393,220 research outputs found
Louis C. Jones (interview)
No full textThis interview is included in the American Folklore Society Oral History Project held at the Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. This item is Recordings of speeches at a Farmers' Museum event, and oral histories with former pupils and teachers of the one-room schoolhouse that was acquired by, and moved to, the Farmers' Museum, Cooperstown, New York. Includes speeches by Louis C. Jones, H. Pickett, and J. R. Macfarlane, and oral histories about the school. The collection includes a letter from Gerald E. Parsons to Louis C. Jones, May 11, 1978 about the recording.. This collection consists of 1 sound disc : analog, 33 1/3 rpm ; 16 in. Recorded at the Farmers' Museum, Cooperstown, New York on September 9, 1948
Letter from J. E. Gavin to Louis C. Cramton regarding Sale of Bright Angel Trail
No full textLetter from J. E. Gavin to Louis C. Cramton regarding the Bright Angel Trail controversy, including newspaper clipping
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textSummer 2006 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis UniversityS i n g i n g
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pg. 12
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pg. 18
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F E AT U R E S DE PA R TMEN T S
E d i t o r
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
C o n t r i b u t o r s
Allison Babka Burney
Marie Dilg (SW ’94)
Shannon McGuire (Student Assistant)
Rachel Otto
“ O n C a m p u s ” n e w s s t o r i e s
University Communications
Medical Center Media Relations
Billiken Media Relations
D e s i g n
Art Direction: Matthew Krob
Universitas is published by Saint Louis University. Opin-ions
expressed in Universitas are those of the individual
authors and not necessarily those of the University admin-istration.
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. Address all mail to Universitas, DuBourg Hall
39, 221 N. Grand, St. Louis, Mo. 63103. We accept e-mail
at [email protected] 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 Specialty Mailing.
Worldwide circulation: 111,720
© 2006, Saint Louis University
All rights reserved.
Volume 3 2 , I ssue 3
In April, I had the privilege of speaking to a
group of outstanding local citizens to accept
St. Louis’ 2005 “Citizen of the Year” award,
which is presented by a committee of former recip-ients
and sponsored by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
It was truly an honor.
The humbling experience gave me the oppor-tunity
to reflect on my early days in my adopt-ed
hometown and how much I have seen things
change here during the last 19 years.
Although I had a very brief visit to St. Louis
in 1967 on my way to Mexico to hone my Span-ish
skills, I didn’t spend any time in the city
until I was named to Saint Louis University’s
board of trustees in 1983. On my first trip to
SLU for a board meeting, I extended my stay
so I could see the city. After taking the Lindell
Boulevard bus downtown on a Saturday after-noon,
I found so little to do that I caught an
earlier flight back to Chicago.
For four more years, I came to St. Louis for the
trustees’ quarterly meetings — and I came only for
the meetings. Then, in 1987, when I was elected
president of SLU, I decided that I had to get to know the city. One Sunday morning shortly after
my arrival, I took former SLU President Tom Fitzgerald’s old, green-colored Oldsmobile and drove
around downtown, trying to memorize the street names.
I saw progress. In four years, some things had certainly changed for the better. But as I drove
back to campus, I saw that there was still much to do. Right in Midtown, in my own new back yard,
there were dilapidated buildings, plots of asphalt and rundown city blocks.
In my early days at SLU, I was like a new homeowner. I wanted the best for my neighborhood,
and I was willing to make the effort to improve it. When I came to this city to live and work, I
quickly adopted it as my home. But I still needed a shot of hometown pride.
I found that pride away from buildings and ball clubs. I love St. Louis for more than its Arch,
toasted ravioli and Ted Drewes frozen custard. I love it for the people who are trying to make a dif-ference
— visionaries such as Joe Edwards and Richard Baron and many others. And while I did use
my “Citizen of the Year” acceptance speech as an opportunity to challenge my fellow St. Louisans
to aspire to make our city greater, I also know that I — and our University — have enjoyed unprec-edented
cooperation from city officials and local business leaders.
