Swift Hall, the home of the University of Chicago Divinity School, is commemorating its 100th anniversary by highlighting 100 objects that represent its history. The centennial celebration includes a digital exhibition and audio tour, titled Swift 100, which explores the significance of these items through the perspectives of the Divinity School community.
Visitors will have the opportunity to tour Swift Hall with an accompanying audio guide during the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s Open House Chicago event on October 18-19. In addition, a centennial party is scheduled for November 7.
James T. Robinson, dean of the Divinity School and Nathan Cummings Professor, said: “Celebrating the centennial of Swift 100 is to celebrate the centrality of the study of religion and its import in answering the most profound human questions. Our location on the main quad of the University of Chicago campus underscores that centrality and propels us into a new century, a new beginning, with new questions about how to be human in an ever-changing society.”
Among the featured objects are stone carvings at Swift’s entrance representing UChicago's coat of arms and Christian symbols such as the Lamb of God and Saint George slaying a dragon. These carvings reflect founding President William Rainey Harper’s vision for integrating religious scholarship into university life.
Harper’s personal copy of the Hebrew Bible, filled with his notes and held in UChicago Library’s Special Collections, is also highlighted. Professor John Boyer noted in his book The University of Chicago: A History that “Harper’s conception of the role of religion deeply informed the value system of the University.” Hebrew Bible scholar Jeffrey Stackert added: “He saw the possibility of pursuing the study of Christianity and other religions. He was also interested in issues of comparative religion and comparison more generally. For me, coming to Swift was an opportunity to stretch even further than I had before.”
The Ministry Suite on Swift’s fourth floor features artwork from various faith traditions and serves as a gathering space for Master of Divinity students. Erika Dornfield, MDiv’14, shared memories associated with this space: “When I think of the Ministry Suite, a couple of stories come to mind. Most of them involve people sleeping. My friend, John, who was in MDiv with me back in the day, would drive from the suburbs at 6 a.m. to beat traffic and get parking on the Midway, come into the Ministry Suite, nap for an hour, and then be up for Greek at 8 a.m. every day.”
Room 207 is named after Wendy Doniger, Mircea Eliade Distinguished Service Professor Emerita. Doniger has contributed significantly to South Asian religious studies over her five-decade career.
Other notable features include wooden angels holding books in Swift’s third-floor lecture hall—formerly its library—and mementos from Martin E. Marty’s long academic tenure at UChicago. Emilie M. Townes recalled: “When I think of folks like Martin Marty...they represent folks who were very committed to the forms of activism that their values drove them to, but also they were very good scholars...they proved that wasn’t necessarily true.”
Grounds of Being coffee shop in Swift’s basement remains an important social hub for students and faculty alike. Paul Pribbenow reflected: “It’s a rare place where people come together from lots of different backgrounds and lived experiences...My fondest hope would be that the Divinity School doesn’t lose that—both that place and also that commitment to in-person community.”
Swift Hall continues to serve as both an academic center for religious studies and a gathering place for diverse communities at UChicago.