January 2012 Photo of the Month

January means winter weather and hockey season in full swing. Did you know that Ben U once had its own hockey team? According to the 1918 edition of Studenske Listy, the college newspaper, "Hockey is a cherished pastime on campus." Since the school had no rink, the Saint Procopius College (SPC) Minims played on the DuPage River, weather permitting. As hockey popularity grew, students organized the first intramural leagues in 1926. In 1931, Fr. Cyprian, OSB built an outdoor rink south of the gymnasium to be solely used for hockey games. Beginning in 1939, SPC arranged for friendly matches to be played with other schools. The sport surged in 1958 when a group of freshman created a club team and started playing in friendly games against Maryknoll Seminary. The SPC Athletic Department formally recognized hockey as a minor sport after SPC helped create the Midwestern Collegiate Hockey League in 1963. 2011 Benedictine Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Stephen Napierala '63 helped pioneer the team during this period. SPC's team became the Midwestern Collegiate Hockey League Champions during the 1970-71 season and placed second in the league for the next four years. After its 1974-75 season, despite submitting a petition with 442 student signatures, the club did not receive funding from Student Government and ceased to exist.

The photo above shows the 1961-62 SPC Eagles scrimmaging on the campus' outdoor rink; Ben Hall appears in the right background.

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The Archives & Special Collections holds research and primary source materials which support teaching and research at Benedictine. The University Archives contain over 700 linear feet of Benedictine University's own history, publications, records, theses, and memorabilia. Special Collections contains almost 3000 volumes of rare books and periodicals as well as maps, prints, manuscripts, photographs, and memorabilia covering people and organizations related to the university, its programs of study, and local history.

If you are new to historical research, you might find our guide to working with primary sources helpful.

Benedictine Library, 4th Floor

 Highlights & New Additions

Alumni Directories from 1887 - 1937