I can remember being here for just a few months and working with then-mayor Vince Schoemehl
(Grad ’86) to get trees — substantial trees — planted along Grand and Lindell. In Chicago, I would
have never had as much direct access to the Board of Aldermen or to the mayor himself. Today, we
continue to receive tremendous support from Mayor Francis Slay (Law ’80) and from the Board of
Aldermen. I am truly grateful for the trust that city officials have always placed in SLU.
And it’s not just the civic leaders who have given us their trust. You, our alumni, friends and do-nors,
have shown how you believe in us, too. Through your gifts of time, talent and treasure, you’ve
been instrumental in building the reputation and stature of Saint Louis University.
We’ve come a long way together. And the city of St. Louis has, too. I am so thankful for your
commitment to Saint Louis University and hope that — no matter where you live now — SLU and
St. Louis will always feel like home.
Lawrence Biondi , S. J .
photo by Steve Dolan
President’s Message
etrolink
On the Map
A special insert gives
you an up-close look
at SLU’s campus.
Map Illustration by
Robert North Jr.
U N I V E R S I TA S S UMME R 2 0 0 6
Fr. Biondi with Dr. Donald Suggs, publisher of the St.
Louis American and the 2004 Citizen of the Year.
2 On Campus
Arena plans taking shape Research
Building gets a name Commencement
U.S. News ranks SLU high again
Social justice magazine debuts
6 Billiken News
Baseball team goes to the NCAA
Tournament Walker is now a coach
7 Campaign Update
Meet Anna and Jesse, students
doing their part for annual giving
22 Class Notes
Catch up with classmates
28 In Memoriam
Remembering those members of the
SLU community who recently died
29 Off the Shelf
Seven books from the SLU community
30 Alumni Events
Find SLU alumni activities
wherever you live
32 Perspective
An alumnus turns from music
fan into record label owner
33 The Last Word
Letters to the editor
9
Brothers in Song
An introduction
to the Bare Naked
Statues, SLU’s all-male
a cappella group.
By Allison Babka Burney
Bio-Diversity
The biology department
faculty are studying
everything from fish to
wasps to liver cancer.
By Marie Dilg
A Haven of Hope
Two alumni have
created a home where
abused and neglected
children thrive.
By Marie Dilg
12 18
Students congregate around a fountain at the Medical Center on a hot June aftternoon.
Photo by Kevin Lowder
U N I V E R S I TA S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I TA S S UMME R 2 0 0 6
Groundbreaking is less than three
months away for the new 8 million in TIF funding and bonds,
which will be paid off with revenues from the
Arena. Fund raising continues toward the 39
million goal for the Arena project. Alumni and
benefactors who would like to contribute to the
Arena project can get information about the
project online at arena.slu.edu, or by calling
(314) 977-2499.
Site preparation will begin this summer, with
a groundbreaking date in late August or early
September. Construction is expected to take
approximately 19 months and be completed in
March 2008. At 10,600 seats, the Saint Louis
University Arena will have the second largest
capacity in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The
University anticipates hosting more that 90
events in the Arena in its first year of operation,
with roughly half being non-University events.
Arena plans move forward; groundbreaking soon
Commencement 2006
Saint Louis University celebrated
commencement for more than 1,700
graduates May 20 at Savvis Center.
Chris Lowney, author of Heroic Leadership:
Best Practices from a 450-Year-Old Company
that Changed the World, delivered the com-mencement
address. The book takes the pil-lars
of Ignatian teachings and applies them
to today’s business environment. In addition
to Lowney, other honorary degree recipients
were Maurice B. McNamee, S.J. (A&S ’33,
Grad ’34, ’45), professor emeritus of Eng-lish,
professor emeritus of art and art history
and director emeritus of Samuel Cupples
House; and Frank Stroble (Cook ’52, Grad
’60) and Ruth Stroble, longtime supporters
of Catholic higher education and commu-nity
volunteers. Throughout five decades as a professor
at Saint Louis University School of
Medicine, Dr. Edward A. Doisy was
renowned worldwide for his pioneering work
in the field of biochemistry, including win-ning
the 1943 Nobel Prize for discovering
the chemical nature of vitamin K.
