NEW Utas fall - Saint Louis University

THE MAGAZINE OF SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY 

FALL 2003

By Lawrence Biondi, S.J. 

Saint Louis University President 

I 

’m convinced that it must have been a SLU graduate who coined the phrase, “What a small 

world.” 

I’m sure you’ve all had a similar experience: you’re sitting in a restaurant, standing in line 

to check out at a grocery store or even taking in a ball game, and someone around you says 

something like, “Didn’t you go to SLU?” 

Whatever the opening line, what almost always ensues is a brief conversation between two 

people. They may have never met before, but it’s as if an instant connection has been made. 

They begin talking like old friends. 

Although I realize that this phenomenon frequently happens between 

people who share a common identity, I often come away from such experiences 

convinced that members of our SLU community transcend the 

superficialities of just sharing an alma mater or even a fondness for a particular 

sports team. 

I truly believe our mission and our Ignatian heritage unites us on a deeper 

level. The recent Homecoming festivities only reinforced my belief. As 

all of you know, during Homecoming, we welcome thousands of former 

students back to campus, putting them in contact once again with each 

other and with our current students, faculty and staff. 

There were tours of Grand Center, our own home in Midtown, as well as 

the new and improved Busch Student Center. There were parties, outdoor 

concerts, Billiken soccer, a parade and fireworks. There were golf outings, 

class reunions and tailgates. And serving as an appropriate, intimate ending 

to the weekend, there was the Golden Billiken Brunch for members of the 

classes up to and including the class of 1953. 

Alhtough all of these activities are entertaining and help to demonstrate 

our appreciation for members of our SLU family, perhaps the most satisfying 

element of Homecoming is found in the personal interaction between 

longtime friends. For Homecoming is one of the few times during the year 

in which generations of Billikens come back to campus to celebrate and 

commemorate their shared identity. Alumni reminisce about old times 

while also introducing their former classmates to their personal families. We at SLU show off 

our campus and introduce our current family of students, faculty and staff, who share their 

own thoughts and feelings about the SLU experience. 

Alumni often share their own success stories, but more importantly, their stories about family, 

friends and faith. They tell me how the philosophy, ethics and theological components 

they once grumbled about now serve them well in their everyday lives. 

Conversely, we let alumni know that SLU remains committed to informing and transforming 

our current students, who, in turn, will transform society in the spirit of the Gospels. I 

give assurances that although the nature of higher education has changed, SLU remains true 

to its Jesuit, Catholic heritage — just like it has for generations, all the way back to its founding 

in 1818. 

Yes, we truly see the spirit of Saint Louis University revealed and refreshed during our 

Homecoming festivities. It gives me great joy to hear about the ways in which members of 

the SLU community continue to make a difference for their families, for their communities, 

for their professions, for their world. Though it is only one weekend during the year, there’s 

undoubtedly an invisible bridge that links generations of Billiken alumni together. We can be 

reassured that SLU continues to succeed in preparing its graduates for a lifetime of service to 

humankind. 

It’s wonderful to see that SLU is indeed “where the heart is” in so many people’s lives.

On the Cover: The new Busch 

Student Center courtyard. For 

more photos of Busch Student 

Center, see page 12. 

UNIVERSITAS 

Volume 30, No. 1 

Editor 

Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92) 

Assistant Editor 

Chris Waldvogel 

Contributors 

Clayton Berry 

Jeff Fowler 

Photo Credits 

Steve Dolan, 3, 9, 30 

Joe Finlay, 4 

Kevin Lowder, 10 

Dave Preston, 26 

John Quinn, S.J., 20 

James Visser, cover, 4, 12-15 

Chris Waldvogel, 2, 3, 5 

New Line Cinema, 18, 20-22 

Design 

AKA Design Inc. 

Art Direction: Richie Murphy 

Design: Stacy Lanier 

UNIVERSITAS is published by Saint 

Louis University. Opinions expressed 

in UNIVERSITAS are those of the individual 

authors and not necessarily 

those of the University administration. 

Unsolicited manuscripts and 

photographs are welcome but will be 

returned only if accompanied by a 

stamped, self-addressed envelope. 

Letters to the editor must be signed, 

and letters not intended for publication 

should indicate that fact. The 

editor reserves the right to edit all 

items. Please address all mail to 

UNIVERSITAS, DuBourg Hall 39, 221 

N. Grand, St. Louis, MO 63103. We 

accept e-mail at utas@slu.edu and fax 

submissions at (314) 977-2249. 

Address fax submissions to Editor, 

UNIVERSITAS. 

Postmaster: Send address changes to 

UNIVERSITAS, Saint Louis University, 221 

N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103. 

World Wide Web address: 

www.slu.edu/pr/universitas.html 

UNIVERSITAS is printed by Universal 

Printing Co. and mailed by Accurate 

Business Mailers Inc. 

Worldwide circulation: 109,611 

© 2003, Saint Louis University. 

All rights reserved. 

C O N T E N T S 

FALL 2003 

6 

Home-Court Advantage 

Take a peek at the plans for 

Saint Louis University’s proposed arena. 

10 

Remembering Father Ong 

A look at the life of one of 

SLU’s most noted scholars. 

12 

Center of Attention 

The renovated and expanded 

Busch Student Center is drawing raves. 

16 

Momentum 

The Campaign for Saint Louis University 

marks its first anniversary. 

18 

Lore of the Rings 

A SLU professor is one of the world’s 

foremost experts on J.R.R. Tolkien. 

IN MEMORIAM ALUMNI notes 

2 

24 32 

28 30

2 

SLU named a 

‘Best Buy’ again 

Saint Louis University is 

the nation’s top educational 

buy among all Jesuit 

institutions according to U.S. 

News & World Report, which 

again recognized Saint Louis 

University as one of the 

country’s best values in higher 

education. Overall, the 

magazine also ranked SLU 

among the top four Catholic 

universities in the country. 

In the publication’s 

“America’s Best Colleges 

2004” issue, SLU is No. 41 

on the best values list among 

all national doctoral universities. 

This is the sixth consecutive 

year that U.S. News has 

highlighted the University as 

a leading educational value. 

SLU is the top Jesuit institution 

on the best value list and 

the No. 2 Catholic school, 

second only to the University 

of Notre Dame. U.S. News 

determines best values by 

measuring academic quality 

with the net cost of attendance 

for a student who 

receives an average level of 

financial aid. 

U.S. News also named Saint 

Louis University among the 

top four Catholic institutions 

on its ranking of best national 

doctoral universities, a group 

that includes nearly 250 

schools. SLU is No. 78 on 

the list, with only Notre 

Dame, Georgetown 

University and Boston 

College ranking higher. 

New trustees 

join SLU board 

Three new trustees have 

joined the Saint Louis 

University board: L.B. 

Eckelkamp Jr., chairman of the 

board and CEO of the Bank of 

Washington (Mo.) and chairman 

and president of Cardinal 

Bancorp and Cardinal Bancorp 

II, which owns the United 

Bank of Union and Citizens 

National Bank of Greater St. 

Louis; Keith F. Muccino, S.J., 

assistant professor of internal 

medicine and Catholic chaplain 

at Georgetown University 

School of Medicine; and 

Robert L. Niehoff, S.J., vice 

president for budget and planning 

at the University of San 

Francisco. 

HOMELAND SECURITY: Hundreds of people attended 

the first town hall meeting on homeland security featuring 

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge Oct. 7 at 

Saint Louis University. An interactive event with high 

audience participation, the forum included (from left) Frank 

Sesno, host of Worldtalk and former CNN anchor; Steve 

Rohleder, global chief executive for government, Accenture; 

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay (Law ’80); Ridge; Dr. Karen 

Webb, chief medical officer for Saint Louis University 

Hospital; and Col. Tim Daniel, director for the Missouri 

Office of Homeland Security. University President 

Lawrence Biondi, S.J., gave the opening remarks. 

SLU JOINS A10 CONFERENCE 

Saint Louis University is joining the Atlantic 10 Conference. 

The Billikens will begin intercollegiate athletic competition 

in the Atlantic 10 during the 2005-06 academic year. 

The Atlantic 10 Conference is in its 28th year of NCAA 

Division I competition. The league’s members include 

Dayton, Duquesne, Fordham, George Washington, LaSalle, 

Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, 

Saint Joseph’s, Temple and Xavier. 

Saint Louis University currently is a charter member of 

Conference USA. In early November, five C-USA member 

schools — Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette and 

USF — accepted invitations to join the Big East Conference. 

Five new schools — Central Florida, Marshall, Rice, SMU 

and Tulsa — filled C-USA’s vacant positions. 

For more details, visit www.slubillikens.com. 

Sword award 

to honor Westfall 

Saint Louis University will 

give its highest honor to 

the late George R. “Buzz” 

Westfall (A&S ’68, Law ’69). 

SLU will recognize the late 

political leader with its Sword 

of Ignatius Loyola during the 

DuBourg Society Dinner 

Dec. 7. Mr. Westfall died 

Oct. 27. He was 59. 

One of the region’s most 

influential public figures of 

the last 20 years, 

Mr. Westfall was 

elected St. Louis 

County executive 

in 1990 and was 

re-elected three 

times. Noted for 

his bipartisanship 

and regional focus, 

his accomplishments 

included the establishment 

of a shelter for battered 

women and children. 

The Sword of Ignatius 

Loyola is named for the 

founder of the Society of 

Jesus. Symbolic of the 

Ignatian vision of service, 

sword recipients have given 

themselves to humankind for 

the greater glory of God.

Three new deans 

now on campus 

Dr. Ellen Harshman (Grad 

’78, Law ’92) is the new dean 

of the John Cook School of 

Business. She succeeds the 

retiring Dr. Leroy Grossman, 

who was interim dean for one 

year. Harshman has served 

SLU in several leadership roles 

since 1972, including associate 

dean of the business school, 

director of the career planning 

and placement center and assistant 

to the vice president for 

student development. She also 

holds the rank of associate professor 

of management and 

most recently was SLU’s senior 

vice provost. Among her many 

responsibilities in this role, 

Harshman administered com- 

Harshman 

Royeen 

Yeigh 

pliance with the University’s 

accrediting agencies, served as 

a liaison with state-wide educational 

agencies and oversaw 

the libraries, Reinert Center 

for Teaching Excellence and 

office of institutional study. 

Harshman has earned numerous 

honors during her SLU 

career and was named SLU’s 

Woman of the Year in 1981. 

Dr. Charlotte Royeen, a 

national leader in her field of 

occupational therapy, is the 

new dean of the Doisy School 

of Allied Health Professions. 

Royeen most recently served 

as associate dean for research at 

Creighton’s School of 

Pharmacy and Allied Health 

Professions and professor of 

occupational therapy. Prior to 

that, she was the founding 

chair and professor of occupational 

therapy at Shenandoah 

University in Winchester, Va., 

and worked for several years 

for the U.S. Department of 

Education’s Office of Special 

Education Programs. Royeen 

holds a doctorate from Virginia 

Polytechnic Institute and State 

University in Blacksburg, Va., 

and a master’s degree in occupational 

therapy from 

Washington University School 

of Medicine. At the confer- 

ence of the American 

Occupational Therapy 

Association, Royeen received 

the 2002 Eleanor Clarke Slagle 

Lectureship Award, which is 

the highest scholarly achievement 

bestowed in occupational 

therapy. 

Dr. Bjong Wolf Yeigh 

joined the Saint Louis 

University community July 1 

as the dean for Parks College 

of Engineering and Aviation. 

He came to SLU from Yale 

University, where he was assistant 

provost of science and 

technology since 1999. He 

succeeds Dr. Charles 

Kirkpatrick, who was dean of 

Parks College for nine years 

and is on the department of 

chemistry faculty. Yeigh 

received a bachelor’s degree in 

engineering science from 

Dartmouth College, a master’s 

degree in mechanical engineering 

from Stanford and a 

doctorate in civil engineering 

and operations research from 

Princeton. A former tactical air 

intelligence officer assigned to 

Fighter Squadron 74, Yeigh 

served in the U.S. Navy during 

the Gulf War and for a 

total of eight years in active 

and reserve duties, leaving with 

a rank of lieutenant. 

RESEARCH PLANS: Preliminary plans are under way 

for the design and site selection for a new research center at 

the Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center, part of 

an $80 million investment in new and renovated research 

space. Raising money for the building is part of the 

University’s $300 million “Campaign for Saint Louis 

University: Where Knowledge Touches Lives.” 

NEWS BRIEFS 

In September, SLU sponsored a 

two-evening gala event called 

“Denim & Diamonds” to 

benefit public education, 

research and treatment of liver 

disease. On Sept. 12, Willie 

Nelson headlined “Denim,” a 

concert to benefit the SLU Liver 

Center and the Julia Spears 

Foundation for Liver Disease. 

On Sept. 13, “Diamonds” featured 

country music artist Naomi 

Judd, who spoke at a black-tie 

dinner to benefit SLU’s Liver 

Center. … Dr. Robert B. 

Belshe, Adorjan professor of 

infectious diseases and director of 

the Center for Vaccine 

Development, received the 

Clinical Virology Award for 

2003 from the Pan American 

Society for Clinical Virology. … 

Sandra H. Johnson (A&S ’73), 

the Tenet Endowed Chair in 

Health Law and Ethics is one of 

four winners of the 2003 

Pellegrino Medal for contributions 

to health care ethics. … 

Dr. Marla Berg-Weger, professor 

and director of field service 

education for the School for 

Social Service since 1995, has 

been named associate provost. … 

Maria Whitehead, a member of 

Wake Forest’s 2002 NCAA 

Division I field hockey championship 

team, is SLU’s new head 

field hockey coach. The appointment 

is her first head coaching 

position. … Dr. Seung H. 

Kim, professor of international 

business and director of the 

Boeing Institute of International 

Business, has been appointed to 

serve on the Presidential 

Advisory Council for the 

Peaceful Reunification of the 

Republic of Korea. 

By The Numbers 

4 National rank of Parks College 

of Engineering and Aviation’s 

aerospace engineering program, 

according to U.S. News and 

World Report. Overall, Parks’ 

undergraduate engineering programs 

moved up three spots on 

the U.S. News list to No. 27. 

498 Residents sponsored by 

SLU’s School of Medicine in 50 

different residencies, subspecialty 

residencies and fellowships rotating 

through eight affiliated teaching 

hospitals and 18 affiliated 

health care institutions. 

8,742 Phone pledges made during 

fiscal year 2003 for a total for 

$1,067,000 in donations to Saint 

Louis University. This is a 23 percent 

increase over last year and the 

first time that more than $1 million 

has been raised through 

phoning.

4 

Drabble wins 

Literary Award 

Saint Louis University 

Library Associates presented 

English author 

Margaret Drabble with the 

2003 Saint Louis Literary 

Award at a ceremony Oct. 

21. Drabble, a novelist, biographer, 

critic and short story 

writer, is the author of The 

Seven Sisters, The Peppered 

Moth, The Witch of Exmoor 

and The Millstone. She is also 

editor of The Oxford 

Companion to English 

Literature. Drabble joins a distinguished 

group of authors 

honored with this award during 

the past 36 years. 

Recipients include such 

luminaries as Arthur Miller, 

Joyce Carol Oates and 

Seamus Heaney. Last year’s 

winner was Joan Didion. 

Kavanaugh 

Kavanaugh wins 

press award 

Saint Louis University philosophy 

professor and magazine 

columnist John 

Kavanaugh, S.J., (A&S ’65, 

Grad ’66, ’71) received top 

honors from the National 

Catholic Press Association. His 

“Ethics Notebook,” which 

regularly appears in America 

magazine, earned the Best 

Regular Column Award from 

MIXING IT UP: What’s cooking in the department of 

nutrition and dietetics in the Doisy School of Allied Health 

Professions? Mark E. Miller, a certified executive chef, 

shown here supervising students Christina Bologna (left) 

and Diana Kingston, has joined the Saint Louis University 

faculty and is teaching future dietitians how healthy foods 

can be prepared to taste great. Miller, most recently a chef 

at Westborough Country Club, is sold on the University’s 

new, one-of-a-kind degree program that prepares students 

to become registered dietitians while they receive training for 

their culinary arts credential. “Our degree is perfect for students 

who want to work as personal chefs, among other specializations,” 

Miller said. 

the association, which represents 

640 publications with a 

combined circulation of nearly 

27 million in the United States 

and Canada. In honoring him, 

the National Catholic Press 

Association said: “Father 

Kavanaugh examines public 

issues through a moral lens and 

discusses them thoughtfully 

and powerfully.” 

Biodefense 

research brings 

schools together 

Anew research center based 

in St. Louis will play a 

major role in protecting the 

American public against 

bioterrorism and emerging 

infectious diseases. Washington 

University School of Medicine 

and Saint Louis University 

School of Medicine will be 

part of a multi-institutional 

Midwest Regional Center for 

Excellence in Biodefense and 

Emerging Infectious Diseases 

Research (MRCE). The center 

will be funded by a fiveyear, 

$35 million grant from 

the National Institute of 

Allergy and Infectious Diseases. 

The founding members of the 

MRCE also include Case 

Western Reserve University, 

the University of Missouri- 

Columbia and the Midwest 

Research Institute of Kansas 

City. The new center will 

concentrate on expanding current 

research efforts in biodefense. 

For example, the team’s 

initial research effort will focus 

on poxvirus infections, which 

include diseases such as smallpox. 

The ultimate goals are to 

improve the safety of vaccines 

and to develop new therapies. 

New technology 

VP on board 

Ellen Watson is Saint Louis 

University’s new vice 

president for information 

technology services. 

Although Watson may be 

new to SLU, she is familiar 

with the Jesuit mission. 

Before coming to SLU, she 

was the vice president of 

information service at Loyola 

University Chicago, a post 

she had held since 1999. 

Watson boasts 19 years of 

experience in her field, having 

served as associate vice 

president for information services 

and dean of library services 

at Indiana State 

University for four years and 

associate provost for information 

resources and technology 

at Bradley University for two 

years. She received her bachelor’s 

degree from Wellesley 

College and her master’s from 

the University of Maryland. 

International HIV 

trial led by SLU 

Saint Louis University is 

leading an international 

vaccine trial to study a 

promising HIV prevention 

vaccine in humans. The trial 

is being conducted through 

the HIV Vaccine Trials 

Network (HVTN) of the 

National Institutes of Health. 

