Hendricks Chapel
"Hendricks Chapel" , 1929-1930
Described as the “spiritual heart of Syracuse University”, Hendricks Chapel services and programs connect people of all faiths and no faith through dialogue, reflective spirituality, and a commitment to social justice. Hendricks hosts a variety of programs, including disaster relief efforts, meditation, weddings for all sexualities and gender identities, holiday musical programs, and a student-run coffee shop. The Chapel website provides access to Biblical texts, the Mishnah, the Hebrew Bible, the Qur’an, and many more diverse spiritual texts. While the University has evolved from the small, Methodist-related academy of the past to a large, diverse, and secular University, Hendricks Chapel remains a “welcoming refuge for each and every member of the campus community.”
Funding for the construction of Hendricks Chapel was bequeathed to the university Francis Hendricks, a state senator and SU trustee, to honor his late wife Eliza Jane. Francis Hendricks wanted the Chapel to serve all faiths, and this legacy of inclusivity continues at Hendricks Chapel. The Chapel opened its doors to the Syracuse community in September, 1930, as the third largest University chapel in the country, seating 1,450 people. The Chapel’s construction also saw community involvement, as the Class of 1918 gifted the funds for the pulpit. With diversity as a core value at Syracuse University, Hendricks Chapel affirms a full range of diverse faiths and provides space for each of these traditions and their particular practices.
Francis Hendricks was an American merchant, banker and politician from Kingston, New York. Born November 23, 1834, Francis Hendricks came to Syracuse in 1861, where he sold photographic supplies. During his life in the city he developed diversified interests in both banking and government. Hendricks held a variety of posts in both local and state government, including those of Mayor of the City of Syracuse in 1880-81 and senator in the New York State legislature between 1886 and 1891. Francis Hendricks was a trustee of Syracuse University from 1902 until the time of his death in 1920. He was also a trustee of the State College of Forestry beginning in 1915. In 1919, he gave Syracuse University a five-acre tract of land located at the corner of Raynor and Irving avenues, which came to be known as Hendricks Field. He also gave generously to the College of Medicine, which was at that time part of Syracuse University. Hendricks Memorial Chapel was the gift to Syracuse University of Senator Francis Hendricks in memory and honor of his wife, Eliza Jane. Senator Hendricks had served as president of the Board of Trustees of the University.
SU University Archives; Phillips, R., Wright, D.G. (2005). Hendricks Chapel: Seventy-five Years of Service to Syracuse University. Syracuse University Press; SU Photo and Imaging Archive; Haley, K. (2017). "Steps of Hendricks Chapel, Dedicated in 1930, to Receive Infusion of New Life." Syracuse University News; Wright, D. G. (2005). "The Chapel and the University." Syracuse University Magazine