Running head: A NEW INSTITUTION 1

A new institution: Roosevelt University

Fernando Arce & Tiffany Sharpe

Loyola University
A NEW INSTITUTION 2

Students in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were subjected to discrimination and

injustice of all forms, especially when it came to pursuing an education. Education was, and is,

seen as a means of obtaining power. In the late 19th century, education was also viewed as a way

of social control and often separated Whites from other underrepresented minorities (URM) in

terms of what was being taught and what types of training they were receiving for their future

occupations (Brazell, 1992). In this era of racial tension, finding a higher education institution

that was not prejudice against racial minorities was a difficult task. Students of different

backgrounds or ethnicities were often met with hostility and segregation from people that were

supposed to be their peers. White students creating segregation on and off campus amongst their

peers can be seen continuing well into the twentieth century, thus causing a campus climate in

which Black students were not satisfied with their social or academic lives (Wechsler, 1997). It

was a time where someone needed to step up to the demand of change and create a learning

environment that was openly accepting of those URM.

This was achieved in the year 1945, when Roosevelt College (later renamed Roosevelt

University in 1954) was founded in Chicago by a man named Edward J. Sparling. Prior to this

year, Sparling had been working at the Central Y.M.C.A. College, a college with religious roots

that was known for supporting young, protestant White men. While the institution did have a

handful of URM students, Sparling noticed acts of injustice that were occurring. Due to this, he

decided to leave the institution and created one that revolved around the ideals of social justice

and equality and moved away from the religious background that the Y.M.C.A was known for.

This movement, called “the incident” in the history of the school, was done at a time where very

few universities had the desire to go against the norm of discrimination in higher education.

Today, it can be seen how the university Sparling created is still heavily engrained with its
A NEW INSTITUTION 3

mission to incorporate and spread social justice on campus and in the community. To understand

the mentality and drive that Sparling had for creating this new institution, it is imperative to

understand who he was before these events took place.

The man with a vision

Before the events that led to the creation of Roosevelt University, Edward J. Sparling was

a student at Stanford University, at Stanford, California. It would be here that a young Sparling

would first cross paths with the Y.M.C.A. (Sparling, 1970). While today Stanford is known for

its prestige and renowned research, it is one of the pricier universities in the United States. As

Sparling states, it was different during his time in undergrad; “Not many people today know that

Stanford, founded in 1891, was a poor man’s blessing. The college had no tuition, with thirty-

three million dollars in endowment, was the most highly endowed university in the world”

(Sparling, 1970, p. 7). To continue his studies at this prestigious institution, Sparling searched

for work and got a job in the “Alpine Evaporated Cream Company in Hollister” where he;

“started to work with them for ten hours a day, six days a week at a salary of forty cents an hour”

(Sparling, 1970, p. 7), an experience that, as Sparling puts it, “gave [him] deep insights into some

of the problems faced by laboring men” (Sparling, 1970, p. 7). This was an insightful experience

that would help him appreciate his students more as they worked low wage jobs to afford school

(Sparling, 1970).

During his time at the university, the United States became involved in World War I

(WWI) which saw many college age men being drafted with the promise helping them get skills

and money for college. Sparling joined the air force to save money for Stanford. Quickly, he

moved up the ranks and became a well-known officer. He recounts that during one of those days

in the army, he acquired a “permanent disrespect for unwarranted authority” (Sparling, 1970,
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p.11) due to the punishment his squadron had gotten from them eating a pie when they were

there just to help clean up. Sparling from then on knew that he was against people of power

abusing such power—something that would be true once he began arguments as president at the

Central Y.M.C.A. College with the board of trustees.

After Sparling came back from the war, he could finish his degree at Stanford. While an

accomplishment, the year 1921 was; “an economic depression year. The war industry had gone

down; the consumer industries had not yet picked up, and there was quite a pronounced

depression. A great many of the college students couldn’t get jobs” (Sparling, 1970, p. 21).

During this time, everyone had a difficult time securing a job and a college degree did not make

it easier. Fortunately, though, Sparling had created connections with people in the church and

could use those contacts to help him get a job. Sparling recounts;

I worked for the Presbyterian Church at Stanford, had been member of the student

volunteer organization which was for the world evangelical movement. Working as head

of the young people’s society, teaching a Sunday school, class and going to Asilomar, a

religious conference center run by the Y.M.C.A., had given me invaluable training.

