The History of the Program
The Loyola Marymount University Honors Program was co-founded by Father Clinton Albertsgon and Dr. Anthony Turhollow in 1958, as a community of scholars dedicated to engaging in an intellectually stimulating environment. Fr. Albertson and Dr. Turhollow convinced the then-president of LMU, Rev. Charles Cassasa, that the new program would not cost the university any money; and that they would gladly take on the extra work without pay. The Honors Program was thus born as a passion project among faculty that would grow to include and cultivate the passions and interests of students.
As the program evolved throughout the years, it expanded upon the initial values established by the founders. One of the most significant changes happened in the 1990s, with a new emphasis on the interdisciplinary quality of the program. Before this, the program was mostly confined to those in the liberal arts college, but with the adapted interdisciplinary approach a more diverse set of perspectives was facilitated. Throughout the early 2000s the philosophy of interdisciplinary studies remained at the core of the program with directors making it accessible to students in all fields of study. With a more contrasting group of majors in Honors, and the addition of formalized research through a thesis requirement, students were encouraged to explore areas of individual interest in a variety of subjects.This allowed the program to flourish as an interdisciplinary and curious community.
Several changes have been made to the LMU honors program, which distinguishes it from other universities' more traditional honors programs that often focus on high GPAs and test scores. LMU’s model emphasizes the importance of qualities like ambition, imagination, and curiosity.
The LMU Honors Program is committed to the idea that students learn not only from their professors, but from each other. Classes in the Honors Core Curriculum have 15-20 students in discussion-based, seminar settings, which allows students to be active participants and contributors to the course content and learning experience.
Throughout its evolutions and changes, the LMU Honors Program has remained steadfast in its mission since 1958: to cultivate a community of enthusiastic, curious scholars through academic and personal excellence. The passionate work of our faculty and students ensures that Honos will continue to leave its mark on the LMU community.