{"id":2317,"date":"2023-01-10T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-10T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/libblogs.luc.edu\/wla\/?p=2317"},"modified":"2026-01-12T21:33:57","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T21:33:57","slug":"dancing-the-evening-away-mundelein-college-and-the-edgewater-beach-hotel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/libblogs.luc.edu\/wla\/2023\/01\/10\/dancing-the-evening-away-mundelein-college-and-the-edgewater-beach-hotel\/","title":{"rendered":"“Dancing the Evening Away:\u201d Mundelein College and the Edgewater Beach Hotel\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Postcard depicting the Edgewater Beach Hotel complex in its heyday. Originally consisting of three buildings, the one on the far right is the Edgewater Beach Apartments, still standing today and on the National Register of Historic Places. Courtesy of the Edgewater Historical Society<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

It was the<\/em> place to be. In the first half of the twentieth century, when summertime arrived in Chicago, the scene at the Edgewater Beach Hotel never ceased to amaze. Beneath the moonlit sky, visitors flocked to the hotel\u2019s beach front to dance the night away under the stars. The parties and concerts held here were legendary, stories of which spread across the nation through the wonders of radio. Cherishing the cool breeze emanating from Lake Michigan, visitors joyously swung to the rhythm of the greatest Big Band jazz orchestras of the day, celebrating the opulence of the Roaring Twenties atop the only outdoor marble dance floor in the country.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One of the key features of the Edgewater Beach Hotel was its beach walk, pictured here on a night in 1948. Dancing would run late into the evening, spurred on by jazz orchestras playing in the \u2018Band Shell.\u2019 Courtesy of the Edgewater Historical Society.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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 Postcard depicting the hotel\u2019s beach walk. Its outdoor marble dance floor was the only of its kind in the United States. Courtesy of the Edgewater Historical Society<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Heralded as the nation\u2019s greatest urban beachfront resort, the Edgewater Beach Hotel\u2019s grandeur represents a bygone era of extravagance. From its grand opening in 1916 through its tragic demolition in 1971, the Edgewater Beach Hotel hosted some of America\u2019s most famous Hollywood stars, politicians, and athletes. Included among these famous citizens, however, were students from Mundelein, Chicago\u2019s private Catholic women\u2019s college. During the early days of the college in the 1930s and 40s, the women of Mundelein reveled in the hotel\u2019s golden age. Through an analysis of its student newspaper The Skyscraper<\/em>, archived here at the Women and Leadership Archives, it becomes clear that the Mundelein community cherished the hotel, employing it to both mark special occasions and to simply \u201cdance the evening away\u201d at the \u201cever popular\u201d Edgewater Beach Hotel.i<\/sup>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Edgewater Beach Hotel<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n
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Mundelein Students Jane Carney and Geraldine Ferstel enjoy a stroll along the Edgewater Beach Hotel\u2019s famous beach walk. This 1938 photo comes from the Mundelein College Photograph Collection, housed here at the Women and Leadership Archives (WLA)<\/em>. https:\/\/luc.access.preservica.com\/uncategorized\/IO_f0bad0f5-52f8-41ef-96d0-feca4866aeeb\/<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Designed by the architectural firm Marshall and Fox, the Edgewater Beach Hotel complex consisted of three luxury high-rise buildings containing 1,000 rooms. Painted in \u2018Sunrise Yellow\u2019 and \u2018Sunset Pink\u2019 to complement its beautiful lakefront location, the urban resort was designed as a refuge from life in the city. In addition to the 1,000-foot beach walk, the complex also included tennis courts, one of the nation\u2019s first indoor shopping arcades, strolling gardens, swimming pools, ballrooms, lounges, and the first indoor parking garage in the world.  If one was lucky enough, they could even arrive at the hotel by seaplane or boat to beat the infamous traffic plaguing Lake Shore Drive.ii<\/sup> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A painting of the Edgewater Beach Apartments, built in 1928 the sole remaining building from the complex now on the National Register of Historic Places. This 1991 painting comes from the Mary Ann Smith Papers, housed at the Women and Leadership Archives.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Built along a seawall on the shores of Lake Michigan, natural erosion caused the shore\u2019s beach to gradually expand a dozen acres, reaching its peak in the 1940s. In the sweltering Chicago summers, the lake\u2019s breeze provided a much-needed relief. To attract business in the winter months, a skating rink was even placed atop the tennis courts. The grandest indoor space in the hotel, the Marine Dining Room, hosted events and dances daily, backed by music from the most famous big band jazz orchestras of the day, including Paul Whiteman and Xavier Zugat. The music proved so popular that a radio booth was installed right in the dining room, broadcast by NBC into living rooms across the nation.iii<\/sup>  <\/p>\n\n\n