This is the first HVTN trial 

to be conducted simultaneously 

in the United States and 

abroad — in St. Louis, 

Boston (through Harvard 

University) and Gaborone, 

Botswana — and it signifies a 

dedication to transcending 

borders in the fight against 

HIV. This vaccine has never 

been tested in humans. The 

trial is looking at the safety 

and immune response of an 

experimental HIV vaccine

FETCHING: Saint Louis University dedicated its Lay 

Center for Education and the Arts Oct. 4. Located in 

Louisiana, Mo., SLU’s Lay Center is on 350 acres of natural 

meadows, wooded rolling hills, lakes and streams. The 

center’s highlights include two sculpture parks nestled in natural 

surroundings. A children’s playland of art, literature and 

nature — called Story Woods — features sculpture designed 

to stimulate the imagination, including “Success” by 

Deborah Mae Broad, pictured above. The Henry Lay 

Sculpture Park includes a 20-acre area with a walking trail, 

eclectic sculpture, lakes and a maple grove. 

called EP HIV-1090, known 

as a DNA plasmid type of 

vaccine. It is the HVTN’s 

first African trial — involving 

some of the communities 

most affected by AIDS — in 

the development of an HIV 

vaccine. 

SLU nabs C-USA 

GPA award again 

Conference USA has 

named Saint Louis 

University as the recipient of 

the Institutional Excellence 

Award for the eighth 

consecutive year. The 

award is given to the 

member school 

with the highest 

cumulative grade point average 

during the academic year 

for all student-athletes in conference-sponsored 

sports. 

SLU student-athletes compiled 

a 3.24 GPA during the 

2002-03 academic year. SLU 

has won the award every year 

of Conference USA’s existence. 

The Sport Academic 

Award is given to the team in 

each conference-sponsored 

sport with the highest grade 

point average for the academic 

year. The Billikens won 

five individual sport honors: 

baseball, men’s basketball, 

women’s basketball, 

women’s soccer and 

women’s swimming 

and diving. 

Women’s golf 

tees up next year 

Saint Louis University’s 

department of athletics will 

sponsor women’s golf beginning 

in the 2004-05 academic 

year. Billiken men’s golf coach 

Ed Schwent will assume 

responsibility for both programs 

as director of golf. SLU 

is the 10th Conference USA 

program to sponsor both 

women’s and men’s golf. 

Gateway National in Illinois, 

which serves as the men’s 

team’s home course, also will 

serve as the home course for 

the women. Schwent, recently 

tabbed by Golf Digest as one of 

the top five teaching pros in 

Missouri, has begun recruiting 

for the 10-member team. For 

more information on how you 

can help, call Schwent at (314) 

977-3981 or send e-mail to 

slugolf@pga.com. 

SLU listed as ‘Best 

Place to Work’ 

For the second time since 

2000, Saint Louis 

University has made the St. 

Louis Business Journal’s “Best 

Places to Work” list. This year, 

SLU was honored in the “Best 

Practice” category — the only 

institution so recognized — for 

the development of 

Hometown SLU, which is 

designed to spur development 

near the St. Louis campus 

while assisting SLU employees 

looking to purchase a home in 

certain areas near campus. 

Since Hometown SLU was 

unveiled Feb. 5, 19 people 

have applied to the program 

and been approved. Full-time, 

eligible employees may receive 

forgivable loans of up to 

$5,000 if buying homes in 

select neighborhoods. The 

loan is forgiven after five years 

if the employee still works at 

SLU and the home remains 

the primary residence. 

40 

The December 1963 issue of Saint 

Louis University Magazine featured a 

cover photo of the new Griesedieck 

Memorial Hall, which was dedicated 

Nov. 30, 1963. 

A news item mentioned that 

fund raising for Busch Memorial 

Center was under way — $.1.5 million 

had been raised, and a $1.5 million 

loan had been secured. It was 

estimated that the total cost of construction 

would be $3.25 million. 

The issue also highlighted the 

Midwest Assembly on Outer Space, 

a conference co-sponsored by SLU 

and held that September. The 

assembly brought together a cross 

section of leaders in education, government, 

labor, business, industry, 

law, medicine, military and communications 

from a 14-state area to 

consider the topic, “Outer Space: 

Prospects for Man and Society.” 

Participants included James E. 

Webb, the head of NASA, and U.S. 

Sen. Stuart Symington of Missouri. 

Another article featured an alumnus, 

Robert Burns (Parks ’59), who 

was the first Missourian to join the 

Peace Corps. Burns was a land irrigation 

specialist in Pakistan. 

Quotable UTAS: “It would be 

tragic if we were able to pinpoint 

rockets in space but unable to determine 

where we were going as 

human beings.” — Charles A. 

Sheehan, Missouri state representative 

and speaker at the Midwest 

Assembly on Outer Space 

Sign of the times: It was reported 

that tuition for the 1964-65 school 

year for full-time undergraduates 

and law students would be $575 per 

semester, which was an increase of 

$100 over 1963-64 rates. School of 

Medicine students were slated to 

pay $700 per semester.

6 

Plans are under way for the Saint Louis University Arena. 

So is the fund raising. 

HOME-COURT 

ADVANTAGE 

Above: A rendering of the exterior of the Saint Louis University Arena. 

Above right: A view of the arena court and seats.

You can’t quite hear the roar of the crowd. Yet. 

But you can feel the excitement. 

That’s because Billiken alumni, fans and boosters no 

longer have to imagine what the Saint Louis University 

Arena will look like — they can actually see the plans. 

Designed to complement SLU’s campus architecture, arena 

plans call for a seating capacity of 13,000; private suites; loge 

“suites”; club seating with adjacent hospitality area; designated 

student seating sections; two concourses; concession stands; athletic 

training rooms; the Billiken Hall of Fame; Billiken merchandise 

and apparel outlets; and much more. 

The main concourse will have amenities to create an exemplary 

experience for fans: numerous and spacious rest rooms, 

ample concessions and grilles, thematic food and beverage carts 

and the team store. The lower bowl, containing almost 60 percent 

of the seating, will be accessed from the main concourse. 

A separate upper concourse will serve the upper bowl seating. 

This upper concourse will feature the same level of spectator 

amenities as the main concourse, including a team store. 

The basketball and event floor is 36 feet below the main concourse, 

creating great sightlines. A large club and meeting area 

has been planned midway between the two floors. This allows 

direct access from center court seats to the club, creating an intimate 

experience for club seat patrons. 

The Saint Louis University Arena also is designed to be a true 

resource for the University and for the community. The facility 

will welcome a broad array of events each year. In addition to 

SLU basketball games, the multipurpose campus events center 

also would be the site of SLU commencements; national conferences 

and conventions; concerts; family shows and circuses; cultural 

events, such as dance presentations, speakers and stage 

shows; religious gatherings; high school athletic games and tour- 

7

8 

naments; trade shows and exhibitions; 

sporting events, such as boxing and 

wrestling matches; and community 

events, such as high school graduations. 

Michael F. Shanahan Sr. (B&A ’61), 

chairman and CEO of Engineered 

Support Systems Inc. and SLU trustee 

emeritus, is leading the fund-raising 

effort for the arena. 

“The Saint Louis University Arena is 

another example of SLU’s commitment 

to the revitalization of Midtown St. 

Louis,” said University President 

Lawrence Biondi, S.J. “And thanks to 

Mike Shanahan’s leadership, I’m confident 

the arena one day will be another 

attraction for Midtown.” 

Since 1987, SLU has invested more 

than $500 million in the area, a figure 

that would grow with the addition of a 

Top left: A view from a typical suite. 

Above: The arena at night. Left: 

Rendering of club for premium seat 

holders. 

Renderings by Mackey Mitchell Associates.

esearch building and arena. Although 

locations have not been finalized for 

either project, both would be located 

somewhere on or near the SLU campus. 

“This is an incredibly exciting project 

for SLU and Billiken basketball,” 

Shanahan said. “A new campus arena 

will help SLU build a top program. I’m 

confident our friends will step forward 

and help make the Saint Louis 

University Arena a reality.” 

Saint Louis University has launched a 

Web site to support fund-raising activity 

for the proposed University arena. The 

site is http://arena.slu.edu. The arena 

fund-raising effort is going well, with 

about $10 million in commitments 

already received. The project is contingent 

on raising an estimated 

$40 million-$45 million in 

private donations. 

“The Saint Louis 

University Arena would 

be the beginning of a 

new tradition on campus,” 

Biondi said. “But it 

is going to take the generosity 

of communityminded 

donors to make 

it happen.” 

For detailed information 

about naming 

opportunities or ways to 

give, visit arena.slu.edu 

or call (314) 977-2849. � 

Above: A Saint Louis 

University commencement. 

Future graduations would 

be held at the arena. Left: 

The arena configured for a 

concert. Below: The arena 

configured for a circus. 

9

10 

ne 

of the world’s most influential thinkers 

died Aug. 12. Saint Louis University 

professor and internationally renowned 

scholar Walter J. Ong, S.J., was 90. 

Published more than 400 times 

around the world, Father Ong taught 

and lectured at many of the world’s 

most prestigious institutions during his 

career at SLU. 

His work is presented alongside history’s 

most illustrious postmodern theorists. 

Father Ong’s ideas have been used to 

analyze the oratory skills of Martin 

Luther King Jr. and to study New York 

subway graffiti. Entire college courses 

have been developed around his theories. 

“We have lost one of Saint Louis 

University’s, indeed higher education’s, 

greatest treasures,” said University 

President Lawrence Biondi, S.J. 

Born Nov. 30, 1912, in Kansas City, 

Saint Louis University mourns the loss 

of one of its greatest scholars. 

Mo., Father Ong was the elder of two 

sons. He graduated from high school at 

16 before majoring in Latin at 

Rockhurst College, where he received a 

bachelor of arts degree. 

He worked in printing and publishing 

prior to entering the Society of Jesus in 

1935. He was ordained a Catholic priest 

in 1946. Father Ong earned a master’s 

degree in English at Saint Louis 

University. His thesis was supervised by 

communication theorist Marshall 

McLuhan, who was quoting his former 

student by the time McLuhan wrote his 

classic, The Gutenberg Galaxy. Ong also 

earned a licentiate in philosophy and a 

licentiate in sacred theology from SLU. 

After earning his doctorate in English 

at Harvard University in 1955, Father 

Ong returned to SLU, where he would 

teach for the next 36 years. Prior to his 

appointment as University Professor of 

Humanities, Father Ong was the 

William E. Haren Professor of English 

and professor of humanities in psychiatry 

at the School of Medicine. 

Centering his life in the Midwest, 

however, didn’t stop Father Ong from 

traveling — and influencing — the 

world. His books have been translated 

into numerous languages, and his scholarship 

has been cited in more than 2,000 

works. The French government decorated 

him for his scholarly work, and he 

was a visiting lecturer at many of the 

world’s finest institutions, including 

Oxford University. From Japan to 

Nigeria, Father Ong gave special talks all 

around the globe. 

Father Ong authored numerous 

books, including the widely circulated 

Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of 

the Word, published in 1982 and translated 

into a dozen languages. As Father 

Ong’s fame grew, prestigious national 

organizations sought out his expertise.

He served on the 14-member White 

House Task Force on Education under 

President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967 

and was a member of the National 

Council on the Humanities from 1968- 

74. In 1978, he was elected president of 

the 30,000-member Modern Language 

Association of America, the largest 

scholarly society in the world. 

Saint Louis University was among the 

many institutions to recognize Father 

Ong, bestowing him with its highest 

honor, the Sword of Ignatius Loyola, in 

1993. Three years earlier, the University 

recognized his many accomplishments 

by establishing the Walter J. Ong, S.J., 

Chair in the Humanities. Among his 

many other honors, the Conference on 

Christianity and Literature gave him its 

Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. 

Father Ong rooted his work in the 

existence of an always-mysterious God, 

and when other thinkers felt trapped 

between what they saw as mutually 

exclusive alternatives, Father Ong built a 

bridge between them. New technologies, 

he said for example, didn’t replace 

their predecessors, but interacted with 

them, reinforcing some aspects and 

reshaping others. He found more commonalities 

than differences between 

women and men. His central insights 

clustered around the transition of one 

form of communication to another. 

Because his scholarship was too broad 

and too interdisciplinary to fit in any 

one category or department, SLU 

named Father Ong University Professor 

of Humanities, a position rarely granted. 

When he taught English, many students 

would say that Father Ong’s courses 

were not really English, but “Onglish.” 

Unafraid of the highest technology, 

Father Ong believed there were ways to 

humanize its power. Throughout his 

storied career, he prodded religious 

thinkers to attune themselves to a 

global, interdependent culture, 

calling for a theology that incorporated 

modern technology. 

Today, scholars are rediscovering 

Father Ong’s work because 

of its relevancy to the current 

digital revolution; his studies are 

the focus of two recent books. 

In addition to vast scholarly 

work, Father Ong’s kind spirit 

and attention to relationships 

made him a natural at pastoral 

work. For years he offered daily 

Mass, listened to thousands of 

confessions, and baptized, blessed 

and counseled to countless individuals. 

He taught religion in a 

detention hall and the inner city. 

Father Ong always disliked the 

label of a theorist, insisting that 

he “just tried to say how things 

are, describe things.” He paid 

careful attention to every detail 

in the world around him and not 

just philosophical matters. He 

exhibited this ability while flyfishing, 

spotting lizards in the tall Ozark 

grasses and caring steadfastly for every 

houseplant in Jesuit Hall. 

Defying categorization, his work 

brought together innovative ideas in literature, 

anthropology, philosophy, theology, 

psychology and media studies. 

Perhaps Father Ong’s most lasting contribution 

was to show how various 

forms of communication — from storytelling 

to cyberspace — shape thoughts, 

relationships and cultures. � 

To read tributes to Father Ong or share memories, 

visit www.rememberingwalterong.com. 

11

12 

The new Busch Student 

Center offers something 

for everyone.

Aug. 28 marked an 

official rebirth for one of the most 

storied landmarks on the Saint Louis 

University campus. After more than 14 

months of renovation and construction, 

Busch Student Center opened its doors 

to students, faculty and staff eager to 

make use of its new facilities. The BSC 

boasts 51,000 square feet of new space 

for a total of approximately 160,000 

square feet of new and renovated space. 

“Busch Student Center reflects our 

belief that this building is more than 

bricks and mortar and glass and steel,” 

said University President Lawrence 

Biondi, S.J. “Indeed, it is a testimony to 

our student body, whose actions each 

and every day best pay tribute to the 

legacy of Gussie Busch, Father Paul 

Reinert and all who went before and 

made this building possible. It is ultimately 

our students who we celebrate today 

by dedicating this facility in tribute to 

them and in honor of the Busch name.” 

The BSC closed for construction and 

renovation May 28, 2002. Several cor- 

13

14 

porations, including the Anheuser- 

Busch Foundation, Barnes & Noble, 

Chartwells and University Loft Co., 

made donations to the project. In fact, 

corporate gifts accounted for more than 

45 percent of the project’s $22 million 

cost. Through a self-assessed fee, SLU 

students have contributed more than $3 

million toward the renovation. 

In fact, students were very involved 

with the evolution of the BSC. In 2001, 

a 12-person committee, half of whom 

were students, conducted surveys and 

collected input and feedback about possible 

changes to the student union. 

Faculty and staff also were involved. 

“The facility you see behind me is a 

shining example of what happens when 

administrators and students collaborate,” 

said Student Government Association 

President Nick Sarcone at the blessing 

and dedication of the building. “There 

is a new jewel in the heart of Saint Louis 

University, so please take some time to 

enjoy it.” 

Originally built in 1967 as Busch 

Memorial Center, the facility included 

areas for pool tables, table tennis and an 

eight-lane bowling alley, which was 

removed in the 1990s. The building was 

dedicated Sept. 27, 1967, after nearly 10 

years of planning. � 

Top: Students on air in the new KSLU 

booth. The booth is located at the heart of 

the center and looks out on the atrium and 

campus. Center: The center’s staircase and 

atrium. The windows face north toward 

Ritter Hall and the dolphin pond. Above: 

Chefs at work in the Grand Market, which 

is home to several dining options, including 

pasta, Asian foods and speciality salads.

What’s Inside 

The expanded Busch Student Center 

offers plenty of new vendors and retailers 

to cater to the University community’s 

needs. 

For those looking to satisfy their 

hunger, the improved Grand Market 

serves various ethnic foods, pizza, 

homestyle selections and plenty of other 

dining options. The Billiken Club 

venue, which is run by Wackadoo’s 

Grub and Brew, features pub fare, along 

with pool tables, Skee-Ball, virtual reality 

entertainment and arcade games. Au 

Bon Pain, a 25-year-old 

national chain with more 

than 230 bakery cafés, features 

breakfast and lunch 

delicacies. 

The new BSC also 

includes: 

● A Barnes and Noble 

Bookstore offering 

expanded book titles and 

bountiful Billiken gear 

● A full-service U.S. 

Bank branch 

● Champion Dry 

Cleaners, which features 

dry cleaning and laundry 

drop-off services 

● Indox, a copy and 

mail center that includes 

7,000 mailboxes for undergraduate 

students 

● Nettie’s Flower 

Garden, which sells floral 

arrangements, gift baskets 

and decorations 

● Salon Ktizo, whose 

services include hairstyling, manicures 

and facials 

BSC also includes wireless capabilities 

for those using laptop computers and 

approximately 27,000 square feet of 

reservable space. 

Top: A student eyes her options at Au 

Bon Pain, the bakery café located in the 

atrium of the center. Center: The center’s 

multipurpose room in use for a career 

fair. The room, when all partitions are 

open, can seat 1,000 people at tables or 

1,600 for a lecture. Left: A student in the 

Cross Cultural Center, home to offices of 

the Black Student Alliance, International 

Student Federation and Muslim Student 

Association. 

15

16 

hat began with 600 

Billiken faithful, penguins, 

a two-toed sloth, broadcaster 

Bob Costas and a concert from one of 

country music’s biggest stars has showed 

no signs of slowing down. 

“The Campaign for Saint Louis 

University: Where Knowledge Touches 

Lives” raised approximately $30 million 

during the first full year of its public 

phase. The current campaign total is 

$184.7 million. 

“The University community has 

responded during the first year of the 

campaign,” said University President 

Lawrence Biondi, S.J. “During a time 

when so many institutions of higher 

learning are facing cuts and budget 

problems, SLU continues to distinguish 

itself by adding programs and facilities to 

enhance the overall educational experience. 

