2009–10 Mount Mercy University Honor Roll of Donors

Family legacy empowers new generation
When unforgettable people make an impact on those around them, it can affect
countless lives. When an entire family impacts those around them, generations of
individuals have the potential to be touched. Such is the legacy of the Ryan family,
whose dedication to Mount Mercy University and the pursuit of learning has
resulted in a rich and remarkable legacy on the Hill.
James and Ellen (O’Neil) Ryan instilled
in their nine children the importance of
education and the value of knowledge.
All four Ryan girls attended Mount
Mercy, and their experiences impacted
their parents. When James and
Ellen passed away, their children knew
exactly how to honor them — through
a Mount Mercy endowed scholarship
created in their memory.
The James and Ellen O’Neil Ryan
Endowed Scholarship was created in
1986, and since has helped more than
two dozen students in their own quest for
knowledge. “They’d be pleased,” says Katie
Ryan Schmidt RN’54 of her parents.
“Dad always said that what you have in
your head they can’t tax or take away.”
The tradition of establishing endowed
scholarships first began with Mary
Veronica Ryan Arnold ’42, eldest
daughter of the Ryans. When her
husband, Orrin, passed away, Mary
Arnold wanted to honor his memory in
a way that would benefit future generations
while also paying homage to her
parents’ longstanding love of education.
Thus, in 1978, the Orrin L. and
Mary Veronica Ryan Arnold Endowed
Scholarship was created.
That scholarship led to another and
another and yet another. Now, four endowed
scholarships honoring members
of the Ryan family will be awarded to
students each fall.
A unique chapter to this family’s history
is their multiple connections with the
University. The Ryan’s four daughters
are all alumnae — Mary Veronica Ryan
Arnold JC’42, Sister Monica Ryan JC’44,
Margaret Ryan RN’49 and Katie Ryan
Schmidt RN’54. The Ryan parents were
not the only ones who advocated on behalf
of education; Sister Monica served as
a much beloved Mount Mercy philosophy
professor from 1955 to 1994.
Sister Monica’s reputation as a rigorous
yet caring teacher was not without
merit. For many years, she was the
only instructor for the required philosophy
course, so she touched countless
lives and left an impact that still resonates
with her former students. Before
Sister Monica passed away in 2000,
“students who had graduated and
were visiting town again would call
her up and take her to lunch,” remembers
Margaret Ryan. Sister Monica’s
dedication to academics was honored
when Mount Mercy created the Sister
Monica Ryan Endowed Scholarship
upon her retirement in 1994.
But perhaps no greater manifestation
of a love of learning can be found than
in the Ryans’ granddaughter Suzie
Schmidt Cook ’89, daughter of Katie
Ryan Schmidt. Cook passed away from
breast cancer in November 2009, but her
tremendous outlook on life, tireless work
ethic and enthusiasm for enhancing educational
opportunities for students forever
will live on through the Suzie Schmidt
Cook Endowed Scholarship (Title III).
Cook chose to leave her legacy through
this endowed scholarship, which was
formally established by her mother in
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