Have You Considered a Career in Journalism?

Marquette’s journalism program has a long history of supporting female students that began with its founder, Rev. John Copus, S.J. Recognizing women’s intellectual capabilities and their potential to make a positive impact on the field, Father Copus encouraged women to look beyond conventional occupations and pursue a career in journalism. Through Father Copus’s dedication and support, Marquette established a coeducational journalism program — the first at a Catholic university — in 1910. By the beginning of the 1930s, women constituted one-third of all journalism students.

Father Copus encouraged women to look beyond conventional occupations.

Dean Jeremiah O’Sullivan continued the traditions established by Father Copus and led campus efforts to attract more women to journalism. Widely remembered for his generosity and commitment to students, Dean O’Sullivan emphasized the moral responsibility of journalists and acted as a mentor to countless students, including Nina Polcyn Moore, who became a leading member of the Catholic Worker movement. At Moore’s urging, Dean O’Sullivan invited the movement’s leader, Dorothy Day, to speak at Marquette. Day accepted, marking the first of her many visits to Marquette and the beginning of a close and enduring friendship with Moore. After Moore graduated in 1935, Dean O’Sullivan continued to support her involvement in the Catholic Worker movement. Throughout her life, Moore applied the lessons she learned at Marquette, working as an active proponent of labor rights, interracial justice, religious reform and women’s advancement.

See more Historical Notes of the Week