The campaign has been a big part 

of that.” 

The campaign’s public phase began 

June 26, 2002, with a celebratory kickoff 

event at Grant’s Farm. The 

event included music from 

Grammy-winner Tim McGraw, 

The Campaign for 


marks its first 

anniversary. 

who boasts six multi-platinum albums 

and more than 25 million albums sold. 

But equaling the campaign’s star-studded 

start was the level of generosity that 

has characterized the fund-raising effort’s 

early stages. During the silent phase of 

the campaign, approximately $150 million 

was raised. 

In addition, the nearly $30 million in 

donations from July 1, 2002, to June 30, 

2003, represent a 21 percent increase 

from the previous year, an astounding 

fact considering the nation’s sluggish 

economy. Charitable giving nationwide 

was up only 1 percent in the same time 

period, according to a survey by the 

American Association of Fundraising 

Counsel Trust for Philanthropy. At 

SLU, however, many areas of giving 

climbed significantly, including 25.8 

percent for non-alumni giving; 31.4 

percent for alumni; and an astounding 

183 percent from corporations. Annual 

giving also raised more than $1 million 

in a single fiscal year for the first time 

through phoning. 

By Chris Waldvogel 

“We are very pleased with the generosity 

that our alumni, employees, 

friends and other benefactors have 

demonstrated,” said Don Whelan (Grad 

B&A ’03), vice president for development 

and University relations. “We 

hope this support will continue so that 

we can reach all of our campaign goals.” 

Campaign goals include $100 million 

for students; $75 million for faculty; $50 

million for science and technology; $30 

million for centers of excellence; $20 

million for campus life enrichment; and 

$25 million for annual support. With a 

total objective of $300 million, the campaign 

represents the largest-fund-raising 

effort in University history. 

The year in review 

The past year was marked by generous 

gifts for a proposed SLU arena (see pages 

6-9), including $1 million from former 

chairman of SLU’s board of trustees 

Michael F. Shanahan Sr. (B&A ’61) and 

his wife, Mary Ann, and from Trustee 

Thomas Brouster Sr. and his wife, Ruth. 

SLU alumnus Dr. Paul Pitlyk 

(A&S ’55, Med ’59), a California

neurosurgeon, gave two generous gifts 

of property valued at more than $2.7 

million. 

One of the highest academic 

priorities at Saint Louis 

University also received a significant 

shot in the arm. University 

President Lawrence Biondi, 

S.J., recently announced an 

unrestricted $3 million gift 

from an anonymous donor. 

Biondi has earmarked the gift 

for research facilities at the 

Health Sciences Center. The project 

is part of an $80 million investment 

in new and renovated research 

space and represents the largest single 

building project since the University’s 

founding in 1818. 

“We are making steady progress 

toward our overall goal of $300 million,” 

said alumnus Jack Pruellage (B&A ’62), 

who is co-chairing the campaign with 

August Busch IV (B&A ’87, Grad B&A 

’00). “In addition, substantial groundwork 

has been laid to ensure that key 

projects such as the research building and 

arena will soon become realities. It is 

truly amazing how much Saint Louis 

University has progressed. But as I’ve 

said from the beginning of this campaign, 

I believe the best is yet to come.” 

Other areas of the University benefiting 

from recent campaign gifts include 

the Geographic Information Systems 

Lab in the College of Public 

Service and Busch Student Center, 

which underwent extensive renovation 

and construction (see 

pages 12-15). A gift from Carl 

Zeiss Inc. helped to take the 

state-of-the-art laboratory at 

Saint Louis University’s Practical 

Anatomy Workshop to the next 

level. “Lab A” officially was 

renamed the Zeiss Learning Center 

in honor of the renowned optics 

maker’s donation of 26 new microscopes 

— a gift worth about $500,000. 

Scholarships for students, meanwhile, 

already have surpassed the campaign 

goal. Gifts in this area have come from a 

variety of sources, including corporations 

and a generous $1 million contribution 

from Edward and Stella Darrow 

that will benefit SLU undergraduates. 

Two gifts also recognized Paul 

Reinert, S.J., former chancellor emeritus 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

Source of Campaign Commitments 

Parents ............................ $667,002 

Alumni............................ $79,110,153 

Foundations .................... $29,171,353 

Firms/Corporations .......... $27,450,618 

Non-Alumni .................... $27,416,356 

Associations...................... $14,575,954 

Total Commitments by Campaign Objective 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

4 

5 

6 

6 

3 

1 

1 

Centers of Excellence ........ $3,370,206 

Faculty............................ $9,573,296 

Ongoing Annual Support .. $10,574,424 

Science and Technology...... $18,920,971 

Campus Life Enrichment .. $20,903,076 

Students .......................... $115,049,462 

2 

2 

As of June 30, 2003 

3 

4 

5 

As of June 30, 2003 

and president of SLU from 1949-1974. 

The first gift was used to establish an 

endowed chair in pediatric neurosurgery 

named for Reinert and his 

brother, James A Reinert, S.J., 

who served as chaplain at 

Cardinal Glennon Children’s 

Hospital and was the hospital’s 

first director of pastoral care. 

The second gift went toward 

four clinics in the College of 

Public Service, bringing them all 

under the umbrella of the Paul 

Reinert, S.J., Clinics for Family 

and Child Development. 

“I know I speak for many of the 

deans when I say that the campaign has 

really made a difference for the students, 

faculty and staff of Saint Louis 

University,” said Dr. James Gilsinan, 

dean of the College of Public Service. 

“It has provided the means to advance 

our efforts in teaching, research, service 

and health care.” 

Looking ahead 

Whelan indicated that although the first 

year of the campaign was a success, the 

University will continue to build upon 

the campaign’s early momentum. Goals 

for the second year of the campaign 

already have been developed and 

include increasing total philanthropic 

support to $35 million; securing 

commitments of $10 million for 

the research building; increasing 

the amount of commitments of 

$1 million or more; and conducting 

regional campaign 

events in cities around the 

country. 

“We look to continue 

working with members of the 

University community as we 

generate even greater momentum 

to sustain the evolution of 

our campus and the enhancement 

of Saint Louis University’s scholarship 

and academic programs,” 

Pruellage said. 

“There are so many reasons to get 

excited about what is happening at Saint 

Louis University,” Whelan said. “But 

the really exciting thing is that your support 

can take SLU even further.” 

To make a donation to the campaign 

or to explore giving opportunities, 

please call (314) 977-2849. � 

17

18 

By Clayton Berry

A SLU professor has become 

a noted Tolkien expert with 

personal connections to the author. 

obbits started out as characters 

in bedtime stories 

J.R.R. Tolkien told to 

his children. How they became literary 

icons is a legendary journey. Few people 

are better qualified to chart the course 

than Saint Louis University’s Dr. Tom 

Shippey. 

Since 1992, Shippey has held the 

Walter J. Ong, S.J., Chair of Humanities 

at SLU. He has studied Tolkien for more 

than 30 years and has written two successful 

books about him. The media, 

including USA Today, frequently seek 

Shippey’s opinions for news stories and 

features. He also appears on an extended 

DVD version of The Lord of the Rings: 

The Fellowship of the Ring. Shippey’s 

expertise is so renowned that the movies’ 

producers asked him to serve as a consultant 

for the films. His role? Recording 

the pronunciation of Tolkien’s characters 

and places for authenticity. 

The Journey Begins in a Hole 

Supposedly, Tolkien was grading papers 

one day and came across a blank sheet in 

a student’s answer book. For some inexplicable 

reason, he scribbled: “In a hole 

in the ground there lived a hobbit.” 

Shippey said the story is true. Basically. 

“But there is the saying that chance 

always favors the prepared mind,” 

Shippey said. “In a way, by that point, 

Tolkien had been working on what 

would become his mythology for almost 

20 years. You might say the ground was 

prepared for him.” 

During World War I, Tolkien began 

writing what became recognizable as The 

Silmarillion — the tragic 

history of Middle Earth 

published posthumously 

by his son. Years later, 

he wrote that little line 

about a hobbit in a 

hole. It compelled Tolkien to 

explore his imagination to learn more 

about these creatures and where they 

lived. He wove his discoveries into bedtime 

stories for his children. He also read 

portions of these tales to the Inklings, an 

informal club of authors who gathered at 

Oxford where Tolkien taught. Author 

and fellow Inkling C.S. Lewis convinced 

Tolkien to try to get the work into 

print. Publisher Sir Stanley Unwin was a 

bit resistant at first but let his 10-year-old 

son, Raynor, read it. The boy loved it so 

much that his father agreed to publish it. 

The Hobbit was a hit, and Unwin 

wanted to see more. Tolkien showed 

the publishing firm incomplete sections 

of The Silmarillion, but it was rejected. 

They wanted a sequel to The Hobbit, so 

Tolkien started writing The Lord of the 

Rings just before Christmas in 1937. It 

would be another 20 years before 

Tolkien would complete it. 

“As Tolkien wrote it, it all expanded 

and got out of hand, you might say,” 

Shippey said. “Sir Stanley thought it was 

too big, too long and too complicated 

— appendixes and maps — publishers 

don’t like that sort of thing.” 

Just when it seemed this literary classic 

wasn’t going to make the shelves, the 

publisher’s son, Raynor, stepped in again. 

After reading The Lord of the Rings, 

Raynor told his father that it was a work 

of 

genius. If that was 

true, Unwin conceded, then the 

firm could lose £1,000 on its publishing. 

Still believing the piece to be too long 

for one book, publishers divided the 

story into three parts, which came out in 

succession in late 1954 and 1955 as fairly 

pricey hardbacks. But their expense, size 

and sheer depth couldn’t keep the buying 

public at bay. Eventually, the trilogy 

would go on to sell millions of copies 

worldwide. In a poll by the online 

bookseller Amazon.com a few years 

back, readers crowned The Lord of the 

Rings the book of the millennium. 

Path to Pop Culture Phenom 

Despite the overwhelming commercial 

success of The Hobbit and The Lord of the 

Rings, Shippey said Tolkien could not 

have foreseen the next turn his trek 

would take. By the 1960s, people were 

sporting “Frodo Lives” T-shirts and 

slapping “Gandalf for President” bumper 

stickers on their cars. During this time, 

Tolkien’s books also became associated 

with hippie culture, which Shippey said 

probably came as a shock to the private 

and reserved author, who also was a 

snappy dresser. 

“The traditional long-haired youth in 

bellbottom jeans would be seen carrying 

19

20 

his copy of Tolkien,” Shippey said. 

“Which is funny because anybody less 

like a long-haired youth in bellbottom 

jeans than Tolkien is hard to imagine.” 

While it’s also hard to imagine 

Tolkien joining a crowd of rowdy protesters, 

Shippey said the author included 

certain political and ideological ideas in 

his work. The messages may have been 

buried in his fantastic tales, but they 

were there to be found nonetheless. 

Often Tolkien was ahead of his time on 

the issues he addressed. 

“I’m quite sure if Tolkien were alive 

today, he would vote for the Green 

Party,” Shippey said. “I think seeing 

Tolkien as a proto-green is quite correct. 

That’s what he was. He was an 

environmentalist. He had a love for 

nature. You can see that in the books. 

“In some ways, Tolkien was a protest 

writer. He was protesting against industrialization 

and, in particular, industrialized 

warfare. He had been in war — 

machine guns, aircraft, flame throwers, 

poison gas — I’m sure he had personal 

experience with all that.” 

Shippey said the continuing cultural 

influence of The Hobbit and The Lord of 

the Rings would have surprised Tolkien, 

who originally was afraid that his work 

would never get published and would 

end up as piles of paper on 

a dusty shelf somewhere. 

“That was Tolkien’s 

lurking fear, and that was 

what the betting looked 

like,” Shippey said. “I 

think he was very pleased 

to get it into print in the 

end and surprised and 

pleased that it was successful 

financially. He lived 

long enough to see the 

takeoff, but he didn’t live 

long enough to see the 

continuing acceleration, 

which nobody in the world 

could have predicted.” 

Which leads to an obvious 

question: If Tolkien 

were alive, what would he 

think of his books making 

such a strong resurgence in 

popularity? 

“I think he would laugh 

and possibly say something 

a bit cruel like, ‘He who 

laughs last laughs longest,’” 

Shippey said. “All of his life 

people had been telling him 

he was flogging a dead 

horse. Actually it wasn’t a 

dead horse. It was a derby 

winner. I think he would 

have enjoyed that immensely. 

“And I think he would 

have been at some pains to 

rub it into all the people 

who had been snooty to 

him. Since he’s not here, I 

do my best to rub it in for 

him.” 

Personal Connections 

What drove Shippey to 

devote so much of his professional 

life to the exploration 

of Tolkien’s work 

and fueled his efforts to “rub 

it in?” Shippey’s quest to 

understand and communicate 

Tolkien’s literary legacy 

can be traced to Shippey’s 

childhood. In the first of 

many personal connections, 

Shippey attended King 

Edwards School in 

Birmingham, a grammar 

school where Tolkien studied 

five decades before. 

Shippey was 13 — maybe 

14 — when a King Edwards 

Shippey 

classmate loaned him a book he thought 

he would like. It was The Hobbit. 

“I was very pleased and quite 

impressed,” Shippey said, pointing out 

that he returned the book to his childhood 

chum. As for The Lord of the Rings, 

it would be several more years before 

Shippey would have a chance to read it, 

and even longer before it would make a 

life-changing impression on him. 

Shippey couldn’t afford his own copy of 

The Lord of the Rings because it was too 

expensive. He went to the local library, 

and someone had “absconded” with the 

first volume. He didn’t want to start out 

of order, so he didn’t start reading the 

trilogy until he was 16. He won a 

school prize that allowed him to spend 

21 shillings, big money in those days. 

With his earnings, he bought the first in 

The Lord of the Rings set. 

“I can remember reading it all the 

way through, but I can’t remember a 

response to it. I probably thought, ‘Well 

that’s very difficult, and I’m going to put 

it to one side until I can think this out.’” 

Shippey did not return to the text 

until 1970 when he was a junior lecturer 

at Birmingham University. Invited to

speak about Tolkien and philosophy at 

an “Open Day,” he prepared a paper 

after learning that Tolkien would return 

to his hometown for the event. 

Unfortunately, Tolkien took ill, but his 

secretary attended and borrowed a copy 

of Shippey’s paper to give to her boss. 

Tolkien read it and replied to Shippey 

with a long letter. 

The quest was well under way. 

On the Same Map 

The pair finally met two years later when 

Shippey received a fellowship at Oxford 

University, where Tolkien had once 

served. For seven years, Shippey taught 

one of Tolkien’s favorite subjects, “Old 

English,” at Oxford’s St. John’s College. 

Shippey then inherited Tolkien’s chair 

and syllabus at Leeds University. He sat 

in the very same office that Tolkien had 

used some 50 years earlier. Staring back 

at Shippey every day were portraits of 

the six previous holders of the chair, 

including Tolkien. Shippey’s would be 

the seventh on the wall. (Shippey 

observed that, as a young man, Tolkien 

had “really bad front teeth.” Shippey 

himself didn’t have any, having lost 

them all to rugby.) 

“I felt I kind of owed it him to do 

this,” Shippey said of his professional 

mission. “After Tolkien died (in 1973), I 

felt he needed someone to speak up for 

him, not so much as a defender but as a 

sort of explicator. I took over that role, 

and it became stronger because the personal 

connections became stronger.” 

As he dealt with the daily duties of 

being a university chair, a position he 

held for 14 years, Shippey gathered 

greater understanding of the external 

factors that influenced Tolkien. 

“Most people spend most of their 

time thinking about their job, and 

Tolkien was no exception,” Shippey 

said. “Basically I was doing his job. I had 

exactly the same problems, pressures and 

requirements. I felt I didn’t have to 

work hard to understand that. I found 

out about it every day.” 

Shippey believes this string of personal 

connections, which also includes playing 

on the same rugby team (though much 

later), gives him special insight that few 

others can hope to possess. Tolkien was 

fascinated with place names. He 

couldn’t walk past a signpost without 

trying to figure out what the name 

meant, where it came from, what its history 

was. 

The wizard Gandalf. 

The hobbit ring-bearer Frodo 

Baggins. 

The brave warrior Aragorn, a.k.a. 

Strider. 

None of these popular characters 

from The Lord of the Rings trilogy is 

Dr. Tom Shippey’s favorite. 

Ask him to name his favorite character, 

and his eyes light up. His answer 

might surprise some and could be a bit 

worrisome if he were your boss. 

“Definitely, no question. It is 

Uglúk, the head of the orcs, who kidnap 

Merry and Pippin (Bilbo’s hobbit 

friends),” Shippey said with a touch of Uglúk, as pictured in the films. 

glee. 

Uglúk took command of a troop of scouts dispatched to capture the hobbits 

and return with them to the evil wizard Saruman. In the second film of 

The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the chief resolves the shortage of food with his 

own version of Uruk diplomacy. 

“After many years as head of a department, I just love the way when he 

gets an argument from the troops, he jumps forward and cuts two of their 

heads off,” Shippey laughed. “Uglúk. There is an orc with a strong sense of 

discipline. How often I wished I could do the same.” 

Shippey’s probably joking, though you might have your doubts when he 

speaks of these baddies with such reverence. In fact, it was the frightening 

film version of the orcs that most bothered Shippey. 

“I wouldn’t mind commanding a platoon of orcs,” Shippey said. “You 

have to be a bit tough on the discipline, but I think I could handle that. 

One of the things that I rather liked about the orcs, that made me think I 

would get along with them, is that they have a strong sense of humor. 

They’re just jokers and kidders. It’s all very rough of course. They never 

stop pulling people’s legs, you might say, until they come off.” 

“It so happens that I always lived 

within a few hundred yards of where he 

used to live, so I walked down the same 

streets,” Shippey said. “Tolkien clearly 

was a person who liked maps and put 

things on maps. If you weren’t living on 

the same map as him, then you didn’t 

always know what he was going on 

about.” 

The Road to Movie Magic 

Shippey may have been on Tolkien’s 

map, but thanks to the blockbuster 

movies, more people are gaining a 

glimpse into Tolkien’s world. The first 

two The Lord of the Rings films have broken 

box office records, and when the 

Playing Favorites 

final installment in the trilogy, The 

Return of the King, opens Dec. 17, it’s 

expected to be a cinematic smash as well. 

