鈥楽he Loved That School Beyond Belief 鈥
When Ellen Bendry 鈥57 speaks of her mother鈥檚 time as one of the first students to enroll at Rosary College, Rudolph Valentino has a starring role.
It was 1923 and a young Ellen Hill 鈥24, with three of her classmates, trekked to downtown Chicago for a day of shopping. They had permission from the Sisters at Rosary College for this excursion, but not for what else they had in mind.
鈥淲hat they really wanted to do was get a look at 鈥榯he sheik鈥 鈥 Rudolph Valentino,鈥 Bendry said. 鈥淭hings were strict at Rosary then. Shopping was OK, but to take a peek at this guy? No.鈥
The group found the hotel where the heartthrob movie star was staying and got all the way up to his room 鈥 where the actor appeared at the door. The giggling girls quickly fled upon catching a glimpse of their idol, but word of what they鈥檇 done got back to the Sisters, who began considering their punishment. Would their fathers be called? Would they be expelled?
Thanks to the intervention of a Sister known only to Bendry as Sister Tommy, Hill and her classmates were allowed to stay at Rosary College. And Hill never forgot it.
鈥淢y mother kept in touch with her until she died,鈥 Bendry shared. 鈥淔or years we prayed for her. I hope she鈥檚 going to let us into Heaven when it鈥檚 our time to go up!鈥
The memory of the care that Bendry鈥檚 mother was shown while a student stayed with her throughout her life, and she often remarked how fulfilled and at peace she felt at Rosary College, her daughter said.
鈥淪he loved that school beyond belief,鈥 Bendry said. 鈥淪he loved all the nuns and respected them. It was nice to hear her talk about Rosary, which she did very often.鈥
Hill鈥檚 education began at St. Clara College, but when the new college campus in River Forest was completed in 1922, she traveled there to complete her degree in English and Latin.
Her father wanted his daughter to be college educated and, as an Irish Catholic, he wanted her to be taught by Catholic Sisters, Bendry said.
鈥淢any women did not have that opportunity and she was well aware of that,鈥 Bendry noted.
It was Cardinal George Mundelein who presented Hill with her bachelor鈥檚 degree, her daughter said. The class of 1924 consisted of 18 graduates.
After teaching Latin at a school in Michigan鈥檚 Upper Peninsula near where she was raised, Hill married Joseph Bendry and returned to the Chicago area where she and her husband raised three daughters. She maintained a bond with the Sisters she knew from Rosary, traveling with her family to the Sinsinawa Mound for visits, Bendry said.
Her mother鈥檚 love of Rosary College influenced Bendry鈥檚 decision to attend as well. While a student, her mother presented her with a Rosary blazer, which Bendry proudly wears to each Reunion event to this day.
And, like her mother, her connection to and support of the college has been life-long.
鈥淢y mother would say, 鈥業 hope you鈥檝e been very good to Rosary because they鈥檝e been very good to us,鈥欌 Bendry said.