[5] The college was connected through the same Franciscan order to Manitowoc's major hospital, Holy Family Memorial.

Holy Family College traces its history to 1885 when the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity established Holy Family Academy and Normal School to prepare young women who entered the religious community for teaching.

[6] During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Silver Lake College of the Holy Family expanded programs to nontraditional students.

[7]: 4 The St. Joseph Parish church and school, located on campus, added space for meetings, classes and offices.

[18][19] In 2016 Silver Lake College initiated SLC Works, a program that incorporated jobs into students' schedules in order to give them work experience, build their résumés and apply money earned toward their student debt.

In the 2016–17 academic year, all new full-time residential freshmen and transfer students began participating in SLC Works as a condition of enrollment.

[20] At the moment of the school's closure, Holy Family (HFC) athletic teams were known as the Lakers.