These critically acclaimed films 

weren’t the first attempts to bring 

Tolkien’s characters to the big screen. 

Having already sold the film rights to his 

work, Tolkien reviewed a script for a 

live-action film that never was produced. 

His notes on the screenplay survive 

to this day. 

“Any change at all in the progression 

of the story would have upset Tolkien,” 

Shippey said. “He said he didn’t mind 

people cutting things out, but what he 

disliked very much was when they tried 

to compress them.” 

21

22 

Shippey said, for example, Tolkien 

wouldn’t have grumbled about the deletion 

of Tom Bombadil from the first 

movie. While the enigmatic character is 

popular among many of the books’ 

devoted fans, Shippey said his role 

doesn’t necessarily drive the story along, 

a vital component of filmmaking. While 

Tolkien may have been concerned by 

the movies’ concentration on action, 

Shippey said he likely 

would have appreciated 

the films. 

“I think Tolkien 

would have been very 

pleased with the landscape 

shots, which are 

excellent and just the 

kind of thing he liked 

himself,” Shippey said. 

“He would have been 

pleased with the care 

taken to details. I was 

the coach on name pronunciation, 

and they 

didn’t get anything 

wrong. It was dead right 

all the way through.” 

Despite this attention 

to detail, Shippey admits 

it has been difficult to enjoy the movies 

as the pure entertainment they’re meant 

to provide. 

“The first time I watch them, I’m sort 

of jumpy trying to figure how they’re 

going to cope with the next problem I can 

see coming up,” he said. “That’s not a fair 

way to look at them. I’m going to watch 

the movies again and not try to pick them 

apart and just go with the flow.” 

As for the Tolkien fanatics he’s met 

while speaking to various groups, 

Shippey is not too concerned when they 

tell him they read the books repeatedly. 

It also doesn’t bother him when it seems 

that these hardcore fans breathe and eat 

all things Frodo and Middle Earth. 

“There is no doubt 

that Tolkien has 

left an enormous 

footprint on 

literary culture.” 

“I don’t think it does them any harm. 

If it makes them happy, it’s OK by me,” 

he said. “Literacy is under threat these 

days. If somebody’s prepared to read a 

work that is 1,200 pages long and read it 

over and over again, I think: good!” 

An Infinite 

Voyage 

After so many 

decades of study, 

Tolkien’s work continues 

to inspire 

Shippey. He estimates 

that he’s read 

The Lord of the Rings 

about a dozen times. 

Like a biologist who 

returns to the same 

area of rain forest to 

document new flora 

and fauna, Shippey unearths something 

unexpected with each new read. There 

might be a strange word he didn’t see 

before or a key date that 

he missed. 

“Tolkien was a very 

learned man, and he built 

in all kinds of angles, 

tricks and allusions, 

which he never bothered 

to explain. I never read it 

without seeing some 

more of these. They’re 

often extremely thought 

provoking.” 

Many of his findings 

and personal connections 

appear in Shippey’s first 

book on Tolkien, the 

critically 

acclaimed 

The Road 

to Middle 

Earth. Just released in its 

third edition and for the 

first time in paperback, 

the book traces Tolkien 

and his work from a historical 

perspective. 

Following its publishing, 

Shippey began thinking 

of Tolkien’s place in 20th 

century literature. 

Tolkien didn’t seem to 

fit in at first. That changed, however, as 

Shippey dug deeper. Soon he realized 

that no author seemed to capture the 

20th century better than Tolkien, leading 

to Shippey’s 2001 book, the highly 

praised J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the 

Century. It’s a pretty bold statement to 

be sure. 

“The 20th century had all been about 

politics, warfare and evil. The writers 

who wrote about this were writers of 

fantasy,” Shippey said. “This is a powerful 

tradition. The reason it has popular 

appeal is because it’s serious and this is 

what people worry about. 

“Tolkien on his own generated the 

genre of heroic fantasy, which is one of 

the most prolific and popular genres in 

the world now, and I don’t see people 

stopping that writing.” 

Despite all of his insights into the man 

and mythology, Shippey said he cannot 

forecast the future for Tolkien’s works. 

“You can’t tell about books, can you? 

Sometimes they’re immensely popular, 

and then they fade away, so that many of 

the bestsellers of the past are now completely 

forgotten. But I think that once a 

work reaches a certain level, it never will 

fade away. It will remain part of the 

inherited knowledge of the society. 

There is no doubt that Tolkien has left an 

enormous footprint on literary culture.” 

Making his mark is what Shippey is 

trying to do in his own way. Although 

he’s best known as a Tolkien scholar, 

Shippey is a prominent researcher in 

many areas. As a philologist — an interpreter 

of language — his central interest 

is the traditional literature of England 

and Scandinavia. Shippey said that holding 

an endowed chair affords him the 

opportunity to conduct insightful 

research, whether it’s examining 

Tolkien or pursuing his next project: 

bringing linguistics and archeology 

together to explore England’s origins. 

“The duty of a chair of a subject like 

mine is to advance the field,” Shippey 

said. “While I can’t leave a footprint like 

Tolkien, I hope to make some kind of 

imprint.” �

Future Billiken in the family? 

Consider prepaid tuition. 

College Savings Plan 

For many families, saving for a college 

education isn’t easy, especially when 

there are so many other expenses that 

seem more urgent. But there is a new 

way to prepay tuition at Saint Louis 

University or other private colleges and 

universities, thereby avoiding the “sticker 

shock” years from now. 

To make a college education more 

affordable for parents and their collegebound 

students, Saint Louis University is 

participating in the new Independent 529 

Plan. The plan allows families to prepay 

for future tuition at a discount on today’s 

costs. Offered by the Tuition Plan 

Consortium, a group of more than 200 

of the nation’s private colleges and universities, 

the plan is being hailed as a first 

for higher education. 

A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged way to 

save for college. The number “529” 

refers to the section number in the IRS 

regulations that describes such plans. This 

unique initiative is the first 529 plan 

sponsored by the private colleges themselves. 

Like its better-known, state-sponsored 

cousins, the Independent 529 Plan 

gives families the chance to put away 

money for future college expenses. But 

where state savings plans invest the funds 

and hope that they grow enough over 

time to pay for college, funds invested in 

the Independent 529 Plan buy prepaid 

tuition certificates to be used at one of 

the private universities in the consortium. 

The Independent 529 Plan has no investment 

risk or management fees for the 

contributing family member. 

“I believe that the Independent 529 

Plan provides a no-risk opportunity for 

parents,” said Dr. Ned Harris, SLU’s 

associate provost for enrollment and academic 

services. “The plan is tax-advantaged, 

certificates are portable among 

member institutions, today’s tuition is 

discounted when certificates are purchased 

for future (higher) tuition, and the 

certificates are transferable to other family 

members. The certificates may even be 

redeemed for use at non-member 

universities without being taxed.” 

The plan enables any adult U.S. 

citizen to purchase a certificate for 

part or all of tuition that can be used at 

SLU or any participating university. 

The investor will pay today’s tuition 

cost, less a discount that reduces the 

cost even more. Then, years later, the 

investor redeems the certificate for the 

guaranteed amount of tuition — no matter 

how much a participating college’s 

tuition has increased at the time the student 

begins classes. 

“Think of it as buying a gift certificate 

for use at any of the stores at a mall,” said 

Doug Brown, president and CEO of the 

Tuition Plan Consortium. “Students 

don’t choose their college at purchase, 

but after they have applied and are 

accepted in the regular manner.” 

Here is an example of how the plan 

works: Tuition at SLU this academic year 

is $22,050. But because the University 

offers a discount for Independent 529 

Plan purchasers, a certificate for a year’s 

tuition for a child who would enroll five 

years from now can be purchased 

through the plan for $19,428. This certificate 

then can be redeemed in five 

years for a full year of tuition at SLU, 

regardless of how much tuition has 

increased by that time. 

Each certificate must be held at least 36 

months before being redeemed for educational 

services. The purchase of a 

tuition certificate does not guarantee 

admission or enrollment at a participating 

institution, and it may have an effect on 

the beneficiary’s eligibility for financial 

aid. The certificate will vary in how 

much tuition it buys, depending on the 

college or university the child attends. 

Parents can get started with contributions 

of as little as $25 a month. 

“Saving for a college education is 

something every parent knows he or she 

should do, but is often difficult when you 

have small children and many expenses,” 

said Kathy Hagedorn (A&S ’73, Grad 

’75), SLU’s vice president for human 

resources. “This plan offers an opportunity 

to save in relatively small increments, 

purchase tuition at a discount and realize 

some tax advantages. The flexibilities of 

the plan ensure that the money can be 

used by someone in the family, with a 

great variety of choices. When grandparents 

ask what they can give a child for 

special occasions, this is a great choice.” 

Because the amount of tuition purchased 

is guaranteed, the investment risk 

is on the universities and not the 

investors. 

“You save today, you save in the 

future, and the tuition you purchase 

becomes inflation proof,” said Trinity 

University’s Craig McCoy, president of 

the consortium. “We’re stopping the 

clock on private college tuition, which 

means more students will have a chance 

at a first-class education starting today.” 

Investment management for the plan is 

handled by TIAA-CREF, the financial 

services giant specializing in money management 

for the education market. 

TIAA-CREF, through its subsidiaries, is 

already a major player in the college savings 

market, administering 12 state-sponsored 

529 plans. 

To receive more information about the 

Independent 529 Plan or for a complete 

list of participating colleges and universities, 

visit the Independent 529 Plan Web 

site at www.independent529plan.org, or 

call toll-free 1-888-718-7878. 

— Jeff Fowler 

23

24 

1933 

Abraham Rush (Law) 

works in his son’s law office. 

He lives in St. Louis and has 

two “perfect” grandsons. 

1936 

O. Ruffin Crow Jr. (B&A) 

is a retired vice president of 

McDonnell Douglas. He 

lives in Kirkwood, Mo., and 

works out at the YMCA 

two to three times a week. 

1940 

Robert Bisbee (Parks) 

spent 48 years with 

American Airlines and now 

has several relatives in the 

aviation industry. He lives in 

Williamsburg, Va. … 

Gilbert Hines (Parks ’40, 

Grad ’44) has retired from 

farming and lives in Gorin, 

Mo. … Dr. Edwin Parker 

(Med) has written the book 

Life is a Gift: Sixty Years of 

Medical Practice, published by 

Lost Coast Press. He lives in 

Huntington Beach, Calif. 

1941 

Pauline Grady, A.S.C., 

(A&S ’41, Grad ’43) has 

retired after 69 years of 

teaching, writing and serving 

as a federal prison chaplain. 

She lives in Red Bud, 

Ill. … Dr. William 

Higgins (A&S) and his 

wife, Marian, live near 

Dayton, Ohio, where they 

are six blocks from their son 

and three grandchildren. 

William is involved with 

parish apologetics work and 

with “Catholic Answers.” 

1942 

Albert Trager (Parks) 

retired in 1983, moved to 

Boise, Idaho, in 1984, and 

has enjoyed it there ever 

since. 

1943 

Dr. Raymond Kahn 

(Med) works in a family 

practice residency program 

and determines Medicaid 

disability for the Ohio 

Department of Job and 

Family Services. 

1946 

Mary Jane Coffey (A&S) 

lives in St. Louis and is 

proud of her children and 

their families. 

1949 

Kathleen Donnelly (Nurs) 

is a retired nurse and lives at 

the Brentmoor Oak Tree 

Village in St. Peters, Mo. … 

Donald Hoehle (B&A) is a 

retired assistant dean of the 

University of Missouri 

College of Business. He lives 

in Columbia, Mo., and 

enjoys traveling and spending 

time with his three children, 

10 grandchildren and 

three great grandchildren. 

1951 

Earle Kennedy (B&A) is 

retired in St. Louis, travels 

around the world and paints 

in his free time. … Allison 

Lindahl (A&S) is a retired 

guidance counselor. She 

starts track meets in northeast 

Indiana and enjoys planting 

trees, fishing and gardening. 

… Joseph Nacy (Law) is an 

administrative law judge 

with the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission in 

Washington, D.C. … Jim 

Sunderland, S.J., (A&S’51, 

Grad ’52, ’54, ’60) received 

the National Convocation of 

Jail and Prison Ministry’s 

annual Mike McGough 

Award for his nearly 15 years 

as a jail chaplain in Colorado. 

1952 

George Donaldson (Parks) 

continues to investigate 

TWA flight 800. He lives in 

Orange, Calif. 

1955 

Joan (Fencl) Bowski (IT) 

retired from Hughes Aircraft 

Company in 1995. She lives 

in Mission Viejo, Calif. … 

Ann (Marshall) Conroy 

(A&S) won SLU’s 2002 Arts 

and Sciences Alumni Merit 

Award. She is still in child 

support enforcement with 

the Lake County, Ill., state 

attorney’s office. … Dr. 

Raymond Strekal (Dent) is 

retired from dentistry and 

lives in Athens, Ohio. He has 

seven children. … John 

Whalley (Med) has been 

retired from his OB/GYN 

practice for 10 years. He lives 

in Long Beach, Calif. … 

Clarence Zacher (A&S ’55, 

Grad ’69) this year marks 

authorship of more than 50 

atmospheric science papers, 

articles and photographic 

documentaries chiefly on his 

specialty, lightning and its 

thunderstorm electrical environment. 

He is a fellow of 

the Missouri Academy of 

Science and co-founder of its 

atmospheric science section. 

1956 

Richard Jasinski (Parks) is 

retired from IBM and 

Lockheed Martin and lives 

in Potomac, Md. He enjoys 

golf, traveling, church activities 

and spending time with 

his grandchildren. … John 

Kobler, C.P., (Grad) is a 

research theologian studying 

the Second Vatican Council 

and has been listed in Who’s 

Who in recognition of his 

achievements. He lives in 

Chicago. … Dr. Clyde 

Pax (Grad) has retired from 

teaching at the College of 

Holy Cross in Worcester, 

Mass. 

1957 

Dr. Carroll Howard (A&S 

’57, Med ’61) is still in a 

full-time pediatrics practice 

in Owensboro, Ky. … 

Father Bill Lyons (Grad) is 

a spiritual director at the 

North American College in 

Rome. … Garry Wills 

(P&L), author and adjunct 

professor of history at 

Northwestern University, 

was elected a member of the 

American Philosophical 

Society. 

7 

1958 

Carol Colwell (A&S) is 

retired in Atlanta and plays 

golf a few times a week. For 

20 years, she has been a volunteer 

fund-raiser for the 

Hunger Project and a county 

court-appointed volunteer 

advocate for abused and 

neglected children. 

1959 

Rosemarie Hennes (Soc 

Ser) is retired after 40 years 

of clinical social work practice 

in Palm Springs, Calif. 

… Henry Hunter (Parks) is 

a consultant to Boeing on 

C-17 airdrop and transport 

enhancements. He lives in 

Lancaster, Calif. … Don 

Klier (A&S) is retired and 

living in St. Louis. He is 

active in church activities. 

… Joe Nawrocki (A&S) is 

an international business 

consultant based in Phoenix. 

He travels frequently to 

Europe where he lectures at 

universities in Latvia, 

Lithuania, Russia, Bulgaria, 

Turkey and Poland. He is an 

avid fly-fisherman. 

1960 

Dr. Stephen Krawczyk 

(Dent) spends his winters in 

Florida and his summers in 

Connecticut. … Thomas 

Stumpf (A&S) is an associate 

professor of English at 

the University of North 

Carolina at Chapel Hill, 

where he received an award 

for excellence in undergraduate 

teaching. 

1961 Patricia Ballew (Soc Ser) is 

retired in Niangua, Mo., and 

enjoys sailing, fishing, traveling, 

antiques and being a 

grandma. She volunteers 

whenever possible. 

1962 Barbara Adamczak (Nurs) 

taught OB nursing for 20 

years at St. Vincent School 

of Nursing in Toledo, Ohio, 

and now teaches part time at 

the University of Toledo. 

She and her husband, 

Duane, have two daughters 

and three grandchildren and 

enjoy traveling and spending 

time with the family. … 

Barbara Nauer (Grad) has 

returned to St. Louis and 

opened “Words ’n Pics,” an 

advertising agency focused 

on the needs of individuals 

and small/medium-sized 

businesses. … Dr. Grady 

Smith (Grad) is an adjunct 

professor at George Mason 

University in Fairfax, Va., 

where he teaches Greek and 

Roman comedy. His book, 

Travel Abroad: Frulovisi’s 

“Peregrinato,” Translated and 

with an Introduction, was 

recently published. He and 

his wife of 36 years, Kathleen, 

live in Arlington, Va. 

1964 

James Aldrich (IT) lives in 

Garden Grove, Calif., and is 

a business development manager 

with space and airborne 

systems at Raytheon. He and 

his wife, Carolyn, have four 

children and three grandchildren. 

… Carol Burkholder 

(A&S) is a part-time teacher 

and volunteer for the English 

Language School in 

University City, Mo. 

1965 Brian Cooney (A&S) is a 

professor of philosophy at 

Centre College in Danville, 

Ky. … Dr. Sharon 

(Mayer) Libera (A&S) is 

director of public affairs at 

Berkshire Hills Music 

Academy in South Hadley, 

Mass. In 2001, she helped 

establish the school, which 

serves young adults with 

musical abilities who have 

learning, intellectual or 

developmental disabilities. 

… Dr. Rick Wade (Parks) 

has retired as a lieutenant 

colonel after 22 years of 

active duty in the U.S. Air 

Force. He is a staff anesthetist 

at the Lake Regional 

Hospital in Osage Beach, 

Mo., where he lives with his 

family. … Joan Wickman 

(Nurs) retired from St. 

Anthony’s Hospital in St. 

Louis after 27 years in the 

orthopedic department. 

1966 

Kathy Beckman (A&S) 

completed a year of national 

community service as an 

Americorps VISTA volunteer 

in a low-income neighborhood 

in Miami. She 

established a PC tech program 

in which high school 

students refurbish computers 

to learn skills and get computers 

into neighborhood 

homes, community organizations 

and senior centers. 

… Marilyn Berger (Grad) 

lives in Santa Monica, Calif., 

and is the mother of two 

sons. She is a student of 

Judaica. … Ann Goerdt 

(AHP) is the coordinator for 

the doctor of physical therapy 

program for practicing 

physical therapists at New 

York University. … Gary 

Kirwin (A&S) is retired 

from the federal government 

and is an assistant district 

manager for H&R Block in 

St. Louis. … Bernard 

Sander (IT) is an assistant 

professor in the department 

of physical therapy and 

human movement sciences 

at Northwestern University 

in Chicago. 