(Sparling, 1970, p. 22)

This is where he began to become even more involved with the Y.M.C.A. and a precursor

to his position as college president later. For most of his life, Sparling was interested in religion

but never thought of education as a field to work in until he took a summer job as a swimming

coach to save for his Masters at Columbia University. Sparling shares;

Because [the others charged] so much for their lessons, the swimming instructors had few

pupils whom they held on as long as they could. (…) This general idea of giving the very

finest of instruction at the least possible cost to the widest number of people that could be
A NEW INSTITUTION 5

served from daylight to dark has really colored my whole philosophical outlook in

education. (Sparling, 1970, p. 23)

As it will become evident, the goal for Sparling as president of the Central Y.M.C.A.

College was to provide an institution that students could attend regardless of race or creed and

partake in the college experience in hopes that they could succeed in society as responsible

citizens after graduation. This mentality is further emphasized when Sparling shares that his;

“three years as assistant general secretary made [him] happy at the thought of returning to help

the students with their problems, academic and otherwise, adding vocational and professional

guidance as needed” (Sparling, 1970, p. 25).

Recently, in a book dedicated to the university by former president Theodore L. Gross, he

provides an insight into why Sparling abhorred practices that later plagued the Central Y.M.C.A.

College and ultimately helped him make the decision to leave the school. In the book Roosevelt

University: From Vision to Reality, 1945-2002 (2002), Gross writes; “Sparling’s own ancestors

had been expelled from Germany during the religious persecution of Protestants, and his

lumberjack father had imbued him with the belief that “you can’t blame a man for what he can’t

help being” (Gross, 2002, p. 3). With his father’s belief in mind, Sparling would go on to work

with faculty and staff closely to ensure that students in the new school would be able to pursue

their education. This experience, among the others previously mentioned, enabled Sparling to

become the man that eventually protested the Central Y.M.C.A. College which in turn, paved the

way to the creation of Roosevelt University.

The Y.M.C.A Organization

The Central Y.M.C.A. College was originated from the Young Men’s Christian

Association (Y.M.C.A.), an organization that began in Europe and transitioned to North America
A NEW INSTITUTION 6

during the mid-1800s. The Y.M.C.A. served as a social organization that had programs to

develop young adult men, and later boys, girls, and young women. The organization continued

to grow, spreading from England to North America and influencing the minds of young men.

Because the Y.M.C.A was rooted in Protestant beliefs, they were devoted to the spiritual and

social needs of young white collar workers (Young Men’s Christian Association, 2005).

Interestingly, the Y.M.C.A. chapter that developed in Chicago was formed by a group of

business leaders and philanthropist who were concerned about how this group of young White

men would adjust to being in an urban surrounding (Janzen, Ann Paton, Popp, & Ochoa, 2013).

In regards to what the environment and culture within the organization was like, the Chicago

Y.M.C.A. records speak to the religious beliefs and actions that occurred;

The association offered full memberships with voting privileges only to men who were

members of an evangelical church, although all men of "good moral character" could be

elected associate members. Early work of the association included attending the sick and

aiding young men in finding both jobs and respectable, clean boarding places. Weekly

prayer meetings were held in the Board of Managers' room and in the city fire stations. A

library and reading rooms were provided for members (Janzen, Ann Paton, Popp, &

Ochoa, 2013).

Over the next few decades, the organization continued to grow focus on its pious

backgrounds, taking on more evangelical work in the community, such as afternoon prayer to the

public and providing support to the poor (Young Men’s Christian Association, 2005). The

Chicago Y.M.C.A. became so influential in the community that the organization decided it

wanted to do more. It not only wanted to be there for religious purpose, but also to serve the

community in other ways. The organization was a major support during both the Civil War and
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World War I, providing special services to military members such as reduced rates to use their

facilities, and counseling and free promotional memberships to veterans (Janzen, Ann Paton,

Popp, & Ochoa, 2013).

Eventually, the Y.M.C.A. became so popular that the organization began putting on

educational programming to the community. The records state; “educational programs that in

the nineteenth century had emphasized trade and vocational skills had come by the twentieth

century to offer standard high school and college level work” (Janzen, Ann Paton, Popp, &

Ochoa, 2013). Eventually, these programs grew to the point where Chicago Y.M.C.A. became

fully accredited as a higher education, 4-year institution in 1936.

