Founded in 1994 as the Egan Urban Center, with grants from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Chicago Community Trust, in 2013 the renamed Egan Office for Urban Education and Community Partnerships integrated into the Irwin W. Steans Center at DePaul University.
Named after Monsignor John J. Egan, the Egan Office honors his lifelong commitment to social justice that he demonstrated through advocacy for labor, housing rights, and racial justice. Through scholarship, technical assistance and educational programming, the Egan Office is broadening DePaul University’s opportunities to work alongside urban communities in a democratized, holistic way.
Motivated by the example of St. Vincent dePaul, the DePaul community is above all characterized by ennobling the dignity of each person. This religious personalism is manifested by the members of the DePaul community in a sensitivity that cares for the needs of each other and of those served, with a special concern for the most disadvantaged members of society.
In this spirit, the Egan Office always has worked to integrate academic excellence and community engagement, placing students in the midst of education and social justice discussions, issues and action as part of university-community partnerships.