1967 

Janet (Ingram) Brandmill 

(AHP) lives in Quincy, Ill., 

and is a semi-retired physical 

therapist, wife and new 

grandmother. She recently 

visited her former roommate, 

Sandy (McKenna) 

Seibel (AHP), in Florida. … 

Rosemary Buhr (A&S) has 

retired after 20 years as the 

director of the Learning 

Resources Center at Logan 

College of Chiropractic in 

Chesterfield, Mo. … 

Thomas Klimas (Parks) is a 

maintenance planner at San 

Antonio Aerospace. He is a 

retired U.S. Air Force 

colonel. … Alan Steinberg 

(Law), of Steinberg & 

Steinberg, joined Eagle 

Bank’s board of directors. 

He and his wife, Joyce, live 

in Creve Coeur, Mo., where 

they are involved in community 

activities.

1968 

Lester Berkheiser (Parks) 

is the chief inspector for 

Wing Aviation in Conroe, 

Texas. He retired from 

Garrett Aviation in Houston 

in 2002. … Helene 

Ballmann Dudley (A&S) 

was elected as the southeast 

regional representative to the 

National Peace Corps 

Association board of directors. 

She served as a Peace 

Corps volunteer in 

Colombia and Slovakia and 

is the grants coordinator at 

the port of Miami. She 

chairs “The Colombia 

Project,” a Web-based 

micro-enterprise development 

project to aid displaced 

families in Colombia. The 

project received the 2003 

National Peace Corps 

Association’s Loret Miller 

Ruppe Award for 

Outstanding Community 

Service. … Richard 

Kieckhefer (A&S) has written 

the book Theology in 

Stone: Church Architecture from 

Byzantium to Berkeley, which 

offers new ideas about the 

meanings and uses of church 

architecture. He is a professor 

at Northwestern 

University in Chicago. … 

Robert Ritter (Law), 

chairman and president of 

the law firm Gray, Ritter, & 

Graham, is the 2003 recipient 

of the Award of Honor 

from the Lawyers 

Association of St. Louis. … 

William Stiritz (Grad), 

former chairman, president 

and chief executive officer of 

Ralston Purina Co., 

received an honorary doctor 

of humanities from 

Washington University in 

St. Louis in May. … 

Christine Stoughton 

(A&S) is an exhibiting artist 

and art teacher in the 

Philadelphia area. … Ruth 

Wilber (Soc Ser) lives in 

Cadillac, Mich., and is a 

managing broker at Century 

21 Progressive. She is learning 

to play the fiddle. 

1969 

Joe Helmsing (A&S ’69, 

Grad B&A ’73) has turned 

his small tractor repair firm, 

Craftsmen Industries, into 

one of the St. Charles, Mo., 

area’s top businesses. … 

Margaret Wyatt (A&S) is a 

middle school counselor in a 

suburb of Houston. 

1970 

Jacob Reby (Law) is the 

chairman of the real estate 

group at Lewis, Rice & 

Fingersh in St. Louis and has 

been elected to the American 

College of Real Estate 

Lawyers. … Dr. Ronald 

Ruecker (Med) was reelected 

chairman of the board 

of trustees of the Illinois State 

Medical Society. 

1971 

Sonja Hughes (Grad) is a 

retired administrator from 

the St. Louis Board of 

Education. She is active in 

the Resurrection Lutheran 

Church. … Mary-Lou 

(Hagan) Montagna (A&S) 

was recognized as the 

Massachusetts Outstanding 

High School Art Teacher 

2003. She teaches fine arts at 

Notre Dame Academy in 

Hingham, Mass., and teaches 

metal-smithing part time at 

Bridgewater State College. 

She lives in Plymouth, 

Mass., where she has a studio 

and designs jewelry. … 

Dr. Amanda Murphy 

(Grad ’71, ’74), president 

and CEO of Hopewell 

Center in St. Louis, received 

the 2003 Salute to 

Excellence in Health Care 

Lifetime Achiever Award. 

1972 

Donald Casey (Grad) has 

retired from AT&T and is 

an associate professor in the 

philosophy and religious 

studies departments of 

Felician College in Lodi, 

N.J. … Gracie Fowler (Soc 

Ser) has retired and lives in 

St. Louis. … Barbara 

Thompson (A&S) has been 

chosen as one of 22 fellows 

for Zero to Three’s “Leaders 

for the 21st Century” program. 

She is a senior program 

analyst in the office of 

the Deputy Under Secretary 

of Defense and lives in 

Manassas, Va. 

1973 

Paul Donnelly (Grad 

B&A) is part of a three-generation 

SLU family. His 

daughter, Jeanne Donnelly 

(AHP ’76, Grad B&A ’82), 

is a professor in health information 

management at SLU. 

His granddaughter, Erin 

Sweeney (AHP ’03), graduated 

from SLU in May. 

1974 

Doreen Dodson (Law) is a 

partner at the Stolar 

Partnership in St. Louis. She 

is the 8th Circuit representative 

to the American Bar 

Association’s Federal 

Judiciary Committee. … 

Pamela (Conley) Franta 

(A&S), a licensed psychologist 

and business consultant, 

has opened her own busi- 

ness, Pamela Franta 

Consulting. She also is an 

associate of Behavioral 

Health Concepts Inc. in 

Columbia, Mo. Her husband, 

David Franta (A&S), 

is executive director of the 

Columbia-area United Way. 

… Cheryl Hanna- 

Truscott (Nurs) lives in Gig 

Harbor, Wash. She is beginning 

work in the state’s corrections 

center for women. 

… Michael Jamilkowski 

(A&S) retired from a 33-year 

career with the U.S. Air 

Force as a colonel at the 

Pentagon. He now works 

for the Raytheon Corp. and 

lives in Silver Spring, Md., 

with his wife, Susan Ducey 

(A&S ’75). 

1975 

Debra Arnold (AHP) is the 

administrator of Headache 

Core Center, a multidisciplinary 

facility involved in 

patient care, research and 

professional education. She 

lives in Springfield, Mo. … 

Scott Brinkmeyer (Law) is 

the 69th president of the 

State Bar of Michigan 

through September 2004. 

He is a member of the firm 

Mika Meyers Beckett and 

Jones in Grand Rapids, 

Mich. … John Cullen 

(A&S) lives in Washington, 

D.C., with his wife, 

Yvonne, and three children, 

Anne, Renny and Rory. He 

recently joined the staff of 

the Committee on 

Commerce, Science and 

Transportation of the U.S. 

Senate as a specialist on U.S. 

space policy. … Margaret 

Donnelly (Soc Ser ’75, ’77, 

Law ’88) completed her first 

session as a Missouri State 

Representative for District 

73 in St. Louis County. … 

Dean Kappel (Soc Ser) has 

been elected treasurer of the 

United Networks for Organ 

Sharing board of directors. 

He is the president and chief 

executive officer of Mid- 

America Transplant Services 

in St. Louis. … Dennis 

Kavanaugh (A&S) was 

appointed by Gov. Janet 

Napolitano to serve as chairman 

of the Arizona 

Commission on the Arts. He 

is the vice mayor of Mesa, 

Ariz. … Dr. Ira Michael 

Rutkow (Med), a professor 

of surgery at the University 

of Medicine and Dentistry of 

New Jersey, has been elected 

to The Johns Hopkins 

University Society of 

Scholars. 

1976 

Father Robert Evans 

(A&S) was ordained a priest 

of the Archdiocese of St. 

Louis on May 24 at the 

Cathedral Basilica of St. 

Louis. … Valerie 

Gudgeon (Pub Ser ’76, 

Grad ’77) is the director of 

special services for the 

Evanston/Skokie (Ill.) 

School District. … Michael 

Hanagan (Law) earned an 

advanced law degree from 

the University of Missouri- 

Columbia. … Chris 

Kelleher (A&S ’76, Grad 

B&A, Law ’80) was named 

the 2003 Small Business 

Lawyer of the Year by the 

U.S. Small Business 

Administration-St. Louis 

District. … James Kubicki, 

S.J., (A&S ’76, Grad ‘77) is 

the national director of the 

Apostleship of Prayer in 

Milwaukee. … Dr. 

Tommie Lee Ragland 

(Grad) is retired and lives in 

Oak Park, Ill. 

1977 

Dr. Mike Bardwil (A&S) 

is a vascular surgeon in a private 

practice in Houston. … 

Dr. Ana “Anita” Sierra- 

Jönsson (A&S) is a child 

and family psychologist and 

directs a unit at a child study 

and treatment center in 

Tacoma, Wash. She is married 

to Lynn Jönsson. 

1978 

Jerry M. Bazzetta (Grad 

B&A), a physical scientist, 

has joined Clean Earth 

Technologies in St. Louis as 

director of government marketing 

and sales. … 

Timothy Johnson (A&S) 

received a Fulbright 

research/teaching scholarship 

for the summer of 2004 

in Dresden, Germany. He is 

an associate professor of religion 

and chairman of the 

liberal studies department at 

Flagler College in St. 

Augustine, Fla. … Dr. Dan 

Lattanzi (Med) has worked 

in Haiti intermittently for 

seven years. He runs a health 

clinic that cares for 25,000 

people in the La Croix 

region. … David 

Smorodin (A&S ’78, Law 

’81) practices law in 

Washington, D.C., as the 

chief litigation counsel of 

WorldCom Inc. 

1979 

Dr. Richard Blackwell 

(A&S) received a 2002 

Technical Excellence Award 

from BAE Systems for his 

work on developing an industry-leading 

microbolometer 

design, a device used in 

defense, security and firefighting 

infrared imaging applications. 

He lives in Andover, 

25 

Mass. … Mary (Crannell) 

Craven (A&S) is busy getting 

her two teen-agers ready for 

college. She lives in Telford, 

Pa. … Pamela Simpson 

(Nurs), of Belleville, Ill., has 

been selected as one of the 

2004 Top Ten Business 

Women of the American 

Business Women’s 

Association. She is an assistant 

professor at the Jewish 

Hospital College of Nursing 

and Allied Health in St. 

Louis. … Dr. Mark Terry 

(Med) has developed a new 

technique for corneal transplantation. 

He lectures internationally 

and teaches this 

surgery worldwide. He works 

in Portland, Ore. 

1980 Joseph Eckelkamp (B&A 

’80, Grad B&A ’93) has 

been nominated for the SBA 

Accountant Advocate for 

Small Business Award for 

the third straight year. He 

owns his own CPA and 

business advisory firm in St. 

Louis. … Anne Fitzpatrick 

(B&A) is a manager of business 

and sales operations, ebusiness 

hosting and utility 

services for IBM Global 

Services. She lives in 

Wilton, Conn. … Joseph 

Gottlieb (Law) is a partner 

with Hassett, Cohen, 

Goldstein, Port, & Gottlieb 

in Atlanta. … Dr. Cathy 

Luh (Med) is co-author of 

Guilty Pleasures: Indulgences, 

Addictions, and Obsessions. 

She lives in Creve Coeur, 

Mo., and works at 

BlueCross/BlueShield of 

Missouri. … Nicholas 

Rocca (Soc Ser) is the clinic 

director at Northeast Valley 

Health Center in Los 

Angeles County’s San 

Fernando Valley. … 

Salvatore Ruffino (A&S) is 

a vice president at Clayco 

Construction Co. in Fenton, 

Mo., heading the company’s 

concrete group and spearheading 

the expansion of the 

firm’s self-performed concrete 

work. 

1981 Thomas Adang (Grad) 

works for the aerospace corporation 

supporting the 

National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration. 

He lives in Burke, Va. … 

Daniel Mollerus (B&A) has 

been named senior vice president, 

assistant to the president 

at Famous-Barr in St. Louis. 

He and his wife, Kathleen 

(Gassett) Mollerus (A&S), 

have three children. … 

Isabel Ososki (Grad Nurs) 

earned an MBA from 

Millikin University in May

26 

4 

U p c o m i n g B i l l i k e n B a s k e t b a l l 

Another season of Billiken basketball is already under way — and one of the teams may be coming 

to a city near you. For ticket information, call (314) 977-4SLU or visit www.slubillikens.com. 

Men’s Basketball Upcoming Games 

Dec. 6 Arizona (ESPN2) Noon 

Dec. 13 at Georgia Tech 11:30 a.m. 

Dec. 17 Grambling State 7:10 p.m. 

Dec. 20 at SMS 7 p.m. 

Dec. 27 Butler 7:10 p.m. 

Dec. 31 at Dayton 6 p.m. 

Jan. 3 Kansas State 1:10 p.m. 

Jan. 7 at TCU* 7:05 p.m. 

Jan. 10 at Marquette* 8 p.m. 

Jan. 13 Southern Miss* 7:10 p.m. 

Jan. 17 USF* 1:10 p.m. 

Jan. 24 East Carolina* 1:10 p.m. 

Jan. 28 at Charlotte* 6:30 p.m. 

Jan. 31 at UAB* 7:30 p.m. 

Feb. 7 at Memphis* (ESPN Plus) Noon 

Feb. 11 DePaul* 7:10 p.m. 

Feb. 14 Charlotte* (ESPN Plus) Noon 

Feb. 18 Marquette* (ESPN2) 8 p.m. 

Feb. 21 at DePaul* 1 p.m. 

Feb. 25 at Cincinnati* 7:05 p.m. 

Feb. 28 at Tulane* 7 p.m. 

March 3 Louisville* 7:10 p.m. 

March 5 Houston* 8 p.m. 

March 10-13 at C-USA Tournament in Cincinnati TBA 

Home games are played at Savvis Center. 

* Conference USA game 

Women’s Basketball Upcoming Games 

Dec. 5 at Wildcat Classic in Manhattan, Kan. 

vs. Texas Pan American 3 p.m. 

Dec. 6 Consolation and Championship games 3 or 5 p.m. 

Dec. 13 Drake 7 p.m. 

Dec. 18 at Northern Illinois 7:05 p.m. 

Dec. 21 Vanderbilt 2 p.m. 

Dec. 29 Southern Illinois 7 p.m. 

Jan. 1 at SMS 2 p.m. 

Jan. 4 Missouri 2 p.m. 

Jan. 9 TCU* 7 p.m. 

Jan. 11 Houston* 2 p.m. 

Jan. 16 at Louisville* 6 p.m. 

Jan. 18 at Cincinnati* 2 p.m. 

Jan. 23 USF* 7 p.m. 

Jan. 25 UAB* 2 p.m. 

Jan. 31 at Southern Miss* (C-USA Network) 1 p.m. 

Feb. 2 at Tulane* 7 p.m. 

Feb. 6 East Carolina* 7 p.m. 

Feb. 8 Charlotte* 2 p.m. 

Feb. 13 at DePaul* 7 p.m. 

Feb. 15 at Marquette* 2 p.m. 

Feb. 20 Memphis* 7 p.m. 

Feb. 27 at Memphis* 2 p.m. 

March 4-7 at C-USA Tournament in Fort Worth TBA 

Home games are played at Bauman-Eberhardt Center. 

* Conference USA game 

All times are Central and are subject to change. 

Head Coach Brad Soderberg 

Head Coach Jill Pizzotti 

and continues teaching there 

as an associate professor of 

nursing. … Dr. William 

Smith (AHP) is an 

OB/GYN at Marshall (Mo.) 

Women’s Care. He enjoys 

raising longhorn cattle and 

riding his motorcycle. 

1982 Jean Donnelly (A&S) and 

her husband, Michael, have 

opened the Atlas Restaurant 

and Lunch Room, a French- 

Italian bistro in St. Louis. … 

Darren Wilhite (A&S) and 

Lynne (Landholt) Wilhite 

(A&S ’85) have two children, 

Margaux and Dillon, and live 

in St. Louis. Lynne is a sales 

representative for Cardinal 

Health, and Darren is president 

of Environmental 

Options, an environmental 

consulting firm. 

1983 Kevin Gallen (A&S) is 

president of the Greater St. 

Louis Claims Association. … 

Roxann (Kornfeld) Kella 

(A&S) and her husband, 

Rob Kella (B&A), are raising 

four children in Sydney, 

Australia. Rox is a primary 

school teacher, and Rob 

works for QANTAS 

Airlines. … Martin Lesko 

(A&S) is the manager of loss 

prevention and driver insurance 

for Vanliner Insurance 

Co. in Fenton, Mo. He and 

his wife, Mary, have two 

children, Matthew and 

Marissa. … Louise 

Mitchell (A&S), the managing 

editor at the National 

Catholic Bioethics Center, 

recently won multiple 

awards from the Catholic 

Press Association for her 

publications. She lives in 

Brighton, Mass. 

19 8 4 

Patricia Burns Binder 

(A&S) won the Crystal 

Award of Excellence and an 

Award of Distinction in the 

Communicator Awards 2003 

print media competition. She 

is vice president of Finkel & 

Co. Communications, a St. 

Louis public relations and 

marketing communications 

firm. … Craig Burkhardt 

(Law) has accepted a White 

House invitation to serve as 

chief counsel of the U.S. 

Technology Administration, 

U.S. Department of 

Commerce. He is a partner at 

Sorling, Northrup, Hanna, 

Cullen and Cochran in 

Springfield, Ill. … Dr. 

Joseph Ojile (Med) is medical 

director of the Sleep 

Laboratory at St. Anthony’s 

Medical Center in St. Louis.

1985 Scott Ash (B&A) is a software 

implementation consultant. 

He and his wife, Irene, 

live in Bronte Beach, 

Australia, with their son, 

Edmond Baker, who was 

born in January. … Lisa 

DeMauro (Nurs) is a nurse 

case manager for a health 

plan. She is raising two 

daughters in Tinley Park, Ill. 

… Gerard Glynn (A&S) is 

the executive director of 

Florida’s Children First Inc., 

an Orlando-based non-profit 

working to advance children’s 

legal rights consistent with 

their medical, educational and 

social needs. He is an adjunct 

faculty member at Barry 

University School of Law and 

has three children, Kevin, 

Jacob and Molly. … Mary 

Louise Helbig (A&S) is the 

vice president of product 

marketing and strategic planning 

for American Express 

Incentive Services in Fenton, 

Mo. … Jeffery Lowe (Law) 

was elected to the board of 

governors of the Missouri 

Association of Trial 

Attorneys. He practices law in 

St. Louis. 