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Postcard depicting the stately Marine Dining Room. Along with the outdoor Beach Walk, this room served as a legendary venue for the nation\u2019s Big Bands. A radio station, WEBH, was constructed adjacent to the room, leading its concerts to be broadcast throughout the nation. Courtesy of the Edgewater Historical Society.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Mundelein Students at the Edgewater Beach Hotel<\/strong> <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

During the first two decades of its existence in the 1930s and 40s, Mundelein College\u2019s student newspaper, The Skyscraper,<\/em> reported often on the happenings at the Edgewater Beach Hotel, dubbing it \u201ca favorite spot among Mundeleinites.\u201div<\/sup> Whether it be attending banquets, birthdays, proms and balls, New Year\u2019s Eve parties, club meetings, or card parties, students patronized the \u201cthe popular hotel of the north side\u201d whenever they got the chance.v<\/sup>  <\/p>\n\n\n

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Over sixty Mundelein student members of the Women\u2019s Athletic Association enjoying their annual award banquet in Marine Dining Room in May 1940. Originally held at the college cafeteria, the W.A.A. moved its annual banquet to the Edgewater Beach Hotel from 1940-1946.<\/em> https:\/\/luc.access.preservica.com\/uncategorized\/IO_6392778f-7c80-4d9b-a273-7982152bfdec\/<\/em><\/a> <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Mundelein students frequented the hotel on both a formal and informal basis, cherishing special events held at the hotel, while also enjoying its famous dancing and music in their own time. Sports were very popular at Mundelein, and during the 1940s the Women\u2019s Athletic Assocation (W.A.A.) held their annual awards banquet, the \u201cclimax of the year\u2019s events,\u201d in the hotel\u2019s Marine Dining Room.vi<\/sup> During WWII, Midshipmen who had graduated from the local Navy Reserve training center held their graduation celebrations at the hotel, attracting Mundelein students to the hotel \u201camidst May flowers blossomed.\u201dvii<\/sup>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Friday nights, the hotel hosted \u2018College Nights,\u2019 where students from across the Midwest came to unwind and socialize. In October of 1935, a group of Mundelein students enjoyed \u201ca glorious evening\u201d at the Edgewater Beach Hotel, accompanied by their \u201chandsome Notre Dame escorts.\u201dviii<\/sup> A few weeks later, another group of students could be seen on college night \u201cwaving the Mundelein colors,\u201d with Jane McKeever \u201cdancing to her heart\u2019s content.\u201dix<\/sup>  <\/p>\n\n\n

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1945 advertisement promoting the annual opening of the Beachwalk for the summer season. Music and dancing radiated along the waves of Lake Michigan all summer long. Courtesy of the Edgewater Historical Society.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

In addition to listening to performances at the Edgewater Beach Hotel, Mundelein students also performed there. In December of 1933, Mildred Sperry, one of Mundelein’s \u201cmost versatile pianists\u201d played a beautiful rendition of Liszt Rhapsody No. 8 in the hotel\u2019s Crystal Ballroom.x<\/sup> A few years later in 1938, Kitty Keller\u2019s outstanding \u201ctoe dancing\u201d ability earned her a dancing engagement at the hotel.xi<\/sup> Student Ruth McCormick was reported to have been in \u201cin a singing mood\u201d at Edgewater Beach in 1939.xii<\/sup> And lastly, Dellamae Laughlin, soprano soloist, performed for the Chicago Women\u2019s Musical Society spring luncheon in 1945.xiii<\/sup>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Downfall of the Edgewater Beach Hotel<\/strong> <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

In spite of the great heights it had reached, the Edgewater Beach Hotel\u2019s popularity declined rapidly by the 1950s and 60s. With the hotel\u2019s pristine beaches being one of its main selling points, the continued expansion of Lake Shore Drive north proved too much for the hotel to withstand, eliminating its lakefront status. What is more, with the advent of air conditioning, the lake\u2019s cooling breezes lost its novelty. With Americans now vacationing farther away from home, the concept of an urban waterfront resort no longer attracted large enough crowds.xiv<\/sup>  <\/p>\n\n\n

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1968 EBH Loyola Dorm: After the hotel\u2019s closing in 1967, the Edgewater Beach Hotel was briefly leased by Loyola University. Loyola retrofitted the hotel into a temporary dormitory. In fact, the hotel served as Loyola\u2019s first co-ed dorm. The hotel\u2019s presidential suite was turned into a student lounge. Courtesy of the Edgewater Historical Society<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