The Central Y.M.C.A College

The Central Y.M.C.A. College in Chicago came about at a time following anti-slavery

and when racial tensions were still prominent fixtures in society. Primarily had classes catering

to the business and vocational training that would be needed for young men and women to go

into the workforce. The first time women were ever admitted was in the very early stages before

the college was accredited. In a 1933 article from the Chicago Tribune a small ad states;

“Women will be admitted during the summer term to the Chicago Central Y.M.C.A college, 19

South LaSalle Street, for the first time in history of the institution” (Chicago Daily Tribune,

1933). This is an indication of what was going on in the country during this time. Women were

being admitted, mainly because they were profitable and would bring money to fund the

institution, and the fact that the Central Y.M.C.A. College began admitting them early on speaks

to the fact that they needed financial support to run the institution properly prior to accreditation.

Moreover, Black and Jewish students were also being treated unfairly while attending the

Central Y.M.C.A. College. While the time that the institution was created was in the aftermath
A NEW INSTITUTION 8

of World War II, in which many URMs fought in, the overall campus climate was not

welcoming to those who were non-White students. In an interview with Sparling, he spoke to

some of the major reasons why he went on to begin Roosevelt, which was were that the policies

engrained in Central Y.M.C.A. were “Jim Crow” relevant (Sparling, 1970, p. 36).

There are various incidents of racial discrimination that Sparling brings up in his

interview, which were added to his motives to leave the Central Y.M.C.A. College. One

instance occurred during his first day as President at Y.M.C.A. College in 1936. A Black student

approached him about a charge he received for the use of the school gym, yet he was not allowed

to utilize it because of his race (Sparling, 1970, p. 36). Sparling investigated the claim and once

he found that it was true, he called for all physical activities to be banned until they, as an

administration, could come up with a way to serve all the students equally (Sparling, 1970, p.

37). The Crisis (1945) talked about this event as well, stating;

As early as 1942, the growing Negro and Jewish enrollment brought about a discussion

of possible means of control…Dr. Sparling had shown his belief in democracy by

eliminating the compulsory physical education fee which the college charged because the

Y.M.C.A. would not allow Negro students to receive the same privileges. (Segal, 1945,

p. 197)

Predictably, Sparling’s progressive actions displeased many members of the administration and

faculty alike. They all disagreed so much in their beliefs that Sparling ceased to open the athletic

functions for the next nine years he was president because they could never find a place to

accommodate all students equally (Sparling, 1970, p. 37).

Another incident that occurred during Sparling’s time as president was at a time where

Black students were being turned away from dances held by other student organizations at
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venues off-campus (Sparling, 1970). In research done in the early twentieth century, this act of

students creating segregation on and off campus amongst their peers is a trend that started early

and continued in the world of higher education (Wechsler, 1997). It was around this point that

Sparling realized he needed to push the goal of equality in education. The Crisis wrote regarding

this;

[Sparling’s] community activities against racial discrimination (…) were the subject of

private debate with individual board members (…) The Y.M.C.A. board told the college

board that the “Y” was not interested in any long term commitments so long as Dr.

Sparling was president. (Segal, 1945, p. 197).

Although Sparling was the President of Central Y.M.C.A. at its time when it was accredited, his

values did not align with what was occurring around campus. Additionally, although the

Y.M.C.A. organization was supposed to remain private from Central Y.M.C.A. College, the

board of managers from Y.M.C.A. were still influencing and reaching to control the affairs of

what was happening at the college (Segal, 1945). The experience Sparling had at Y.M.C.A.

College served as an eye opener in terms of the type of education he could provide to all equally.

Ultimately, in pursuit of a fairer and just institution, Central Y.M.C.A. College’s president left,

leaving the college to dissolve.

Sparling’s Roosevelt

Sparling’s leave from Central Y.M.C.A. College caused noticeable attention. The Crisis

wrote an entire article about it and highlighted the reasons he left as well as discussed where

Sparling was going to go with his new institution. Sparling was not alone in his beliefs,

however; many of the members of the administration left with him because they too had similar

values. In The Crisis article, the author states; “Some of the more encouraging aspects of the
A NEW INSTITUTION 10

situation are found in the strong backing given Dr. Sparling by the faculty (…) and the student

body, which circulated petitions in support of the president” (Segal, 1945, p. 197). With the

support of others who were in favor of a higher learning institution that was more accepting of

URMs, Sparling went on to start what is today Roosevelt University.