1986 Christine Alsop (A&S) 

heads a new St. Louis office 

of Evans and Dixon, which is 

expanding to include elder 

law and estate planning. … 

Angus Lemon (Parks) 

received his executive MBA 

from the Graziadio School of 

Business and Management at 

Pepperdine University in 

April. … Dennis Ruth 

(Law) was appointed chairman 

of the Illinois Industrial 

Commission by the governor 

of Illinois. 

1987 Bill Boll (A&S ’87, Law ’91) 

wrote and directed the feature 

film April is My Religion, 

which is being distributed by 

Film Threat DVD. The film 

features several SLU theater 

students. He also is producing 

a documentary on the Coral 

Courts Motel. … Lexa 

Browning (A&S) has taught 

commercial art for the Alton 

(Ill.) School District for nine 

years and teaches part time at 

Florissant Valley Community 

College. She appears in Who’s 

Who Among America’s Teachers 

for 2002. … Dr. Miguel 

Cannon (Med) is an assistant 

professor with SLU’s department 

of community and family 

medicine. His wife, Dr. 

Jennifer Cannon (Med ’88), 

has a private OB/GYN practice. 

… Mary Dean (AHP) 

2004 DuBourg Society 

Travel Program 

Canadian Rockies Train Tour with Calgary Stampede 

July 2-11, 2004 

Experience the adventure and scenic wonders 

of the Canadian Rockies — in daylight on the 

Rocky Mountaineer Train, considered “the most 

spectacular train trip in the world.” 

For more information, call Kay Barnes 

in the development office at (314) 977-2843. 

is a pediatric physical therapist 

in Chicago. She recently 

served six months in prison 

for a nonviolent protest 

against the U.S. Army School 

of the Americas/WHINSEC 

in Ft. Benning, Ga. … Beth 

Kenney (Grad Nurs) teaches 

at Blessing-Rieman College 

of Nursing in Quincy, Ill., 

and is on the Lewis County 

(Mo.) board of directors. 

1988 Timothy Angell (Grad) is 

the economic development 

director for the Village of 

Morton Grove, Ill. He lives 

in Evanston, Ill. … Dr. 

Barbara Blackburn (A&S 

’88, Grad ’90, ’01) is the 

director of religious education 

for St. Joseph Parish in St. 

Charles, Mo. She also is an 

adjunct faculty member of 

systematic theology at SLU. 

… Shirley Parcon-Joyce 

(B&A) has been a national 

trainer with Sony Ericsson 

Mobile Communications. 


Terrance, welcomed their 

son, Garrett Joseph, in May 

2002. They live in Hoboken, 

N.J. … Dr. Bill Rosen 

(Med) is chairman of the 

rehab department at the 

Deaconess Billings (Mont.) 

Clinic. He has two children, 

Hank and Claire. … Felix 

Serrano (B&A) is married 

and has four children, Josefa, 

Gaspar, Vicente and 

Fernanda. He runs his own 

real estate business and gas station 

service in Chile. … 

Sharon Stahl (Grad) is the 

associate dean for the College 

of Arts and Sciences at 

Washington University in St. 

Louis. 

1989 Michelle Gard Ainslie 

(Law) practiced law in St. 

Louis for several years and 

now teaches third grade in 

Palm Harbor, Fla. … Jim 

Casey (Grad B&A) is business 

director of Synlubes 

Technologies North America 

at Cognis, a global specialty 

chemical company. He is 

based in Cincinnati. … 

Cheryl Lael (Grad) is the 

manager of global business 

analysis for the Monsanto Co. 

in St. Louis. … Dr. Kip 

Strasma (A&S) is associate 

dean of the English department 

at Illinois Central 

College in East Peoria, Ill. 

1990 

Linda Aldridge (Law) practices 

law at Gillis and Aldrige 

in South Bend, Ind. … Scott 

Aubuchon (A&S) is a 

sergeant with the St. Louis 

Police Department. … 

Mohdkhosni (Chen) 

Zakaria (A&S) is vice president 

of technology at 

Millennium Digital Media in 

St. Louis. 

1991 

Robert Bowers (Law) and 

his wife, Sara, welcomed their 

second child, Galen Andrew, 

in May. Galen joins his older 

brother, Jacob, at their home 

in Aurora, Colo. Robert is an 

assistant attorney general for 

the state of Colorado. … 

Daniel Brown (Law) and his 

wife, Maria, welcomed their 

daughter, Victoria Ann, in 

June. Victoria joins her two 

older sisters, Isabella and 

Louisa. The family lives in St. 

Louis. … Jennifer 

Hochstrasser (Law) is an 

attorney with the Proctor & 

Gamble Co. in Cincinnati, 

practicing in the areas of 

intellectual property and 

asbestos litigation. … Dr. 

Oren Miller (Med) is the 

head of the pediatric urology 

division at the Naval Medical 

Center in San Diego. … 

Bradley Steppig (A&S) has 

just launched CenterLine 

Technologies, a computer 

consulting firm. He and his 

wife, Amy Steppig (A&S 

’90), live in St. Louis with 

their five children, Brendan, 

William, Michael, Rachel and 

Jonathan. 

1992 

Dr. Michaelyn Corbett 

(B&A) received her Ph.D. in 

economics from the 

University of Illinois and is an 

economist in Chicago. … 

Dr. Christine Drivdahl- 

Smith (Med) is a family 

physician in Miles City, 

Mont. She and her husband, 

Matthew, have two children, 

Wyatt and Cyra. … Ann 

Montalvo Guillerman 

(A&S) lives in Houston with 

husband, Paul, and sons, Nick 

and Andrew. She is a pharmaceutical 

sales representative. 

… Dr. Christopher 

Wohltmann (Med) has 

joined the faculty at the 

Southern Illinois University 

School of Medicine as assistant 

professor of surgery, specializing 

in general surgery, 

trauma surgery and surgical 

critical care. 

1993 

Jennifer Hardester (B&A, 

A&S ’93, Law ’96) is a director 

in legal services at BJC 

HealthCare in claims and litigation. 


Bob, have a daughter, Grace, 

and son, Robert Eugene, 

who was born Sept. 27. … 

27 

Joan Lockwood (Law) is an 

attorney with the law firm of 

Gray, Ritter & Graham and 

received the 2003 John C. 

Shepherd Professionalism 

Award from the Bar 

Association of Metropolitan 

St. Louis. … MaryAnn 

Nessel (Law) has been 

named an officer at the law 

firm of Greensfelder, Hemker 

& Gale in St. Louis. She is a 

member of the trusts and 

estates practice group. … 

Ken Sparrow (B&A), his 

wife, Tanya, and son, Lowell, 

live in Quincy, Ill. Ken is 

general manager of Unisource 

Quincy, a nationwide packaging, 

paper and supplies distribution 

company. … Amy 

(Brophy) Westrup (A&S), 

her husband, David, and 

daughter, Molly, welcomed 

their newest addition, 

Kathleen Ellen, on Sept. 30, 

2002. Amy is the marketing 

director for the Milwaukee 

law firm Weiss Berzowski 

Brady. 

1994 

Tom Geiser (A&S) has 

launched a business, SoCal 

Sports Prints, which produces 

sports posters for young athletes 

in the Los Angeles area. 

He and his wife, Kristina, live 

in Pasadena, Calif. … Dr. 

Miguel Paniagua (A&S) is 

an assistant professor of medicine, 

clinician educator, in the 

division of geriatrics at the 

University of Miami School 

of Medicine. He and his wife, 

Beth, and his son, Theodore, 

welcomed twins, Jonah and 

Samuel, to the family Oct. 7. 

… Jeffrey Perry (Soc Ser) 

married Marcia Ford on 

March 15. … Christopher 

Sedmak (A&S) was a prosecutor 

with the Las Vegas city 

attorney’s office and left to 

join the FBI. He is now a 

special agent in the FBI’s San 

Diego field office. … Dr. 

Melanie VanDyke (A&S) 

earned her Ph.D. in clinical 

psychology at the University 

of Nebraska-Lincoln in 

December 2002. She 

returned to St. Louis with her 

husband, Chris, and son, 

Jared, and is a post-doctoral 

fellow at Saint Louis 

Behavioral Medicine Institute. 

1995 

Steve Brawley (Grad) has 

launched Stevebrawley.com, 

offering a full range of public 

relations and marketing services. 

He lives in Kirkwood, 

Mo., and is a Jackie Kennedy 

historian. … Richard 

Finger (A&S) is a technician 

in the biology department at 

Washington University in St. 

Louis. He is engaged to

28 

Dr. Oscar A. Batres (Dent ’23) 

Dr. John M. Dix (Dent ’26) 

Dr. Coleman Rosenbaum (Dent ’29) 

Mr. Sylvester S. Eaton (B&A ’30) 

Miss Katherine G. Kelly (A&S ’31) 

Mr. E. S. Kennedy (Law ’31) 

Dr. William F. Lange (Grad Med ’31) 

Dr. Herman J. Sampliner (Med ’31) 

Dr. Richard D. Doyle (Grad ’32) 

Mr. E. Stiles Larsen (B&A ’32) 

Mrs. Gertrude (Kelly) Mattern (B&A ’32) 

Sr. Marie C. Murphy (Grad ’32) 

Dr. Anthony R. Caputo (Med ’33) 

Rev. James G. Hogan, S.J. (Grad ’33) 

Mrs. Dorothy (Krauskopf) LeVora (A&S ’33) 

Mr. Powel P. Marshall Jr. (B&A ’33) 

Mrs. Adeline A. Riefling (A&S ’33) 

Mr. Richard J. Zoernig (A&S ’33) 

Miss Bess C. Cragen (A&S ’34) 

Mr. John F. Doherty (B&A ’34) 

Miss Genevieve L. Eakins (Soc Ser ’34) 

Miss Margaret C. Gibbs (A&S ’34) 

Miss Bertha V. Hensel (Grad ’34) 

Mr. Louis A. Bosold (B&A ’35) 

Dr. Alfred Breuer (Med ’35) 

Miss Emily R. Brundza (A&S ’35) 

Mrs. Emily C. Franklin (Soc Ser ’35) 

Mrs. Mary (Lapresta) Frisina (A&S ’35) 

Dr. Edward R. Gish (Med ’35) 

Mr. John T. Halloran Jr. (A&S ’35) 

Mrs. Theresa (Cannon) Vandover (Nurs ’35) 

Sr. M. H. Broeckelmann (A&S ’36) 

Mr. John D. Flynn (B&A ’36) 

Bro. Lawrence J. Gonner (Grad ’36) 

Sr. Mary J. Ksycki, S.S.N.D. (A&S ’36) 

Sr. Anselma Kolasinska (AHP ’37) 

Dr. Carl G. Opaskar (Med ’37) 

Miss Muriel C. Pratt (A&S ’37) 

Mrs. Angela (Decaro) Burns (Nurs ’38) 

Mr. Martin Hasting (A&S ’38) 

Sr. M. Bonevanture Hoffman (Nurs ’38) 

Miss Margaret P. Mallen (Nurs ’38) 

Mr. Earl J. Peil (B&A ’38) 

Mr. Louis F. Ray (A&S ’38) 

Miss Anita Bilodeau (Nurs ’39) 

Miss Celeste Cody (Nurs ’39) 

Mr. Earl J. Ehrhardt (Parks ’39) 

Mr. Thomas E. Fleming (A&S ’39) 

Mr. Robert J. O’Reilly II (A&S ’39) 

Dr. Ralph J. Kitchell (Dent ’40) 

Father Carl G. Kloster, S.J. (A&S ’40) 

Mrs. Beatrice (Gavin) Ronan (Nurs ’40) 

Sr. M. Silverine Antul (Nurs ’41) 

Hon. William S. Bahn (Law ’41) 

Miss Emma Fairham (A&S ’41) 

Mr. Walter C. Johnson (Law ’42) 

Sr. M. Thaddeus Willette (Nurs ’42) 

Lt. Comdr. Elizabeth A. Buckley (Nurs ’43) 

Mr. Joseph A. Goeke Jr. (B&A ’43) 

Mr. Jerome F. Litzau Sr. (B&A ’43) 

Mrs. M. Hendley Arnold (Nurs ’44) 

Dr. William G. Braun (Dent ’44) 

Miss Kathryn A. Harberg (A&S ’44) 

Rev. John P. O’Connor, S.J. (A&S ’44) 

Ms. Madeleine M. Quinn (Soc Ser ’44) 

Miss Frances E. Batterton (A&S ’45) 

Rev. Henry F. Birkenhauer, S.J. (Grad IT ’45) 

Rev. Dr. John E. Blewett, S.J. (A&S ’45) 

Miss Mary J. Cross (Nurs ’45) 

Dr. Richard I. Muckerman (Med ’45) 

Mrs. M. Evelyn (Robinson) Murphy (A&S ’45) 

Mrs. Joan T. (Archdeacon) Nichols 

(Soc Ser ’45) 

Rev. Dr. Gervase J. Soukup (Grad ’45) 

IN MEMORIAM 

Miss Ruth J. Updike (Grad ’45) 

Mr. Donald T. Woerner (B&A ’45) 

Mr. Tino F. D’Amico (A&S ’46) 

Dr. Irvin Edelman (Dent ’46) 

Mrs. Fannie L. Bradshaw (A&S ’47) 

Mr. Charles F. Jahn (Parks ’47) 

Dr. Leonard J. Kopp (Med ’47) 

Dr. Carlos D. Rul-Lan (Med ’47) 

Mr. Joseph R. Bellah (B&A ’48) 

Mr. Robert H. Butler (B&A ’48) 

Mr. Gerald T. Dunne (Law ’48) 

Mr. John J. Finnegan (B&A ’48) 

Capt. Elizabeth Glasow (Soc Ser ’48) 

Mrs. Julie (Steinle) Hotz (Soc Ser ’48) 

Mr. Robert J. Kinsella (B&A ’48) 

Miss T. Bernice Koster (AHP ’48) 

Dr. Henry E. Lattinville (Med ’48) 

Mrs. Estelle (Kenny) Redington (Nurs ’48) 

Mr. Charles L. Roberts (B&A ’48) 

Mr. William J. Sullivan Jr. (B&A ’48) 

Mr. Lambert G. Albers (B&A ’49) 

Mr. Arthur W. Ayers (B&A ’49) 

Mr. Mathew J. Birong Jr. (B&A ’49) 

Bro. Hilary C. Gilmartin, F.S.C. (Grad ’49) 

Mr. Richard E. Johnson (B&A ’49) 

Sr. Norbert M. Lokai, O.S.F. (A&S ’49) 

Sr. Catherine Majnusz (A&S ’49) 

Mr. Arthur C. Richter (B&A ’49) 

Mr. Thomas J. Sullivan (B&A ’49) 

Mr. Francis W. Zundel (B&A ’49) 

Mr. Wilbur J. Bing (B&A ’50) 

Mr. Howard N. Bischof Sr. (B&A ’50) 

Mr. James F. Brennan (B&A ’50) 

Mr. William J. Dorsey (B&A ’50) 

Dr. John J. Erny (Dent ’50) 

Mr. Casimir J. Mills (B&A ’50) 

Mr. Warren G. Orr II (B&A ’50) 

Mr. William F. Schmidt (IT ’50) 

Mr. Al J. Stenger (A&S ’50) 

Mr. Kenneth G. Stohlmann (Grad ’50) 

Mr. James F. Brady (Law ’51) 

Dr. Earl W. Christensen (Med ’51) 

Mr. J. Donald Edelman (A&S ’51) 

Mr. Robert P. Fredericks (A&S ’51) 

Hon. Charles B. Howell (Law ’51) 

Dr. Evelyn E. Smith (Nurs ’51) 

Col. John B. Streeter Jr. (A&S ’51) 

Dr. Charles R. Brielmaier (Med ’52) 

Dr. Philip E. Binzel Jr. (Med ’53) 

Mr. Robert C. Fuegner (A&S ’53) 

Mr. John J. Gardner (Law ’53) 

Mrs. Frances (Ryan) Herries (A&S ’53) 

Dr. Jay R. Johnson (Med ’53) 

Mr. William H. McClellan (Grad ’53) 

Mr. William S. Rowley (Law ’53) 

Dr. Virgil L. Ward (Dent ’53) 

Mr. James L. Eisenbeis (IT ’54) 

Sr. Joselita M. Kujak, C.S.J. (Grad ’54) 

Mr. Walter E. Voss (Grad ’54) 

Miss Eleanor Gillan (Soc Ser ’55) 

Rev. Walter J. Keutzer (A&S ’55) 

Mrs. Helen B. McCormick (Grad ’55) 

Mr. Donald L. Davenport (A&S ’56) 

Mr. Robert E. Distelrath (A&S ’56) 

Mr. Vasil Eftimoff (Grad ’56) 

Miss Martha L. Gilmore (Nurs ’56) 

Mr. Herbert C. Martin Jr. (B&A ’56) 

Sr. Mary C. Poetz, F.S.M. (Nurs ’56) 

Mr. George A. Riddle (B&A ’56) 

Dr. Lester J. Wasinger (Dent ’56) 

Sr. Martha Faecke (Grad ’57) 

Sr. M Emily Flynn (Grad ’57) 

Mrs. Carol (Vacca) Glon (AHP ’57) 

Mr. Robert W. Boll (A&S ’57, Grad ’61), professor emeritus for Parks College of 

Engineering and Aviation, died Aug. 4. He was 71. Mr. Boll, who was paralyzed from the 

shoulders down, began teaching math at Parks College in 1961 and retired in 1997. 

Dr. Elias Chiasson, retired English professor, died July 3. He was 85. He taught at Saint 

Louis University from 1953-1987, when he retired as a full professor. Dr. Chiasson was 

known for his studies of Jonathan Swift and for his high expectations of students. 

Dr. Ralph A. Kinsella Jr. (A&S ’39, Med ’43), professor emeritus for the department of 

internal medicine, died July 29. He was 84. Dr. Kinsella served in the Army during World 

War II and gave 47 years of service to the University. He was chief of staff at St. Louis 

City Hospital from 1980-1985 and then became medical director of Saint Louis University 

Hospital until 1994, when he retired. 

Mr. John J. Kustura (Parks ’51), professor emeritus for Parks College of Engineering 

and Aviation, died July 26. He was 74. Mr. Kustura gave 36 years of service to the 

University. He was a Korean War veteran, serving in the Air Force. 

