Dear Loyola,
One of the more dramatic moments I’ve witnessed has been the celebration of “Armistice Day” in central London. At exactly 11 a.m. on November 11th, everything stops, even traffic. With dramatic silence, Brits honor the exact moment when the treaty was signed ending the First World War.
In this country, we mark the day by celebrating all of those who served in uniform. We honor the veterans who served in combat and those who protected us from future combat through their service. We honor the National Guard troops who drop everything and help us during emergencies. (And we should also honor their spouses and children, who make sacrifices along with their loved ones.)
Loyola’s campus is forever shaped by veterans. After our classrooms emptied during World War II, the GI Bill sent students flooding back after the war – by 1947, almost half of all American undergraduates were veterans. Loyola threw up temporary buildings to make room for them, including Stallings Hall (between Marquette and Bobet) and the Quonset hut we now call the Broadway Activity Center (near the law school). So much for temporary!
In the proud tradition of all of those Loyola students who once served, going back a century, we thank those current members of the Loyola community who are veterans. We honor you today and every day.
Tania Tetlow
President
