Friday, August 25, 2006

DePaul alum Mayor Daley writes recruiting letters for St. Xavier University

Hat tip on this one to my mother.

DePaul's most famous alumni are Chicago Mayors Richard J. Daley and his son, Richard M.

In yesterday's Chicago Tribune, there is a Jodi Cohen article about the current mayor writing recruiting letters--on City of Chicago letterhead--touting modest St. Xavier University.

From the Tribune, free registration required:

Every summer St. Xavier sends a rosy recruitment letter to more than 100,000 prospective students, on the official letterhead of Mayor Richard Daley, signed by the mayor, with a large, bold return address: MAYOR'S OFFICE.

Apparently it's caught the teenagers' attention.

"The letter is certainly a factor in a huge increase in freshmen enrollment," said St. Xavier spokeswoman Deborah Snow Humiston.

About 540 freshmen are expected to enroll this fall, up from 270 in 1998, the year before the mayor's first pitch on behalf of the college. Most attend class on Chicago's Far Southwest Side, but St. Xavier opened a second location in Orland Park in 2004.

DePaul spokesperson, Robin Florczak, doesn't feel Daley is snubbing his alma mater, telling the Tribune, "We do believe his choice to earn his bachelor's and law degrees is the best endorsement DePaul could receive."

But as far as I know, Daley doesn't do anything substantial for DePaul other than list the Chicago Catholic school in his official biography.

By no means am I claiming that this has anything to do with DePaul's recent public embarrasments, such as the Thomas Klocek affair, the Ward Churchill fiasco, Norman Finkelstein, or the moonbat inspired "Confronting Empire" series, but it makes you wonder if Mayor Daley has less than affectionate feelings about DePaul.

DePaul didn't become a left-wing nuthouse in the last few years. Has Daley noticed?

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