Dr. Margarete W. Moon, professor emeritus of modern and classical languages, died 

July 23. She was 80. Dr. Moon had been on the faculty for 29 years when she retired in 

1985. She established master’s degree programs in both French and German literature at 

SLU and, for years, chaired the University’s Fulbright committee. 

Dr. Stanislaw Vincenz, former professor of geophysics, died Sept. 30. He was 88. Dr. 

Vincenz joined Saint Louis University in 1961 and retired in 1985. He researched paleomagnetology 

and plate tectonics for two decades and published several articles in scientific 

publications. 

Mr. Richard S. Janoski (A&S ’57) 

Sr. Liboria Jonas (Grad ’57) 

Ms. Ruth Virginia A. Lee (Grad ’57) 

Mr. Donald D. Phillips (B&A ’57) 

Mr. James M. Sanders (B&A ’57) 

Sr. Mary C. Schula (Grad ’57) 

Sr. Maureen Shay, A.S.C. (Soc Ser ’57) 

Dr. Theodosius Demen (Grad ’58) 

Mr. William M. Gillis II (Parks ’58) 

Mr. George A. Gustis (A&S ’58) 

Mr. John J. Krull (B&A ’58) 

Mr. Donnell R. Mattingly (B&A ’58) 

Rev. Francis J. Shine, C.M. (Grad ’58) 

Mr. Willard J. Wolfe (Grad ’58) 

Mr. Jack E. Garner (AHP ’59) 

Dr. Donald H. Hebert (Med ’59) 

Mrs. Marjorie N. (Moore) Hilker (Nurs ’59) 

Mr. William D. Mykins (Law ’59) 

Mr. Ressler J. Stater (Parks ’59) 

Mr. John H. Willie (B&A ’59) 

Mr. George H. Woods (Parks ’59) 

Mr. Theodore F. Cunningham (Grad ’60) 

Mr. William F. Hill (B&A ’60) 

Sr. Marjorie L. Schnellinger (Pub Hlth ’60) 

Mr. Robert E. Schwartz (Grad IT ’60) 

Sr. Lilian Boudreaux DC (Grad ’61) 

Dr. Robert R. Hippler (Grad IT ’62) 

Mrs. Amparo (Maribbay) Plaschke 


Ms. Elba J. Thompson (Grad Nurs ’62) 

Mr. Bernard G. Arzu (A&S ’63) 

Sr. Antoinette Fineran, O.S.B. (Grad ’63) 

Sr. Marie V. Morin (Grad Nurs ’63) 

Miss Naomi C. Pulphus (Nurs ’63) 

Mr. James W. Andrews (B&A ’64) 

Mr. James R. Berry (A&S ’64) 

Dr. Dominic S. Francisco (Med ’64) 

Mrs. Mary Galligan Nordmann (AHP ’64) 

Mr. Howard D. Pattison (A&S ’64) 

Mr. Eugene M. Uram (Grad ’64) 

Sr. Maxine R. Levy, D.C. (Grad ’65) 

Mr. Clinton A. Murphy (A&S ’65) 

Sr. M. Claverine Bloss (Grad ’66) 

Sr. Melanie Faber (Grad ’66) 

Mr. Sam J. Gravagna (B&A ’66) 

Mr. Thomas L. Guelker (A&S ’66) 

Mr. Eldon H. Anderson (Grad IT ’67) 

Mr. August J. Buttice (B&A ’67) 

Ms. Ruth M. O’Leary (Grad ’67) 

Mr. Donald J. Greazel (Grad B&A ’68) 

Mr. Terrence M. Mykins (A&S ’68) 

Dr. Patricia W. Nichols (Grad ’68) 

Mrs. Mary Ann (Risch) Rankey (A&S ’68) 

Mr. Edward J. Tippett (B&A ’68) 

Mr. William P. Yanan (Grad B&A ’68) 

Ms. Mary J. Schreimann (A&S ’69) 

Sr. Clara M. Brill, F.S.P. (Grad ’70) 

Sr. Sabina Collins, O.S.F. (Grad ’70) 

Miss Nancy A. Fook (A&S ’70) 

Mr. Lester G. Bruns (Grad Med ’72) 

Mr. Gene J. Grindler (Grad B&A ’72) 

Dr. William G. McCarthy (Grad ’72) 

Dr. Charles M. Siegfried (Grad Med ’72) 

Mr. John G. O’Connell (A&S ’73) 

Mr. Thomas J. Fox (B&A ’74) 

Miss Sally A. Potashnick (Nurs ’74) 

Dr. Richard L. Thurman (Grad ’74) 

Ms. Julie A. Goewert (A&S ’75) 

Mr. George E. Schumacher (PS ’75) 

Dr. Michael E. Keister (Grad ’76) 

Mr. Michael B. Spurlock (PS ’77) 

Mr. Francis E. Gehrt (Law ’78) 

Mrs. Elaine F. (Meyer) Hollabaugh (AHP ’78) 

Mr. Oscar D. Heffner Sr. (PS ’79) 

Miss Wendy B. Wuertenbaecher 


Mr. Joseph W. Franks (Pub Ser ’80) 

Mr. James O. Lynch (B&A ’80) 

Mr. Gregory S. Hellman (Grad B&A ’83) 

Mrs. Eloise J. (Black) Chandler (PS ’84) 

Mr. Patrick J. Fister (Law ’84) 

Dr. Matthew J. Weiss (A&S ’84) 

Miss D. Jeanne Tippett (PS ’85) 

Mr. John J. Buchanan (A&S ’87) 

Mr. William D. Nelson (A&S ’87) 

Miss Therese J. Scheef (AHP ’87) 

Miss Judith A. Metzler (Nurs ’88) 

Dr. Patrick J. Urban (Med ’89) 

Ms. Robin S. Wessel (Soc Ser ’90) 

Dr. Charles A. Rollberg (Grad ’96) 

Ms. Beth H. Haase (Grad ’97) 

Dr. Georganne R. Cunningham (Grad ’00) 

Dr. Janine M. DeManuele (Grad ’01) 

Dr. James P. Donovan (Med ’03)

Bonnie Voils. … Dr. Joyce 

Hoffman (Grad) has taught 

in the St. Louis Special 

School District for seven 

years. … Mary Lu Sanders- 

Zinser (Law) founded the 

Chesterfield, Mo., firm 

Intellectual Property Law 

Center, which assists business 

and start-up entrepreneurs in 

the protection and strategic 

use of intellectual property 

assets. … Keith Smith 

(A&S) and Aimee Smith 

(A&S) have welcomed their 

second daughter, Sydney 

Nicole, into their family in St. 

Louis. … Jeffrey Voelker 

(A&S) and his wife, Jessica 

(Perlman) Voelker (A&S 

’95, Law ’98), live in Omaha, 

Neb., and welcomed their 

first child, Anna Grace, in 

June. 

1996 

Gina (Brickley) Beredo 

(A&S) and her husband, 

Cipriano, welcomed their 

daughter, Sophia Jane, May 

23. Gina is an attorney at 

Baker & Hostetler in 

Cleveland. … Alexander 

Childs (B&A) and his wife, 

Erin Cunniff Childs (A&S 

’99), live in Cincinnati, where 

Erin just finished law school 

and is an associate at 

Thompson Hine law firm. … 

Kevin Gunn (Law) and 

Amy Gunn (Law) welcomed 

their son, Connor 

Anderson, Jan. 2. … 

Kathleen Kohlberg (A&S) 

married Michael Janech June 

21 in Folly Beach, S.C. They 

have moved to Montpellier, 

France, for two years. … 

Tracy O’Heir (Soc Ser) 

works for the Jesuit Refugee 

Service in Nimule, Southern 

Sudan. She helps run educational 

and community programs 

for people who are 

internally displaced by the 

war in Sudan. … Scott 

Sabol (Parks) is the noon and 

weekend meteorologist at 

WJW-TV Fox 8 in 

Cleveland. … Lisa Simon 

(Nurs) lives in Seattle and is a 

clinical specialist in the cardiac 

rhythm management division 

of Medtronic Inc. … Jill 

(Thompson) Solon (AHP 

’96, Grad AHP ’98) married 

Todd Solon (A&S) at St. 

Francis Xavier College 

Church in August 2002. Jill is 

a physical therapist for the 

University of Chicago 

Hospitals, and Todd works 

for the Cincinnati Insurance 

Cos. … Sarah (Hoffmann) 

Sullivan (A&S) and her husband, 

Jeff, have welcomed 

their first child, Isaac 

Alexander. Sarah has completed 

her MBA at the 

University of Missouri. … 

Dr. Sandy Venneman 

(Grad) is an assistant professor 

of psychology/biology at the 

University of Houston- 

Victoria and has received the 

2003 Enron Teaching 

Excellence Award. 

1997 

Michelle Coleman (Law) is 

the associate city counselor 

for Jefferson City, Mo., and is 

a member of the Missouri 

Bar’s 2003-2004 Leadership 

Academy. … Alison 

(Porath) Henderson (AHP 

’97, Grad AHP ’99) married 

Chris Henderson in August. 

They live in Seattle, where 

Ali is the director of a physical 

therapy clinic. … Dana 

Hibbs (A&S ’97, Law ’00) is 

an associate with Evans & 

Dixon in St. Louis and was 

one of 30 professionals under 

the age of 30 recognized in 

the St. Louis Business Journal’s 

annual “30 Under 30” issue. 

… Christine Hickey (Pub 

Ser) married Kenneth Frank 

in St. Louis Oct. 25. The 

couple lives in Lexington, 

Ky., where Christine teaches 

at an elementary school. … 

Dr. Graham Hurwitz 

(Med) is an orthopaedic surgeon 

in private practice in 

Santa Barbara, Calif. … 

Cherrita Jones-Quinn 

(A&S) is corporate counsel for 

Evolvent Technologies in 

Virginia after earning her law 

degree from Catholic 

University and master’s 

degree from George Mason 

University. … Colleen Kelly 

(AHP) and her husband, 

Chris, welcomed their first 

child in May and live in 

Louisville, Ky. … Dr. Brian 

Kern (A&S) graduated in 

May from Southern Illinois 

University School of 

Medicine in Springfield and 

has entered an orthopaedic 

surgery residency at SIU 

School of Medicine and its 

affiliated hospitals in 

Springfield. … Sara McAtee 

(A&S) teaches at Gibson 

Elementary in St. Louis and 

was named 2003 Teacher of 

the Year for the Riverview 

Gardens School District. … 

Peter Nicastro (A&S) married 

Ellen Bloomer (A&S 

’00) Aug. 2 in Belleville, Ill. 

… Dr. William Strub 

(A&S) recently published 

papers in the following journals: 

Spine, Journal of Pediatric 

Orthopedics B and The 

American Journal of Neurology. 

1998 

Brian Darrow (A&S) lives 

in St. Petersburg, Fla., with 

his wife, Raffi, and two 

daughters. He is pursuing a 

Ph.D. from the University of 

South Florida focusing on 

biological oceanography. … 

David Kondrat (Soc Ser) 

married Roxann Pavlue Sept. 

7, 2002, and is now a Ph.D. 

student at the Ohio State 

University School of Social 

Work. … Christopher 

Manahan, S.J., (Grad) was 

ordained a priest June 6 at the 

Church of St. Luke in St. 

Paul, Minn. He is a member 

of the Wisconsin Province of 

the Society of Jesus. He now 

works in Jesuit parishes on the 

Rosebud reservation in South 

Dakota. … Cynthia Nold 

Metz (A&S) married David 

Metz July 3. She has begun 

an internship for a Ph.D. in 

clinical psychology at the 

University of Tennessee- 

Memphis. … Lisa Moore 

(Law) is an associate in the 

law firm of Paule, Camazine 

& Blumenthal and is the 

chair-elect for the young 

lawyer division of the Bar 

Association of Metropolitan 

St. Louis. … Davor Sopf 

(Law) is a protection officer in 

UNHCR office in Sofia, 

Bulgaria. … Rebecca Wald 

(A&S) is the assistant director 

of student activities at John 

Carroll University in 

Cleveland. 

1999 

Dr. Peng Chen (Hosp ’99, 

’00, ’01) is a retina fellow in 

training in St. Louis. … 

Jaime Daniels (AHP ’99, 

Grad AHP ’01) married Matt 

Krob Sept. 20 at St. Francis 

Xavier College Church. She 

is a physical therapist and lives 

in Kirkwood, Mo. … Emily 

Johnson (Grad B&A) married 

Carlton Hathcoat May 

31 in Chicago, where the 

couple lives. … Dr. Andrew 

Jorgensen (Med) has finished 

his internal medicine-pediatrics 

residency at the 

University of Texas-Houston. 

He is starting his own private 

practice in Houston. … 

Shannon O’Malley (A&S) is 

an attorney with Zelle 

Hoffman in Dallas. She has 

bought her first home. … 

Dr. Jaron Wedding (A&S) 

earned a D.D.S. in May from 

Indiana University School of 

Dentistry. He and his wife, 

Katie Wedding (Pub Ser), 

live in Indianapolis. … Dr. 

Jan Welker (Grad) is an 

assistant professor in health 

services management at the 

State of University New York 

Institute of Technology 

Utica/Rome. 

2000 

Wendy Anthony (A&S ’00, 

Grad ’02) married Jorge de 

Luis Perez (Parks ’02) May 

10, and they live in Atlanta. 

Wendy works for CNN, and 

Attracting attention? 

TELL CLASS NOTES 

UNIVERSITAS Class Notes 


DuBourg Hall 39 

221 North Grand Blvd. 

St. Louis, MO 63103 

fax: (314) 977-2249 

e-mail: utas@slu.edu 

Jorge works in research at 

Georgia Tech University 

while pursuing a Ph.D. in 

aerospace engineering. … 

Rob Barquero (A&S) married 

Aracely Ruiz at San 

Nicholas Church in Esteli, 

Nicaragua. They plan to 

make the United States their 

home. … John Broker 

(A&S) lives in Los Angeles 

and was one of five finalists in 

the “Half-Hour Television” 

category of the Carl Sautter 

Memorial Scriptwriting 

Awards for his script “Oh 

Brother” for Everybody Loves 

Raymond. He is a partner in 

The “It” Co., a literary management 

company. … 

Barbara Chrum (Grad 

Nurs) is a consultant in information 

technology at Cerner 

Corp. in St. Louis. … 

Bethany Dewsnap (Soc 

Ser) finished her master’s in 

social work in August 2002 at 

the University of Kentucky. 

She is a family resource center 

coordinator in an elementary 

school in Lexington, Ky. … 

David Ippolito (B&A) and 

Alice Chrzaszcz (A&S) 

were married May 24 in 

Chicago. They live in St. 

Louis. Alice earned her master’s 

in clinical psychology 

from Roosevelt University, 

and David works for SBC 

Communications Inc. as a 

software developer. … David 

Rogan (B&A) is a CPA at 

Ernst & Young. His wife, 

Amber (Bast) Rogan 

(A&S), is a school counselor 

for the Hazelwood (Mo.) 

School District. They live in 

O’Fallon, Mo. 

2001 

29 

Dr. Edward Brown (Grad) 

and his wife welcomed their 

first child, Patrick, Dec. 28, 

2002. They live in 

Mandeville, La. … Aaron 

French (Law) has moved to 

St. Louis from Lincoln, Ill. … 

Brent Hall (A&S) and 

Nicole Salazar (A&S ’03) 

were married June 21 in Salt 

Lake City. … Joshua 

Scheck (Grad) married 

Aimee Strelec (A&S) on 

July 19 in Summit, N.J. They 

live in St. Louis. … 

Elizabeth Stumpf (Nurs) is 

pursuing graduate studies at 

the Vanderbilt University 

School of Nursing in 

Nashville, Tenn. 

2002 

Lauren Gretz (B&A), an 

account coordinator with the 

public relations firm The 

Standing Partnership, and 

Christy Keeven (B&A), a 

promotions project manager 

formerly of Cliffedge 

Marketing, were each recently 

honored as “Rookie of the 

Year” by St. Louis professional 

associations in their respective 

fields. … Edna McLain 

(Law) and Jason Moehlman 

(Law) have joined Evans & 

Dixon in St. Louis as associates 

in the firm’s workers’ 

compensation practice. 

2003 

Mia Brown (A&S) is the 

manager of communications 

for the Chicago District Golf 

Association.

30 

ALUMNI notes 

Alumni 

Associations 

■ Allied Health 

Laura Horn (’02) 

Next year marks the 75th 

anniversary for the 

department of clinical laboratory 

science. In addition, 

the CLS profession 

has begun efforts to obtain 

personnel licensure in 

Missouri. A coalition has 

been formed and is in the 

process of drafting bill language. 

The coalition 

meets on Saturdays, Dec. 

20 and Jan. 10. For information 

about the anniversary 

celebration or the 

coalition, call (314) 977- 

8518 or send e-mail to 

vehigeml@slu.edu. 

■ Arts and Sciences 

Dr. Jim Klenke (’76) 

Alumni night at the St. 

Louis Blues is Saturday, 

Jan. 27. Join us as the 

Blues take on the Dallas 

Stars. … Alumni night at 

the University Theatre 

production of the musical 

Ain’t Misbehavin’ is 

Saturday, Feb. 28. Start 

with a reception at the 

campus Pasta House, then 

head to Xavier Hall. 

Tickets are $20 each. 

■ Black Alumni Assoc. 

Dr. George White (Grad ’97) 

Mark your calendar for 

the highlight of the year 

— the annual prayer 

breakfast — at 9:30 a.m. 

Saturday, April 24, in 

Busch Student Center. 

■ Business 

Brett Rufkahr (’86, ’92) 

Join fellow alumni and 

network with current 

MBA students at the SLU 

versus Marquette men’s 

basketball alumni pregame 

party Wednesday, 

Feb. 18, at Top Shelf. 

■ Medicine 

Dr. Thomas J. Olsen (’79) 

The annual White Coat 

Society Scholarship 

Dinner will be Friday, 

Feb. 27, in Busch Student 

Center. The White Coat 

Society recognizes annual 

donors of $2,500 or more 

to medical school scholarships. 

