Saint Xavier University was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1846 at the request of Bishop William Quarter. With the City of Chicago less than ten years old, the Sisters of Mercy, under the guidance of Mother Mary Francis Warde, RSM, established Saint Francis Xavier Female Academy. The Academy, which would later become Saint Xavier College, and finally Saint Xavier University, was the first Mercy College in the world and is the oldest chartered College in the city of Chicago. The original campus, which burnt down in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, was located on Wabash Avenue between Madison and Monroe in downtown Chicago. Soon after, the campus was rebuilt on a 5-acre (2.023 ha) site on the southern boundary of Chicago.

Crafted through a process that engaged the Saint Xavier's many constituents, and approved by the Board of Trustees in 2005, this Mission Statement succinctly states the purpose of the University. It identifies both why and for whom Saint Xavier University exists. In a single sentence, this statement points to an educational mission, in a Catholic and Mercy context, that will help students pursue a worthwhile life as well as prepare to make a living -- not for themselves alone but in the context of social concern and community involvement.

Luke Gregerson Mike Rizzo Craig Robinson Kevin Sefcik Joe Skalski Steve Wojciechowski Chris Murphy David Troy

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