catholic community.

11. Johnston Hall

Johnston Hall is one of Marquette University’s most historic buildings. Built in 1906, when the school was still in its infancy, the building originally housed facilities for worship, academics, and living space. Johnston Hall is now home to the school of Communication and Journalism.

12. Cobeen Hall (Formerly the LaSalle Hotel)

Marquette University's only all-girl dorm, Cobeen Hall is home to some 380 freshman. Originally built in 1928 as the LaSalle Hotel, the building at one time served as a venue for a performance by the Nat King Cole Trio. Marquette purchased the building in 1964 and renamed it after longtime university administrator Charles Cobeen.

13. Carpenter Tower, Marquette University

Carpenter Tower is Marquette University's second tallest residence hall. Purchased by the university in 1960, the 180 foot tower today is home to some 280 underclassmen. Like many other residence halls on Marquette's campus, the tower at one time was a hotel. One particularly unique fact about Carpenter Tower is that it is actually named after three people.

14. Sensenbrenner Hall

Once the site of a private residence and an eighty-foot radio tower, this location is currently home to Sensenbrenner Hall, home of Marquette University's History Department and the College of Arts and Sciences. The building was completed in 1924 and served as served as the university's Law School from 1924 to 2010. Similar to other campus buildings, Sensenbrenner Hall has been renovated several times and served a number of purposes throughout its history. The building was named in honor of Frank President J. Sensenbrenner in 1927. Sensenbrenner was a member of the university's Board of Governors, a donor to the university, and the former CEO of the Kimberly-Clark Corporation.

15. O'Hara Hall (1870-2010)

Built around 1870, the building that became O'Hara Hall served the university for nearly 90 years. Once the personal home of General Frederick Charles Winkler, Marquette University purchased the building in 1920 where it underwent multiple name changes. For a large part of its history, O'Hara hall served as the center for the university's administration. Because of this capacity, the building was also subject to numerous student protests throughout the latter half of the twentieth century. Ultimately the upkeep for the building proved too costly and it was razed in 2010, and the land where it stood was converted into a parking lot.

16. Drexel Lodge

From 1923 to 1953 Drexel Lodge offered a place for Marquette's female students to meet, relax, eat, and study during the school day. Though not as fancy or as big as the Marquette Union, which opened in 1924 and served women only during certain times, Drexel Lodge offered a place for the women of Marquette to relax, study, and eat.

17. Tory Hill

Today, the name Tory Hill brings to mind Marquette Law Library’s café or the three-block street that connects W. Michigan and W. Clybourn Streets at the southeast corner of Marquette campus. Yet the name carries with it the rich history of a bygone Milwaukee immigrant neighborhood.

18. Coughlin Hall

Marquette University built Coughlin Hall, located behind Cudahy Hall on Wisconsin and 13th Street, in 1977. Originally, the facility was intended to house disciplines in the humanities, but it has gone on to hold various functions throughout the years. The building is named after Briggs and Stratton executive Charles L. Coughlin.

19. Straz Business Hall

Straz Business Hall, originally just called the Hall of Business Administration, was built to launch the new College of Business Administration. Over the years, it has operated as such and expanded with new needs. In 1984, it was renamed to David A. Straz, Jr. Hall.

20. Vietnam War Protests, Marquette University

Between 1967 and 1971 numerous student protests opposing the Vietnam War occurred on Marquette University's campus. While these protests took place at various points throughout campus, they largely focused on the area around the central mall. These protests often manifested themselves in the form of sit-ins or public gathering, but occasionally in bomb threats and vandalism. Among the most tumultuous incidents included the 1969 protests of the ROTC's presence on campus (which resulted in between 100 and 200 students arrested) and the protests in response to the Kent State Shootings in 1970.

21. Father Marquette Statue

Located in front of Coughlin Hall on the Marquette campus, the Father Jacques Marquette sculpture pays tribute to the university’s namesake. Father Marquette was a 17th century French Jesuit missionary and explorer. He is particularly known for surveying and mapping the northern portion of the Mississippi River alongside French-Canadian explorer Louis Jolliet.

22. St. Joan of Arc Chapel

Since 1966, the St. Joan of Arc chapel has served as the spiritual center for many students of Marquette University. All Marquette students and those who have visited Marquette before know the St. Joan of Arc chapel’s gothic beauty. The St. Joan of Arc chapel is named after a relic from the saint’s life still residing in the chapel today. The chapel was located in the village of Chasse in the Rhone River Valley. After the French Revolution, the chapel fell into disrepair. However, after the First World War, a young French architect named Jacques Couëlle restored it to its former glory. In 1927, the chapel was moved to Long Island where the relic of St. Joan of Arc was incorporated into the chapel. The chapel would stay there for thirty-five years before Mr. and Mrs. Marc B. Rotjman bought the estate and donated the chapel to Marquette University in 1962. The chapel was slowly reconstructed and finished in 1966 at its new permanent home, Marquette University where it continues to serve the spiritual needs of the students.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Marquette University Walking Tour

Created by James Marten on February 25th 2017, 3:56:52 pm.

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Marquette University is a Jesuit, Catholic University located in Milwaukee. Chartered in 1881, the school named after the explorer and missionary Reverend Jacques Marquette, SJ, and is located just west of downtown Milwaukee. The University currently enrolls about 8,200 undergraduate and 3,000 graduate and professional students. For more detail, see Milwaukee's Jesuit University: Marquette, 1881-1981 by Thomas J. Jablonsky.

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Marquette University Walking Tour

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