Markoe was briefly assigned to teach at the University of Detroit for his Regency in 1923. There, he slowly began to build his reputation as a good leader, priest, and teacher. He was limited to discussions at the university itself due to lack of black students, Markoe encountered similar problems to St. Louis of racial inequality in the surrounding areas of the Detroit metro.
Due to his increasingly controversial views on race, Markoe was moved to Omaha, NE, specifically to teach at Creighton University in 1938. There, Markoe was introduced to the population of North Omaha, a redlined community separated from the rest of Omaha by race. At Creighton University, Markoe established himself as a good teacher and mentor to both black and white students alike. He also became very familiar with Omaha’s only black parish, St. Benedict’s. This was a precursor to the time he would spend in the 1940s with the DePorres Club.
