The history of Saint Francis House begins in 1915 when the Reverend Morton C. Stone, then rector of Saint Andrew’s Church in Madison, gave party of his time to work among the Episcopalian students on the campus of the University Of Wisconsin.  Later he devoted his energies entirely to the students, and services were held for them in vacant store on Gilman Street in the on block between University Avenue and State Street.  Some social activities were carried on there and at Grace Church Parish House.  During this period, student services were also conducted frequently at the two parish churches in the city.

Because of war conditions, the student chaplaincy was temporarily discontinued in 1917.  However the students still maintained their organizations, known as the Saint Francis Society, and used Grace Church as a center Commission of the Church in Wisconsin, clergy and lay representatives from the three Wisconsin dioceses, was organized for the purpose of purchasing land and the building on it of a suitable chapel and student social center.  The present property, embracing three lots on University Avenue opposite Lathrop Hall, was bought, and the three dwellings on the land were rented until the Commission decided to use them.

In 1921, the Commission called the Reverend Stanley M. Cleveland as student Chaplain.  He had had charge of the Episcopalian student work at Princeton University since his return from overseas service as an army chaplain.  He moved to Madison in the summer of 1921 with his wife and children.

Under the supervision of Father Cleveland, the word was carried forward in a much more extensive way than had been previously possible.  The largest of the three houses was furnished as a clubhouse with a small chapel on the second floor.  The autumn of 1921 saw the opening of the Saint Francis House – so named by Bishop W. W. Webb, who thought that Saint Francis of Assisi in his zeal for building the church of God would be the most appropriate patron saint for the students.

A student cabinet was elected, an altar guild and servers guild were formed, together with a chapter of the Brotherhood of Saint Andrew.  Mrs. Alice Pratt was engaged as chaperon, and her daughter, Miss Alice, as part time secretary to Father Cleveland.  Four or five men students lived in the house and did the necessary routine work.

Occasional services were held in the chapel, but because of its small dimensions, it was not thought advisable to have services there regularly.  A monthly corporate communion and breakfast took place at the parish churches alternately.

Discussion groups and classes to assist the students in their understanding of religion and religious problems were started.  Among the social activities were included parties on special occasions and Sunday evening supper with “programs”.

The first session of the Summer School of Religion was begun in 1922 under the deanship of the Reverend Frank Gavin, Ph.D., then a professor at Nashotah House.  This work was so successful that the school wad continued through the summer of 1927 under his direction, some of the other student religious groups joining the enterprise in 1924 by offering courses at their own student houses.

Daily services were initiated in the chapel in 1922, and in 1923 it was enlarged to accommodate about forth students.  The Sunday services were scheduled at 8a.m. and later at 10a.m. and 5:30p.m.   In this same year a rural Sunday school was organized in Lake Edge district and student lay readers were appointed to hold Sunday services in small communities near Madison.

During the summer of 1923 in the absence of Mrs. Pratt, the position of chaperon was filled by Miss Louise Sharp who was, that autumn, appointed her successor and served nine years.  At this time two new organizations were added, namely a ward of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament, and a devotional group for women students called the Daughter of Saint Mary.  Later a dramatic guild was formed, which was known as the Saint Francis House Playmakers.  Also the Saint Francis Society was reorganized into a more comprehensive group which took the name of the Saint Francis Episcopalian Student Church.  At the same time the cabinet became the vestry of the new “Church” and the group was given the status of a mission in the Diocesan records.  The first senior warden was Walter K. Morley, Jr.

Father Cleveland, because of ill health, resigned as chaplain, and in January, 1925, Norman C. Kimball replaced him.  Father Kimball had been rector of St. Andrew’s Church in Madison, but when he had announced his desire to go into religious education work was urged to take over temporarily the work at St. Francis House.  Later, he was persuaded to stay on as chaplain, and he is the man probably most responsible for the present building.

During the years many plans had been submitted in rejected in the connection with the building of a new chapel and clubhouse.  In the spring of 1928, Father Kimball was given lease of absence to supervise a campaign for the necessary funds.  During his absence, the Rev. L. B. Hastings came to act as chaplain and remained through the summer school session in that capacity.  Because Father Gavin was unable to direct the Summer School of Religion that year, the Rev. Marshall M. Day of Nashotah House was engaged for the work.  Father Day later became rector of Christ Church, Whitefish Bay.

In the fall of 1928, Father Kimball became seriously ill, and the Rev. George R. Wood came from Cambridge, Massachusetts, as acting student chaplain and continued as such until the end of the summer session of 1929, taking charge also of the Summer School of Religion. Father Wood left to become Dean of the Cathedral in Dallas, Texas.  Father Kimball recovered form his illness and resumed his responsibilities in September, 1929.  In his efforts at raising funds for the new building, he was assisted by the Ven. William Dawson, Archdeacon of Milwaukee, who spent considerable time going about the three diocese in the state in the interest of Stain Francis’s House.