While the hotel enjoyed a brief afterlife when it was leased by Loyola University as a temporary dormitory in 1968, the hotel was demolished between 1969 and 1971.xv<\/sup> The building\u2019s construction was so solid it took over 13 months to tear the complex down. If you drive down Sheridan Road today, you still can see the 1928 Edgewater Beach Apartments building, the last remaining structure of the complex. The next time you pass it by, maybe you can imagine the big band music radiating across the lake shore and the dancing crowds reveling at a Chicago icon: The Edgewater Beach Hotel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Willow is a Graduate Assistant at the Women and Leadership Archives (WLA). They are in the final year of Loyola University Chicago\u2019s M.A. in Public History degree program. In their spare time, they are a stained-glass artist who designs windows and lampshades.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\nLoyola University Chicago’s Women and Leadership Archives Blog is designed to provide a positive environment for the Loyola community to discuss important issues and ideas. Differences of opinion are encouraged. We invite comments in response to posts and ask that you write in a civil and respectful manner. All comments will be screened for tone and content and must include the first and last name of the author and a valid email address. The appearance of comments on the blog does not imply the University’s endorsement or acceptance of views expressed. Questions? Please contact the WLA at wlarchives@LUC.edu<\/a>. <\/em><\/span>\n
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Citations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLoyola to Use Edgewater for Housing.\u201d Chicago Tribune (1963-1996),<\/em> Aug 28, 1968. https:\/\/flagship.luc.edu\/login?url=https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/historical-newspapers\/loyola-use-edgewater-housing\/docview\/168803426\/se-2<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Holden and Gemperle, Kathryn Gemperle. Images of America: Remembering Edgewater Beach Hotel<\/em>. Charleson, S.C.: Arcadia Publishing. 2021 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hunter, Devin, “Growing Diversity: Urban Renewal, Community Activism, and the Politics of Cultural Diversity in Uptown Chicago, 1940-1970.” Dissertations<\/em>. 2015. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Figure 1:<\/em> Greene. 1991. Edgewater Beach Apartments. <\/em>Artist Proof.  Box 12, Folder 3, Mary Ann Smith Papers, Women and Leadership Archives, Chicago, IL.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Figure 2: <\/em>\u201cJane Carney and Geraldine Ferstel at Edgewater Beach, June 25, 1938.\u201d Photograph. Box 42, Folder 12, Mundelein College Photograph Collection, Women and Leadership Archives, Chicago, IL.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Figure 3:<\/em> \u201cWomen\u2019s Athletic Association Annual Awards Banquet, Edgewater Beach Hotel, 1940.\u201d Photograph. Box 7, Folder 8, Mundelein College Photograph Collection, Women and Leadership Archives, Chicago, IL.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Figure 4:<\/em> \u201cEdgewater Beach Hotel and Apartments, looking NW Post-1923.\u201d Postcard. Courtesy of the Edgewater Historical Society.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Figure 5: <\/em>\u201cEdgewater Beach Hotel Beach Walk.\u201d Postcard. Courtesy of Edgewater Historical Society.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Figure 6: <\/em>\u201cEdgewater Beach Hotel Marine Dining Room.\u201d Postcard. Courtesy of the Edgewater Historical Society.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Figure 7: <\/em>\u201cEdgewater Beach Hotel Beach Walk at Night, 1948.\u201d Photograph. Courtesy of the Edgewater Historical Society.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Figure 8: <\/em>\u201cEdgewater Beach Hotel Loyola Dormitory Marquee, 1968.\u201d Photograph. Courtesy of the Edgewater Historical Society.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was the place to be. In the first half of the twentieth century, when summertime arrived in Chicago, the scene at the Edgewater Beach Hotel never ceased to amaze. Beneath the moonlit sky, visitors flocked to the hotel\u2019s beach … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103,"featured_media":2319,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/libblogs.luc.edu\/wla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2317"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/libblogs.luc.edu\/wla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/libblogs.luc.edu\/wla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libblogs.luc.edu\/wla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/103"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libblogs.luc.edu\/wla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2317"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/libblogs.luc.edu\/wla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2317\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2332,"href":"https:\/\/libblogs.luc.edu\/wla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2317\/revisions\/2332"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libblogs.luc.edu\/wla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/libblogs.luc.edu\/wla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libblogs.luc.edu\/wla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libblogs.luc.edu\/wla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}