Schools of the century
September 12, 2012
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By Edmund Lawler
The Driehaus College of Business, the College of Law and the School of Music are all celebrating their centennials this school year with a variety of events that underscore their rich, 100-year histories and the exciting, dynamic times that lie ahead.
Driehaus School of Business
“We were one of the first colleges of business in the country and the first established in downtown Chicago,” says Dean Ray Whittington of the Driehaus College of Business. “The renaming of the college to the Driehaus College of Business (DCB) and the centennial are an opportunity to position the college to continue its legacy of academic excellence.”
“We’re celebrating 100 years of history at the same time we have received the Driehaus gift that will transform the college as we forge our way into the future,” Whittington says.
On Sept. 19, there will be a formal celebration to rename the college for Richard H. Driehaus, an investment pioneer and philanthropist who gave the college $30 million to attract and retain top faculty. The event will mark the college’s transition to a new century, which will be enhanced by its acquisition and remodeling of the fifth floor of the DePaul Center.
College of Law
The College of Law kicked off its centennial year with a reception for faculty, staff, students and alumni on Aug. 30 in the DePaul Center. “We’re celebrating 100 years of commitment to intellectual inquiry, service and justice,” says Dean Gregory Mark of the College of Law.
“Over the past century, the College of Law has established a reputation for innovation and inclusiveness. Our students are taught by an extraordinarily accomplished faculty, many of whom are leaders in such fields as international human rights law, aviation law, intellectual property and the death penalty,” Mark says. “In this centennial year, we look forward to showcasing our Vincentian values and rich traditions that have allowed the College of Law to make a difference in Chicago and the world.”
School of Music
Dean Donald Casey of the School of Music says, “The School of Music’s centennial is an opportunity to look back on what’s transpired over the past 100 years as well as to reflect on the principles and values that have driven our success. At the same time, this milestone is an opportunity look forward to a transition into a second century in which we’ll at last have the kind of facilities that will allow us to explore the highest level of the art.”
Ground is scheduled to be broken next fall on Music’s new building on the Lincoln Park Campus.
“We have the distinct advantage of a great faculty and a great location in a city that’s rich in culture and the performing arts, and we have strong financial aid packages to attract the best students in the country,” Casey says. “Our second century will be realized in an environment that will further enhance our advantages.”
The signature event of the School of Music’s centennial year will take place May 29, 2013, when the DePaul Symphony Orchestra puts on its annual performance in Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center. The orchestra, chorus and a quartet of faculty soloists will perform Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. “It’s a work that’s so powerful that no other piece quite stands up to it,” Casey says.
The School of Music has commissioned an orchestral overture for that evening by renowned American composer Augusta Read Thomas, a professor of composition at the University of Chicago. It will be the premiere performance of that particular work, according to Casey.