Honoring the Past, Embracing the Future

During the 2009–2010 academic year, Loyola Academy celebrated its Centennial, marking one hundred years since 88 young men first entered Dumbach Hall in Rogers Park and began a tradition that would shape generations of students. The milestone offered an opportunity to reflect on a century of growth, achievement, and transformation—from the Academy's founding in 1909 to its move to Wilmette, the establishment of cherished traditions, the adoption of coeducation, and the countless alumni whose lives have been shaped by a Jesuit education.

The Centennial was also a celebration of the people who built Loyola Academy's legacy. Jesuits, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and benefactors all played a role in sustaining and strengthening the Academy through changing times. Their shared commitment to academic excellence, faith formation, leadership, and service helped establish Loyola as one of the nation's leading Jesuit secondary schools and the largest Jesuit high school in the United States.

While the Centennial honored the Academy's rich history, it also served as a renewed commitment to the future. Rooted in the enduring values of the Jesuit tradition, Loyola Academy entered its second century dedicated to forming young women and men of competence, conscience, compassion, and commitment. As it looked ahead to the opportunities and challenges of a new century, the Academy remained steadfast in its mission to prepare graduates to lead lives of purpose, faith, and service.