The DePorres Club was an early pioneer organization in the Civil Rights Movement in Omaha, Nebraska , whose "goals and tactics foreshadowed the efforts of civil rights activists throughout the nation in the 1960s." The club was an affiliate of CORE .
17-599: The DePorres Club was formed in 1947 by a group of African American high school students and white college students who worked with Rev. John Markoe of Creighton University , a Catholic Jesuit University in Omaha. The club’s early mission was to improve interracial relations on the Creighton campus. Their patron, Martin de Porres , a Peruvian of mixed ancestry, was canonized by the Catholic Church in 1962. Within
34-500: A 140-acre (57 ha) campus just outside of downtown Omaha. It is classified among " R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity ". It comprises nine undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools and colleges, including a law school, medical school, dental school, pharmacy school, nursing school, and business school. The university operates the Creighton University Medical Center . It has
51-630: A restaurant by the Douglas County Courthouse in Downtown Omaha . When the group arrived the owner told them that white customers would stop coming into the restaurant if blacks were served; in response, the group stayed until the owner agreed to allow African American patrons. The Club also called for a general boycott against the Omaha and Council Bluffs Street Railway Company for their segregation practices and poor service to
68-501: A second campus focused on health sciences located in Phoenix, Arizona . The university was founded as Creighton College on September 2, 1878, through a gift from Mary Lucretia Creighton , who stipulated in her will that a school be established in memory of her husband, prominent Omaha businessman Edward Creighton . The college began with 120 students, taught by five Jesuits and two lay teachers. Edward's brother, John A. Creighton ,
85-704: A year DePorres extended their reach, working to challenge the history of racism in Omaha . According to club member and eventual founder of the Great Plains Black History Museum Bertha Calloway , the organization deliberately targeted Reid’s Ice Cream, the Coca-Cola bottling plant at 3200 North 30th Street, Dignotti’s Doughnut Shop, Harry’s Tea Club, the Greyhound Bus station, the Hotel Fontenelle ,
102-621: Is credited with fostering and sustaining the university's early growth and endowment. In 1878, the College of Arts and Sciences was established, and remains the largest college today. Shortly after, in 1885, the Creighton University Observatory was built on campus. Women were first admitted in 1913. In 1958, the college split into Creighton Preparatory Schools and Creighton University. The schools and colleges at Creighton are: The College of Arts & Sciences
119-814: Is the largest school, containing about 28% of the university's enrolled students. Creighton's acceptance rate is 72.7%. In 2018, the university announced a Phoenix Health Sciences Campus, which opened in 2021. Creighton competes in NCAA Division I athletics as a member of the Big East . Nicknamed the Bluejays, Creighton fields 14 teams in eight sports. Notable basketball players at the university were Paul Silas , Benoit Benjamin , Kyle Korver , and coach Greg McDermott 's son Doug McDermott , while popular Bluejays coaches included Eddie Sutton , Willis Reed , and Dana Altman . The women's basketball team won
136-583: The College World Series (1991). Jim Hendry , the former general manager of the Chicago Cubs , was Creighton's head coach for its 1991 CWS appearance. The program's graduates include Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson . The women's softball team has had two appearances in the Women's College World Series (1982 and 1986) and appeared in six of eight NCAA Tournaments. Tara Oltman (2007–2010),
153-595: The Near North Side neighborhood four years before the Montgomery bus boycott . Aside from its activism, the club regularly held other activities, as well. They staged events to raise funds, had their own dances and picnics. They painted houses for poor families and stuffed acres of envelopes. In the following years the club hosted a community center called the Omaha DePorres Center to meet
170-534: The Paxton Hotel , and Eppley Air Field for not hiring black workers. The group met at Creighton until it became too controversial and was asked to move off campus. Omaha Star publisher and community ally Mildred Brown volunteered the newspaper's office for the club after Creighton kicked them off campus. In 1948 a group of 30 members of the DePorres Club participated in the club's first sit-in at
187-463: The WNIT championship in 2004. It plays all home games on campus at D. J. Sokol Arena . The men's soccer team maintained 17 straight NCAA tournament appearances between 1992 and 2008. During that time, the Bluejays made three College Cup appearances, including one championship game appearance (2000). It plays home games on campus at Morrison Stadium . Creighton's baseball team has one appearance in
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#1732772026911204-656: The Cortina Community, a sophomore intentional-living community named for Jesuit priest Jon de Cortina . There are more than 68,470 alumni of Creighton University living in 93 countries. Nearly 30 percent live in Nebraska. The largest number of alumni outside the United States reside in Canada, Japan, and Malaysia. Alumni include Creighton University Observatory Creighton University Observatory
221-667: The best pitcher in MVC history, was a three-time league Pitcher of the Year and finished her career with conference records for wins, innings pitched, starts, appearances, strikeouts, and complete games. She remains the only student-athlete in Bluejays history to earn first-team all-conference honors in four consecutive seasons. As of 2015 , Creighton's enrollment was 8,435, of whom 4,163 were undergraduates. From Creighton's Class of 2020, 14% count themselves as first-generation college attendees in their families. 26% are students of color, and 56% of
238-490: The class is female; 82% of the class have taken part in volunteer service. The university has more than 200 student organizations: There are eight residence halls. They are all co-educational . Graves Hall, completed in August 2023, accommodates up to 400 first-year students. The John P. Schlegel, S.J. Center for Service and Justice (SCSJ) promotes service projects and education about justice. The center helped develop
255-416: The money for a telescope made by J.H. Steward & Co. of London . Father Joseph F. Rigge , S.J. arrived at Creighton in August 1885. Assuming responsibility for the telescope, he noted that the constant movement of rolling the telescope in and out of its storage space did not allow for accurate usage and was even damaging the telescope. He suggested a small shed with a removable roof. Father Dowling,
272-628: The needs of low-income families, and eventually started branches in Denver and Kansas City. Creighton University Creighton University ( / ˈ k r eɪ t ən / ) is a private research university in Omaha, Nebraska , United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission . In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate and undergraduate students on
289-543: Was located on the Creighton University campus in Omaha , Nebraska , United States. It was the first observatory in Omaha, and the second in Nebraska. It was used primarily for the instruction of students, though the directors did do some research in the observatory. The observatory was demolished in late April 2022 to allow for the construction of a new Jesuit residence hall. As part of his endowment to found Creighton University, John A. Creighton donated
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