On June 4, Calumet College of St. Joseph welcomed the community to the official Ribbon Cutting and opening of the College’s 7th Floor. Reverend Tim McFarland, C.PP.S., Director of Theology, Mission and Ministry, began the event by providing a blessing over the space, guests in attendance, and all the students and community members that will be welcomed to the new campus space. Hammond, IN, 1st District Councilman and CCSJ alumnus, Mark Kalwinski, spoke of the dream that many students, staff, and past presidents had for the previously dormant 7th floor. He congratulated President Amy McCormack for turning those dreams into a reality through her leadership of the College. The City of Hammond’s Chief of Staff Scott Miller shared in congratulating President McCormack and the team at CCSJ for bringing new life to the 7th floor. He shared Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr.’s excitement for the space and CCSJ’s focus using new spaces like the 7th floor to welcome the community onto campus, boosting the already strong connections that the College has with the local community.

Although the Smidt Building underwent major renovations after Standard Oil donated the campus to the College in 1973, the 7th Floor remained largely untouched and was only accessible by an emergency stairwell. Thanks to a $15M Lilly Endowment College and Community Collaboration Initiative awarded in 2024, as well as generous corporate and private donations, elevators are being retrofitted to reach our top floor. A $2M buildout has renovated the space with interior rooms, including an elevator lobby, the Schmetterling lobby, the Familia Migliorini Hospitality Hub, and the Heritage Room sponsored by BP. Externally the 7th floor boasts it’s 3,700 square foot Hasse-McCormack Terrace offering offers sweeping views of the Chicago Skyline, Lake Michigan, the Whiting-Robertsdale community, the BP Whiting Refinery, Lost Marsh Golf Course, The Pav, and George and Wolf Lakes.

The Schmetterling Lobby features a butterfly mural painted by current CCSJ students Victoria Arit Cervantes Gomez, Angela Cervantes and Gabriela Tirado, celebrating the struggle and beauty of transformation through imagery.

A large mural by Felix “Flex” Maldonado dominates the east end of the Terrace. This spray-painted work is a modern interpretation of our patron, St. Joseph the Worker incorporating Christian symbolism, elements of the College seal, and references to the Region’s industrial heritage.

The 7th floor has been designed to serve multiple purposes. It will tell the story of “The Work” of the Region via passive and interactive storytelling elements throughout the space. Beyond the educational components that will occupy the space, the 7th floor has also been designed as a gathering place, fulfilling the Lilly Endowment’s aim to draw colleges and the communities they serve closer together. The 7th floor will serve as a lounge area for students and community members, will host community meetings, and will be available for private rental.

The 7th Floor renovation project was made possible thanks to the following sponsors: Lilly Endowment, Inc., BP Whiting Refinery, Schmetterling Foundation, The Migliorini Family, The Hasse Family Foundation, The Jeff & Amy McCormack Family, Nancy Wheeler, Cleveland-Cliffs.

Calumet College of St. Joseph is a Catholic institution of higher learning informed by the values of its founding religious community, the Missionaries of the Precious Blood (C.PP.S.). The mission of the College is to cultivate the academic, spiritual, and ethical development of our students by affirming the inherent dignity of all people, promoting social justice and an ethic of service, and providing opportunity and empowerment.

At Calumet College of St. Joseph, our vision is to be a vital and valued resource for the region and beyond where students can be known, be successful, and belong.

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Please direct media inquiries to:

Jenn Gunter Peddycord
Director of Communications and Special Assistant to the President
Calumet College of St. Joseph
219-473-4227
Email: jpeddycord@ccsj.edu