For information, call 

(314) 977-8317. … The 

American Academy of 

Orthopaedic Surgeons 

meeting is March 10-14 in 

San Francisco, and an 

alumni reception will be 

5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, 

March 12, at the Palace 

Hotel. … The Missouri 

State Medical 

Convention will be April 

2-4 in St. Louis, and an 


5:30-7 p.m. Friday, April 

2, at the St. Louis 

Renaissance Hotel. … 

Carole Less is chairing 

“The Grand Ball” to 

benefit cancer research at 

the Saint Louis University 

Cancer Center. It will take 

place Saturday, May 8, at 


For information about 

sponsorships, patron levels 

or tickets, call (314) 268- 

7053 or e-mail drummoae@slu.edu. 

■ Nursing 

Dr. Anne G. Perry (’76) 

The school’s Diamond 

Anniversary Celebration 

will be April 16-18. The 

weekend will celebrate 75 

years of nursing excellence 

and will include a Saturday 

evening gala dinner in 


For information, call (314) 

977-8330. 

■ Orthodontics 

Dr. Kevin T. Jarrell (’00) 

The Orthodontic 

Education Research 

Foundation meeting will 

be March 12-15 in St. 

Louis, and an alumni 

breakfast will be at 8 a.m. 

Sunday, March 14, at the 

Hyatt Regency Hotel- 

Union Station. … The 

American Association of 

Orthodontists will meet 

April 30-May 4 in 

For more information or reservations 

for any of these events, contact: 

• The office of alumni relations 

at (314) 977-2250, alumni@slu.edu 

or www.slu.edu/alumni 

• Health Sciences Center 

alumni relations 

at (314) 977-8317 

Orlando, Fla., and an 


held during the meeting. 

■ Public Health 

Maureen Dunn (’86) 

The school will welcome 

speakers Dr. Asamoa- 

It’s never too early to think about 

spring. Mark your calendar for 

the annual alumni Easter Egg Hunt 

at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 10. In 

addition to hunts by age group, there 

will be visits with the Easter Bunny, 

face painting, entertainment and treats. 

Baah, World Health 

Organization, and Dr. 

Bernard Kouchner, 

Doctors Without Borders, 

during this school year. 

Visit www.slu.edu/colleges/sph/slusph 

for 

details. … The American 

More than 2,300 alumni and their families 

came back to campus for Homecoming 

weekend Oct. 10-12. Pictured clockwise 

from the top are scenes from the weekend: 

Alumni embark on a tour of Grand Center; 

the Billiken greets an alum; alumni with 

Francis Guentner, S.J., at the University 

Chorale reunion; fireworks at the soccer 

game; a family enjoys the soccer game; the 

Homecoming parade. 

College of Health Care 

Executives Congress will 

meet March 1-4 in 

Chicago. There will be an 

alumni reception during 

the meeting. 

Homecoming’03

Travel Program: SLU Tours 

Cruise the Panama Canal 

Crystal Cruise Line 

Feb. 8-19 

Cruise the Hawaiian Islands 

Crystal Cruise Line 

Feb. 13-23 

Voyage to Antiquity 

Aegean Sea cruise and Athens city tours 

June 4-14 

Alumni College in Ireland-Ennis 

July 27-Aug. 4 

Alumni College in Tuscany-Cortona 

Sept. 8-16 

For more information about any of these trips or to 

be placed on the University’s travel program mailing 

list, call (314) 977-2250. 

■ Public Service 

Dr. Tim Bagwell (’01) 

A group of local alumni 

meets once a month to 

identify potential programs, 

events and services 

for alumni. If you’re interested, 

contact the alumni 

relations office. … Watch 

your mail for information 

about a Wednesday, Feb. 

18, event focusing on the 

current state of education. 

■ Social Service 

Tamitha R. Price (’98) 

The annual career/ 

practicum fair is set for 

Thursday, Feb. 5. Mark 

your calendar now. 

■ Student Alumni 

SAA invites all St. Louis 

alumni to participate in 

the Billikens Encounter 

Alumni Mentors program. 

Local alumni who are 

interested in mentoring 

SLU students should send 

e-mail to beam@slu.edu 

or call (314) 977-3421. 

■ Young Alumni 

Help residents of SLU’s 

neighborhoods by volunteering 

to cook and deliver 

well-balanced meals and 

snacks to low-income 

seniors, children and families 

through SLU’s 

Campus Kitchen program 

Sunday, Jan. 11, in 

De Mattias Hall. 

Club Cities 

Atlanta 

Cheer on the Billiken 

men’s basketball team versus 

Georgia Tech 

Saturday, Dec. 13 — 11 

a.m. pre-game party at 

Jocks and Jills; 12:30 p.m. 

tip-off. 

Chicago 



the DePaul Blue 

Demons Saturday, Feb. 21 

— 11 a.m. reception; 1 

p.m. tip-off. 

Cincinnati 



the Cincinnati 

Bearcats Wednesday, Feb. 

25 — pre-game reception 

at the UC Faculty Club; 8 

p.m. tip-off. 

Denver 

A new club is forming — 

want to get involved? Email 

kellykm@slu.edu. 

Los Angeles 

The Los Angeles alumni 

club is focusing on 

reconnecting area alumni 

through a variety of 

events. The club also will 

partner with admissions to 

target local parochial high 

schools to introduce graduating 

students to SLU. 

Memphis 



Memphis Saturday, 

Feb. 7. The game tips off 

at noon. 

Milwaukee 

Cheer on the 

Billiken men’s 

basketball team 

versus Marquette 

Saturday, Jan. 10 — 6 

p.m. pre-game party at 

Buck Bradley’s; 8 p.m. 

tip-off. 

New York 

The club is looking for 

new volunteers. If you’re 

interested, send an e-mail 

to alumni@slu.edu. 

Omaha 

Celebrate the season with 

food and fellow SLU 

alumni from 3-6 p.m. 

Saturday, Dec. 27, at the 

home of Brad and Gena 

Burwell. For details, call 

(402) 896-1923. 

... hats 

and more! 

Seattle 

For more information 

about the new Seattle 

alumni club, e-mail 

alumni@slu.edu. 

Twin Cities 

Join fellow SLU alumni, 

parents and friends for a 

pre-game party and 

Minnesota Wild versus St. 

Louis Blues game on 

Monday, Feb. 2 — 5:30 

p.m. pre-game party, 7 

p.m. faceoff. … Catch up 

with old friends at the 

2004 Basilica Block 

Party July 9-10. Gather in 

the SLU hospitality tent, 

located near the 

Startribune.com stage. 

For your 

Billiken 

shirts ... 

ALUMNI CLUB 

PRESIDENTS 

Atlanta 

Peggy Espinda (A&S ’62) 

(770) 889-8600 (work) 

(770) 396-1295 (home) 

Pespinda@tthins.com 

Alumni population – 889 

Boston 

Chris Espelin (A&S ’91) 

(617) 926-5289 

Espelin@mit.edu 

Alumni population – 1,025 

Chicago 

Joe Havel (B&A ’91) 

(312) 397-4141 

Havelj@earthlink.net 


Cincinnati 

Tim Barry (A&S ’97) 

(513) 241-9900 (work) 

(513) 522-6573 (home) 

Timothy.barry@agedwards.com 

Alumni population - 832 

Dallas 

Karen Eubanks (B&A ’87) 

(972) 788-1524 

Staxg@aol.com 


Kansas City 

Mark Winter (A&S ’76) 

(913) 327-1515 (home) 

(913) 530-1571 (mobile) 

Mbwinter@aol.com 


Los Angeles 

Brian Merriman (A&S ’95) 

(310) 244-6761 

Brian_Merriman@spe.sony.com 


Milwaukee 

Tim Lohre (B&A ’97) 

(414) 456-0905 

t.lohre@att.net 


Minneapolis 

Chris Abell (B&A ’87) 

(612) 630-5083 (work) 

(763) 494-5636 (home) 

Cabell@dsb-cpa.com 


New York 

Jim Chisholm (B&A ’76) 

(203) 825-6494 


Omaha, Neb. 

Brad Burwell (A&S ’72) 

(402) 431-8160 (work) 

(402) 896-1923 (home) 

Brburwell@mpsomaha.org 


Seattle/Tacoma, Wash. 

Mark Flynn (A&S ’67, Grad ’72) 

(206) 287-4444 (work) 

(360) 662-0838 (home) 

Mflynnwa@aol.com 

Alumni population – 877 

Springfield/Decatur, Ill. 

Judy Redick (A&S ’62) 

(217) 622-5621 

DHSHP66@dhs.state.il.us 


Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla. 

Rob Sternowski 

(B&A ’95, Grad B&A ’98) 

(813) 281-9796 

Rob@sternowski.com 


Washington, D.C. 

George Usher (A&S ’61) 

(301) 706-3895 

Gusher@erols.com 

Alumni population – 1,653

32 

What is Success? 

By Edgar G. Gall (B&A ’87) 

What is success? For me, it’s an everevolving 

definition that took me 

on a journey across America. 

At SLU, I met my three best friends … 

pillars of success in my life. Kent LeVan 

(B&A ’87) and Luis Rodriguez (A&S ’87) 

were there on the first day, that scorching 

August Saturday in 1983. My very best 

friend, Ginger (Bahre) Gall, was also just 

down the hall that day. She has now been 

my wife for more than 16 years. 

Upon graduation, I wanted that all too 

common definition of success: big office, 

high salary and material possessions. As 

children came and jobs 

went, we achieved that “success,” but we 

eventually realized our definition of success 

needed to evolve. Missing was time, 

togetherness and happiness. Ginger and I 

were constantly rushing from our jobs to 

our kids’ activities. There were parts of 

our house that we never used, and we 

were driving ourselves crazy. So, after 

more than a year of planning, we took a 

major leap of faith. We sold our house 

and cars, stored our belongings, quit our 

jobs and took our family on an adventure 

of a lifetime. 

On July 15, 2002, Ginger and I 

chucked the last of our possessions into a 

33-foot travel trailer, buckled our three 

boys into a used Suburban and towed our 

new “home” to our real estate closing. 

We collected the proceeds from the sale of 

our house and headed west from St. Louis 

on I-70. Our destination: all 50 states! 

We needed to cover the Northwest 

and Alaska before winter set in. As a 

token goal, we visited every state capitol 

along the way. Kent and Luis met us in 

Vancouver and Seattle for several days of 

sightseeing and reminiscing. At a hotel in 

Vancouver, it seemed like a flashback to 

the SLU dorms. 

Heading down the West Coast, we 

marveled at Mt. St. Helens, Crater Lake 

and the Giant Redwoods. We were 

home-schooling this year, so we used 

these places as great teaching aids along 

the way. Though Ginger and I were like 

kids on an extended summer 

vacation with no set schedule, 

we did have to be 

adults and teach the kids 

The Galls at Mount Rushmore (left) and 

San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. 

something. I think we learned as much as 

the kids did. 

We put our trailer in for bodywork in 

Oakland and flew to Hawaii for two 

weeks in paradise. We returned to 

California to find that they hadn’t even 

gotten the parts yet. Success was now 

finding a place to sleep each night without 

blowing our budget. Calling upon 

our deep Catholic roots, we actually spent 

one night in a parish rectory. We continued 

through the Southwest, eating outside 

on Thanksgiving in Tucson, and 

marveling at the diverse landscapes of 

Arizona and New Mexico. We started 

noticing another great success. The boys 

weren’t fighting as much, and neither 

were Ginger and I. We were too busy 

looking out the window together, discovering 

this great nation of ours. Plus, being 

locked in an 8-foot by 30-foot aluminum 

box for a year, you have to learn about 

compromise. 

After spending Christmas with family 

and friends back in Missouri, we visited 

Luis. He is now a diocesan priest in New 

Orleans — his new version of success. 

Kent also flew down to spend time with 

us again. We are rich with good friends, 

one of the ultimate tests of success. 

The South and the East Coast were 

amazing. We visited dozens of historic 

sites, covering the earliest settlements, the 

Revolutionary and Civil wars, civil rights 

and first flight. As a history buff, I was 

finding unparalleled personal success. We 

saw lots of Ginger’s family in New 

England and finally got to meet a governor 

in Ginger’s native Vermont — after 

almost 40 state capitols. Success again! 

On our swing through the 

northern states, we 

found a little slice of 

heaven in Traverse 

City, Mich., a personal 

favorite of ours. Success 

was happening almost 

daily. Hitting our 50th 

state, seeing Mt. Rushmore 

with Kent, and the ultimate: 

visiting our 50th state 

capitol in Jefferson City, Mo., 

with friends who drove 100 

miles to share it with us. 

Again, success and fulfillment. 

We returned to St. Louis Aug. 

1. We have since purchased a 

smaller house, and I have embarked on a 

new career rehabbing houses. Ginger has 

returned to school full time to complete 

her degree in home economics. We are 

both now doing what we want to do 

instead of what we “should” do. With 

trust in God and faith in the tools He has 

given us, we are confident the money will 

follow. Even if it doesn’t, no one can ever 

take this experience away from us. 

So, what is success? It took driving 

48,000 miles and more than 54 weeks to 

find out. Success is being happy in what 

you do and who you are — and it sure 

is sweet. 

Read more about the Galls’ adventures at 

www.gallsacrossamerica.com.

Grand once more 

Reading the latest UNIVERSITAS 

(spring/summer 2003) brought 

back many memories of Grand Avenue. 

I graduated from Saint Louis University 

in 1943. Grand Avenue at that time was 

a place of many varied activities. 

Going to the Fox and having fellow 

student Frank Kussman (B&A ’43), a 

ticket taker, letting me in with half a 

ticket was always an adventure. The 

popular shoe store next to the Fox was 

owned by two men from my hometown 

of Perryville, Mo. The Melbourne 

Hotel was a place my mother stayed 

while visiting St. Louis. The many 

restaurants and movies provided plenty 

of entertainment for anyone visiting. 

While a student, I lived at 4548 West 

Pine Blvd., along with many other students. 

Mrs. Durbin was our mother 

away from home. 

In the fall of 1943, many of the grads 

from Saint Louis University joined the 

Marine Corps. I was one of them. Joe 

Goeke (B&A ’43), John Lamb (B&A 

’43), Walt Rubin (B&A ’43) also joined 

the Marines. In 1949 I left the Marines 

and returned home. During the ’50s, 

’60s and most of the ’70s, Grand 

Avenue was still going strong. Being in 

the retail business, I was in St. Louis 

almost every week. Seeing Grand 

Avenue losing its glamour was not a 

good sight to see. It’s good to know that 

maybe in a few years it will look good 

again like it did in the “good old days.” 

Harry L. Lottes (B&A ’43) 

Perryville, Mo. 

Recalling Dr. Chiasson 

The announcement of the recent 

death of retired English Professor 

Elias J. Chiasson awakened memories for 

me of his chilling stories of working as a 

young man in Nova Scotia’s coal mines 

— and of his inspired and inspiring 

teaching, especially of the works of 

Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift. 

The critical thinking, close reading, 

clear writing and language analysis skills 

that he insisted upon in his classes served 

me well in my 40 years of teaching 

writing, literature and peace and conflict 

studies courses in Missouri, Utah and 

Oregon. 

I honor and will remember him. I 

appreciate what he brought to my life. 

Jerome Garger (A&S ’60) 

Eugene, Ore. 

Magazine prompts 

memories 

Ijust finished reading UNIVERITAS, 

spring/summer 2003. 

I enjoy reading the publication to 

keep up on the progress. I always knew 

it was an outstanding school. I was lucky 

enough to have all good professors. 

John Conoyer was a gem, a good 

teacher and a top-notch man! I was in 

geography, and he made knowledge a 

living thing. As he said: “History happens 

because of geography,” and “Wars 

are fought because of geography.” 

SLU set high standards even in my 

days, when I was a summer school student. 

All year I taught children in the 

lower grades in rural areas and in a variety 

of situations. We’d close our school, 

shift our thinking and go to the 

University to get our Missouri certificates. 

It was quite a “shift,” believe me! 

But I knew Saint Louis University was a 

good school with high demands, so we 

managed. 

Anyhow, keep sending the 

UNIVERSITAS; I enjoy it. God bless you 

all and us, too! 

Louise Wagner, C.P.P.S. 

(A&S ’59, Grad ’66) 

O’Fallon, Mo. 

By standard mail: 

UNIVERSITAS 


221 N. Grand Blvd. 


Another Billiken sighting 

Ihave been living and teaching English 

in Kumamoto City, Japan, for the past 

year. While on vacation in New 

Zealand, I found this interesting restaurant. 

The photo was taken in 

Christchurch, New Zealand, on 

Christmas 2002. 

Mark Fingerhut (B&A ’02) 

Kumamoto City, Japan 

Campus visitor 

During the recent meeting of the 

United States Conference of 

Catholic Bishops in St. Louis last June, I 

had the happiness of a visit with a former 

student of mine, Theodore Vitali, C.P., 

of your faculty. 

Since I hadn’t been in the city in 

some years, Father Ted gave me a tour 

of the renovated city area around the 

University and of the school’s buildings 

and church. Amazing! 

Then, out of the blue, a stray copy of 

UNIVERSITAS arrived in the mail a few 

days ago to remind me of the glories I 

had seen. Congratulations to all 

involved! 

Norbert M. Dorsey, C.P. 

Bishop of Orlando, Fla. 

Clarification 

Evelynn M. Stephens (AHP ’03) is the 

name of the graduate pictured receiving 

her diploma on page 4 of the 

spring/summer 2003 UNIVERSITAS. 

We Want to Hear from You 

Please send us your letters, class notes and address changes. There are 

three easy ways to reach us. 

By fax: 

(314) 977-2249 

By e-mail: 

utas@slu.edu 

Visit us online at: 

www.slu.edu/pr/universitas.html

AD • MAJ OREM • DEI • GLORIAM 

1 8 1 8 

IHS 

SAINT LOUIS 

UNIVERSITY 

Where Knowledge 

Touches Lives 

221 N. Grand Blvd. 


ADDRESS SERVICE 

REQUESTED 

Get Connected! 

What is the best way keep up with Saint 

Louis University news and alumni activities? 

By e-mail, of course! 

Send your e-mail address and full name to: 

alumni@slu.edu 

You’ll receive the Billiken e-Bulletin, a 

monthly e-newsletter, and news about 

alumni events in St. Louis and across 

the nation. 

Need another reason? How 

about free stuff? Every 

month, an alumni e-mail 

address will be drawn at 

random, and the winner 

will receive a Billiken T-shirt. 

Non-profit Org. 

U.S. Postage 

PAID 

St. Louis, Missouri 

Permit No. 6

NEW Utas fall - Saint Louis University

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?