In July, 1929, the first ground was broken for the new buildings, the corner stone of which was lain the following autumn, and the complete structure was dedicated February 22, 1930.  Father Kimball worked tirelessly to have everything in readiness for the opening.  The new building contained the Chapel of St. Francis, after the Norman period in architecture, a small chapel of the Blessed Sacrament and a social center which were early English in feeling, all under one roof.  The House is well laid out with an upper and lower lounge, kitchen, offices, chaplain’s study, and apartment for the hostess, and rooms for a number of men students.

During Father Kimball’s annual summer vacation, customarily spent traveling Europe and studying violin, Father Hastings was again in charge in the summer of 1030 with Father Day of Nashotah House as dean of the School of Religion.

The tragic death of Father Kimball in an automobile accident on March 7, 1931, was a great shock to the students and friends of St. Francis House.  The routine life of the House continued, consequently, without a permanent chaplain until July.  One Sunday service and one during the week were taken by the rectors of Grace and Saint Andrew’s Churches, and a supply came for Holy Week—the Rev. Alden Drew Kelley, who was appointed as the new chaplain in June.  Father Kelley assumed his duties on June 15th, and Father Day was again in charge of the School of Religion, assisted by Father Kelley6 and Mr. Burr Phillips.

Until 1932 Father Kelley was assisted in the work of the House by Miss Louise Sharp.  Virginia Bean succeeded Miss Sharp but was there only a short time and the work was taken over by Miss Katherine Jones who served as chaperon for three years, aided by Miss Mary Hall.  They were replaced by an assistant chaplain and his wife, the Rev. and Mrs. Leonard Nelson, and by Miss Norma Behrens, organist and secretary and later chaperon.  In 1938 when the Nelsons left for Knoxville, Tennessee, to do student work at the University of Tennessee, Miss Emma Lou Benignus was sent by the National Council as an N.T.O. worker to assist Father Kelley with personnel work among students.

Father Kelley was appointed National Secretary of college work in the Episcopal Church in the spring of 1930, and left Madison for his new office in New York City.  He was succeeded at Saint Francis House by the Rev. Charles F. Boynton, former Chaplain at Christ School, Arden, North Carolina.  In 1939 the staff at Saint Francis House consisted of Father Boynton, chaplain; Emma Lou Benignus. N.T.O. assistant; Norma Behrens, organist; two student assistants; and nine house residents who did the janitorial work in exchange for their rooms.

The Episcopal student body in 1940-41 numbered over 580.

After two years, Father Boynton resigned in January, 1942, to do missionary work in Puerto Rico.  Later he became the Bishop of Puerto Rico and then was called to be Suffragan Bishop of New York.  He was succeeded at Saint Francis House by the Rev. Gordon E. Gillett.  Miss Emma Louise Benignus left in June 1942, to do graduate work at Columbia University and was succeeded by Miss Peggy Thompson. 

In 1944 Father Gillett resigned to go east.  Later that same year, Father Daniel Corrigan, from Oconomowoc, was appointed chaplain.  He, however, remained less than a year, for he resigned to accept rectorship of a church in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1945.  Miss Louise Hatch was chaperon at that time.  She left to take char of junior high school work for the National Church.

Father Carroll E. Simcox, form chaplain of the University of Illinois, was elected chaplain in august, 1945.  He resigned in September, 1949, to accept the post of chaplain at Canterbury College, Danville, Indiana.  With him at the house was Mrs. N. Lowell, chaperon, until 1946.  She was succeeded, that same, by Mrs. W.D. Tenney.

In September, 1949, the Rev. Gerald White was elected chaplain.  He had been Headmaster of Kings College School, Windors, Nova Scotia, Canada, and until 1948 Canon Residentiary of Bermuda Cathedral.

After five years of devoted service Mrs. W.D. Tenney resigned in June, 1951, as housemother, so that she might be able to spend more time with her family.  In her place, Mrs. William Otto was appointed.  Mrs. Otto came to St. Francis House from the Episcopal Student Center at Tucson, Arizona. 

The Division of College Work of the National Council of the Episcopal Church organized the National Canterbury Association to further the work of the Church at colleges and universities.  Canterbury Clubs were organized in parishes wherever college work was being done.  Canterbury and St. Francis House were synonymous.  In 1959, on the suggestion of the National Council, the name of St. Francis House was changed to St. Francis House, The University Episcopal Center.

Each year elections took place for President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer for the center.  These officers, with the help of the chaplain and the housemother, organized some ten or eleven committees to further the religious and social events of the year.  The committees are Altar Guild, Tea, Coffee, Sunday Night Supper, Social, United Thank Offering, Acolytes, Reader for Evening Prayer, Ushers, Choir, Study and Discussion.  During the fall of 1960 some 140 students signed up for these committees.  During this time a total of fourteen services were conducted per week.

To give some picture of the work that was done at St. Francis House during that time is as follows:
599 had signed religious preference cards as Episcopalians]
54 were from Madison
233 were from Wisconsin
229 were from out of state
50 were unknown-no home address was listed
33 were from foreign countries
82 married couples
12 boys lived in the house