To honor his lifetime of work, SLU’s new
biomedical research tower, a 67 million fa-cility,
will be named the Edward A. Doisy
Research Center. The Doisy family has com-mitted
2 million to establish the James B. and Joan
C. Peter Endowed Chair in Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology. Dr. James B. Peter
(Med ’58) is founder and former chief execu-tive
officer of Specialty Laboratories, a hospi-tal-
focused clinical reference laboratory.
• 2 million to establish the Badeeh A. and
Catherine V. Bander Endowed Chair in Ne-phrology.
Dr. Steven J. Bander (A&S ’75),
adjunct faculty member in nephrology, and
his wife, Patricia, are endowing the chair in
honor of his parents.
• 1.5 million in a challenge grant from the
J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation to sup-port
construction of the research building.
The building is expected to open in fall
2007. For more details, visit researchbuild-ing.
slu.edu.
Research building gets name and 30 million gift
For the third consecutive year,
U.S.News & World Report has named
the Saint Louis University School of
Law’s health law program the best in the na-tion.
Since the rankings for the health law
specialty began a decade ago, Saint Louis
University’s Center for Health Law Studies
never has been out of the top three.
Overall, the magazine’s “Best Graduate
Schools 2007” issue ranked the law school
among the nation’s 180 accredited law
schools. The School of Medicine was ranked
No. 62 among the nation’s 144 research-intensive
medical schools surveyed by U.S.
News. The school’s geriatrics program was
ranked 12th in the United States.
In addition, the part-time MBA program
in the John Cook School of Business was
ranked No. 25 in the nation out of 347 part-time
MBA programs accredited by the As-sociation
to Advance Collegiate Schools of
Business (AACSB).
Graduate programs honored by U.S. News again
Annual Atlas Week recognizes
the University’s world view
Through more than 50 special events, including discussions,
open houses and student presentations, Atlas Week 2006 gave
the Saint Louis University community the opportunity to ex-plore
the international dimension of SLU’s academic programs and
celebrate the University’s role in international education and service.
The theme of this year’s Atlas Week, held in April, was “Political
and Social Justice in a Global World.” The Signature Symposium
featured Nobel Peace laureate Jody Williams, who led the passage of
the international treaty banning antipersonnel landmines. Another
highlight was a panel discussion commemorating the first anniver-sary
of the death of Pope John Paul II.
The Billiken World Festival, which featured a Parade of Nations,
international cuisine, music, games and informational booths in the
quadrangle, wrapped up the week.
In SLU’s residence halls
Students living on
campus during the
2005-06 school year
On-campus rooms
Residence halls: Clemens, DeMattias,
Fusz, Griesedieck, Marguerite, Notre
Dame, Reinert and Walsh
Apartment complexes: Grand Forest,
the Language Houses, Marchetti East
and West, and the Village Apartments
3,346
1,785
84
Severson wins
teaching award
Dr. John G. Severson Jr., professor
of biology, received the 41st an-nual
Nancy McNeir Ring Award
from Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit honor
society. It is SLU’s oldest student-initi-ated
teaching award and is named for the
University’s first dean of women. Severson
joined the faculty in 1971, has served as
associate dean of the College of Arts and
Sciences and led the Academic Services
Center from 1993-2001. He played an in-tegral
role in the development of the Pre-
Law and Pre-Med Scholars programs, as
well as SLU 101 and SLU 301 programs
for new students.
A view of the Arena facing northwest.
A student shows her pride during the Parade of Nations.
From left: The Strobles, McNamee and Lowney.
Signing the beam before it is raised (from left): Alderman Michael McMillan; AT&T-Missouri vice president Debra
Hollingsworth; U.S. Senator Christopher “Kit” Bond; Clayco president and SLU trustee Bob Clark; University
President Lawrence Biondi, S.J.; SLU trustee Charles Drury and Shirley Drury, donors to the project.
