John Felice Rome Center

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The John Felice Rome Center is a campus of Loyola University Chicago in Rome, Italy. The Rome Center was founded in January of 1962, on the site of the Olympic Village for the 1960 Summer Olympics. In the late 1960's the school relocated to Monte Mario, an upscale area in northwest Rome. After two intermediate relocations, in 1978 it moved to its present location in a residential neighborhood on Monte Mario, the highest point in Rome, on Via Massimi.

The school and its program was founded by John P. Felice. A Maltese Jesuit priest, Felice's dream and life work centered around this school. An interesting and colorful persona, Felice was an Allied partisan in Sicily during World War II and served under General George Patton. Entering the Jesuit order, Felice was ordained a Jesuit priest and settled at Loyola University of Chicago. His dream of a campus where American students could live and study was realized with the founding of the Loyola University "Rome Center" in 1962. Felice was its founder and served as its director until 1973. Shortly thereafter he left the priesthood. However he remained continuously associated with the "Rome Center" throughout his life, first as a "consultant" and then returning in various administrative positions, finally returning as Director in the late 1980's.

Felice was known for his vast Roman connections that stretched from the Vatican, to the carabinieri and the government of Italy. He was also a great leader and inspiration for the now thousands of young people who have attended the "Rome Center." He never failed to have time for a student, Italian worker, family member or visiting alum.

Felice "retired" as director in 1998 and was named "Director Emeritus". The Center was renamed the "John Felice Rome Center of Loyola University Chicago" (JFRC) in honor of John Felice in 2005. Today, in the circles of Loyola and the JFRC alumni, which now total over 14,000, Felice is reverred for his leadership and innovation in developing the JFRC, his persistent dedication to the JFRC and his untiring work on behalf of the JFRC until his death in early 2008.

Today the JFRC is the second largest study abroad program in Italy and one of the oldest and most successful in Western Europe. Over 400 students attend either or both semesters each year. Today the JFRC is led by its Director, Emilio Iodice, a former diplomat, professor and business leader and its Associate Director Dr. Susanna Cavallo, a Professor of Modern Languages at Loyola. The Associate Dean for Student Life, Mr. Todd Waller, is assisted by several Student Life Assistants, known as SLAs.

In addition to offering a rich liberal arts curriculum, the JFRC has and continues to sponsor several unique and innovative study tours for its students throughout the year throughout Italy and to places as diverse as Tunisia, Poland and Northern Ireland.

In the Spring of 2008, it hosted to wide acclaim its first international conference, "The Cross, The Crescent and the Ballot Box", a two day symposium regarding the history and common ground of Islam and Christianity.

Students at the JFRC attend classes four days a week, and most travel during the weekends to various places in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Northern Africa.

Undergraduate enrollment each year is approximately 400 students. Most of the students are Loyola students, while others are from various other universities in the United States, and often from other Jesuit Institutions.