One of the major things that had to be ironed out in terms of how the new institution

would operate was the admission of students. Other than the trend of students segregating other

students, there was also a pattern developing where colleges saw new groups of people attending

their universities as threats to traditional, White students (Wechsler, 1997). College

administrations continued to come up with ways to discriminate against URMs by coming up

with quotas to hinder the amount of minority students being admitted to an institution. Sparling

had the belief that students should not be denied admission or treated differently because of the

color of their skin. Because the decision for Sparling to leave the Central Y.M.C.A. College was

a result of tension built up between him and the board of the college—specifically his own views

regarding who should be able to receive an education—Sparling knew he wanted to accept

students from all backgrounds if they were academically inclined. He noticed that there was a

“backlog” of students who were not getting the education that they needed to get the jobs that

they wanted. Sparling knew that this “backlog of people” needed more opportunities to further

their education and having “open admissions policies” when “there [were] no public higher

education in Chicago 1945” (Sparling, 1970, p. 40) would help some of these students. Sparling

pushed this idea of open admissions so much that the institution was viewed as “a model of

democracy in higher education” (“Our Story,” n.d.). As the years went on, Roosevelt University

continued to thrive to be a place where students could interact openly with one another and

focused on the values of giving back to others and building a community.

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Roosevelt University today

Today, Roosevelt University is an institution dedicated to social justice and “to the

enlightenment of the human spirit” (Sparling, 1970, p. 71). At the dedication ceremony, Eleanor

Roosevelt said;

I, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, dedicate Roosevelt College of Chicago to the fulfillment of

the dynamic principles, to the enlightenment of the human spirit, to the constant search

for truth, and to the growth of the human spirit through knowledge, understanding, and

goodwill. (Sparling, 1970, p. 71)

Through various programs sponsored by the offices in the school, students are invited to partake

in excursions, seminars, retreats and classes that challenge them in mind and spirit—something

that was inspired by Roosevelt’s dedication (“Student Organizations & Activities,” n.d.). In

addition to having a university dedicated to broadening and refining skills of their students, the

university is also proud of their sustainability efforts;

[Roosevelt University's] sustainability efforts encompass the greening of buildings and

campus operations; innovation and expansion of sustainability education and research

opportunities for students, faculty, and staff; and the promotion of social and

environmental justice within and beyond our campus. (“Sustainability at Roosevelt,”

n.d.)

Through their efforts to create a sustainable campus, the school has joined other campuses that

have been certified both Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and one

Society of Environmentally Responsible Facilities (SERF) certified (“Sustainability at

Roosevelt,” n.d.). Along with that, the school offers “two bachelor’s degrees in Sustainability
A NEW INSTITUTION 12

Studies, a BA for traditional students and a BASS intended for adult degree completion”

(“Sustainability at Roosevelt,” n.d.).

The school’s ability to help their students help their community echoes Roosevelt’s

message on goodwill which is furthered supported by the school’s mission statement. The

mission statement found on the school’s website reads; “Roosevelt University […] [promotes]

mutual understanding, inclusion, social consciousness, and action toward social justice.

Recognizing that difference broadens perspectives, Roosevelt University seeks and serves a

diverse, promising student body from metropolitan Chicago and around the world” (“Mission,”

n.d.). This continues to demonstrate the university’s dedication to put in practice their social

justice mission by extending it to environment conservation along with programs that continue to

help spread social justice values to their students—something that most people overlook when

discussing social justice.

Conclusion

Throughout the research into the history of Roosevelt University, it is of interest how the

man behind the move from the Central Y.M.C.A. College to Roosevelt University became this

person. Through hardworking and humble beginnings to becoming a college president and later

on becoming the founder of a new type of university with social justice roots, is truly

remarkable. With the help of various community leaders and scholars (“Doing the Impossible,”

n.d.), Sparling was able to create a new an institution of higher learning that would be there for

anyone looking to further their academics; “Roosevelt College was born in recognition that

knowledge and education are inherently the most democratic of all Mankind’s accomplishment.

It is the purpose of Roosevelt College to make its facilitates available to all who see self-

improvement through education” (Sparling, 1970, p. 73). On the same token, Sparling’s school
A NEW INSTITUTION 13

was to be a place where both students and educators would thrive by collaborating and learning

from one another. In this institution, there would be no barriers that would limit the learning of

students and the growth of professors;

[Roosevelt University] was virtually a “one world” in its structure and in its organization,

designed to supply in perpetuity the opportunity for all groups of people to get an

education commensurate with their ability and to insure (…) that all people, students and

faculty be able to search for, disseminate and practice truth. (Sparling, 1970, p. 73)

In the same respect, Roosevelt University today continues to be a place where collaboration

between professors, staff and students is the norm.

