Briar Cliff launches centennial documentary project

Briar Cliff University in Sioux City announced the launch of a new centennial documentary project, A Most Unlikely Place: A Century of Faith, Service, and Learning, which will chronicle the university’s 100-year history. The project is beginning its initial development phase this summer and has received a $10,000 grant from The Gilchrist Foundation to support this effort.

The documentary, which is still in the early stages of development, will explore the origins, growth, and legacy of Briar Cliff University. From its founding in 1930 by the Sisters of St. Francis and Bishop Edmond Heelan to its evolution into a modern Catholic liberal arts university rooted in Franciscan values.
 
The Gilchrist Foundation grant will help fund the project’s pre-production phase, including story and script development, archival research, oral history interviews, and visual planning. This foundational work will result in a production-ready blueprint for a public television-quality film intended to celebrate Briar Cliff’s enduring mission of academic excellence, spiritual development, and community service.
 
“This documentary is not just about our past; it’s about the values that continue to guide us today,” said Dr. Matthew Draud, president of Briar Cliff University. “We are grateful to The Gilchrist Foundation for helping us begin this important work of preserving and sharing the story of Briar Cliff’s founding, its mission, and the lives it has touched over the past century.”
 
In keeping with Briar Cliff’s commitment to experiential learning, students and faculty from the History, Theology, and Mass Communications programs will play an active role in research, script development, and production planning.
 
Key elements of the pre-production process will include:

• Oral history interviews with alumni, retired faculty, and members of the Sisters of St. Francis.
• Archival research in university and diocesan collections.
• Scriptwriting and visual storyboarding.
• Student internships in media production and historical documentation.

 
Plans are for the final documentary to be released closer to the University’s 100^th anniversary in 2030. It will preserve and present Briar Cliff’s legacy for future generations —capturing stories of leadership, faith, and the transformative power of education.
 
For more information about the documentary project or to support its continued development, please contact the Office of University Advancement at Briar Cliff University.

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