With such a rich history rooted in social justice practices and dedicated to the

“enlightenment of the human spirit,” it is no wonder that the university continues being a staple

of Chicago life for the past seven decades. With a continually expanding student population and

renowned faculty and staff, the school continues to practice their mission. As Gross (2002)

mentions; “If Franklin D. Roosevelt represented the pragmatic aspect of the university and its

embodiment of his “four freedoms,” Eleanor was the avatar of social justice and idealism—and

so the Roosevelts (…) spoke for the pragmatic idealism that would become the university’s

hallmark” (Gross, 2012, p. 8). As Roosevelt University continues educate the next wave of

community and world leaders, it is safe to say at the Roosevelts would be proud of the institution

that bares their name.

A NEW INSTITUTION 14

References

Brazzel, J. (1992). From bricks to straw: Missionary-sponsored Black higher education in the

post-Emancipation era. Journal of Higher Education 63(1), 26-49

Chicago Daily Tribune, (1933). Central Y.M.C.A College to Admit Women Students, p.

Ad, page 19. Retrieved from

http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1933/05/19/page/19/article/central-y-m-c-a-college

to-admit-women-students

Doing the impossible (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.roosevelt.edu/About/History.aspx

Gross, L. T., & Karow, T. (Ed). (2002). Roosevelt University: from vision to reality 1945-2002.

(p. 3, 8). Chicago, IL: Roosevelt University.

Janzen, M., Ann Paton, C., Popp, R., & Ochoa, A. (2013). YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago

records, 1853-1980. Biographical/Historical Note, Chicago.

Labor Oral History Project., Sparling, E., November 20, 1970, Roosevelt University Archives,

Pages 7, 11, 21-23, 25, 36, 37, 40, 71, 73. Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL. Retrieved

From https://roosevelt.cuadra.com/cgi--

bin/starfetch.exe?xNhnrbrckuNGMYJHYfeY74dpa.Gzh W4Z1X9TU7yfnNg1DowabaR

Beyx18w8Dk2WYWdp8vh858Zve4cugrMy14wSbQ4XxniQAXNCHDeu9VtZHRU6qLr

IgA/000ghn.pdf on 2016, December 9.

Lupkin, Paula R. 2005. Encyclopedia of Chicago. Young Men’s Christian Association. Chicago,

IL. Chicago Historical Society.

Mission (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.roosevelt.edu/About/StrategicPlan/Who.aspx

Our Story (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.roosevelt.edu/why-roosevelt/our-story

Sustainability at Roosevelt (n.d.). Retrieved from

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https://www.roosevelt.edu/campuses/sustainability

Student Organizations & Activities (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.roosevelt.edu/student-experience/student-orgs

Segal, B. (1945). Color and the Chicago YMCA. The Crisis, pp. 197-206.

Retrieved from

https://books.google.com/books?id=3VoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA192&lpg=PA192&dq=1

945+article+in+The+Crisis+ymca&source=bl&ots=PX8CbXVrjt&sig=_oLmv5a1fNsj7k

YwRJGiLV9en7Y&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjzn5ui4PTQAhUoxFQKHYSbClIQ6

AEIJzAC#v=onepage&q&f=true

Wechsler, H. (1997). An academic Gresham’s Law: Group repulsion as a theme in American

Higher Education. In L. F., Goodchild & H. S. Wechsler, The History of Higher

Education. ASHE Reader Series (pp. 416-431). Old Tappan, NJ : Pearson Custom

Publishing.
A NEW INSTITUTION 16

Appendix

Edward Sparling – President of Central Y.M.C.A College and, later, Roosevelt University.
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An article in ‘The Crisis’ written shortly after Edward Sparling put in his resignation from

Central Y.M.C.A College

Opening day in September of 1945 – Roosevelt’s first class of students.

A NEW INSTITUTION 18

President Sparling with Eleanor Roosevelt at the dedication of Roosevelt College in the Wells

Street Building about a month after the College opened.

Roosevelt students in class – after the university opened, a diverse mix of different racial

backgrounds could be seen at the institution, including the faculty and staff members.