Photo by Kevin Lowder
Photo by Clayton Berry
Photo by Allison Babka Burney
Photo by Allison Babka Burney
Lincoln Legacy exhibit
coming to SLUMA
From Aug. 25-Dec. 17, Samuel Cupples House,
in partnership with the Saint Louis University
Museum of Art, will present “The Lincoln Legacy:
Presidential Years.” The exhibit, which will be in
the Judith and Adam Aronson Gallery at SLUMA,
showcases the Dr. Bernard Hall Abraham Lincoln
Collection of the University of Saint Mary in
Leavenworth, Kan. It will feature manuscripts
and autographed documents, as well as sig-nificant
historical artifacts relating to Lincoln’s
presidency. The exhibit is free and open to
the public. In conjunction with “The Lincoln
Legacy,” the University will be the site of a Civil
War re-enactment, the “Camp Jackson Historic
Encampment,” during Labor Day weekend, Sept.
1-3. For other programming and updates, visit
http://lincoln.slu.edu or call (314) 977-2666.
t h e A R T S a t S L U
Hand-tinted woodcut of Lincoln (1863).
MOCRA welcomes back
‘Silver Clouds’
They’re back! SLU’s Museum of Contemporary
Religious Art (MOCRA) announces a final show-ing
of its most popular show ever, Andy Warhol’s
“Silver Clouds.” First shown at MOCRA in 2001
and 2002, the largest-ever U.S. “Clouds” instal-lation
features dozens of silver mylar balloons
riding the air currents around MOCRA’s capa-cious
nave gallery. Visitors are invited to enter
into a childlike world of wonder and experience
one of Warhol’s groundbreaking experiments
with creating unique, non-traditional environ-ments.
MOCRA also will be showing a number
of Warhol’s “Sunset” prints. The “Clouds” open
in mid-September and continue through the fall
semester. Call MOCRA at (314) 977-7170 or visit
mocra.slu.edu for more information.
“Silver Clouds” fill the gallery during
the 2002 MOCRA showing.
New administrators join SLU
As of July 1,
Dr. Kent
Porterfield is
Saint Louis University’s
new vice president for
student development.
Porterfield comes to
SLU from Northwest
Missouri State Univer-sity,
where he was vice
president for student
affairs — a role he held
for nearly a decade. At SLU, Porterfield fosters
student formation through non-academic areas,
including residence life, student life, student
health and counseling, campus recreation
and community outreach. He also oversees
contracted services such as the bookstore
and dining services. At Northwest, Porterfield
led many of these same areas and worked to
enhance students’ lives.
Dr. Connie
Evashwick,
previously
an endowed chair and
director of the Center
for Health Care In-novation
at California
State University, Long
Beach, joined SLU as
dean of the Saint Louis
University School of
Public Health on
July 1. Over the years, she has combined her
academic career with consulting and direct
operations management. Evashwick has served
as vice president of long-term care for two
major health care systems and is a national
consultant to health systems, hospitals and
long-term care organizations. She is the author
or editor of 12 books and more than 100 other
publications.
News Briefs
Saint Louis University again opened its doors
to the area’s homeless population to provide
a hot meal and clothing. During SLU’s annual
“Open Doors” event March 23, hundreds
of homeless individuals also received free
employment and housing assistance, legal
services and opportunities to pursue literacy
education.
SLU President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., and Dr.
Ellen Harshman (Grad ’78, Law ’92), dean
of the John Cook School of Business, were
named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s
“Influentials” list this spring. The list recognizes
area business and community leaders who
make a difference to the region. Biondi was
honored as one of 10 “legends” — individuals
“who have gone beyond being influential to
become legends in our region and beyond.”
Dr. Bruce R. Bacon, professor of internal
medicine and director of the division of
gastroenterology and hepatology at the
School of Medicine, has been appointed to the
National Commission on Digestive Diseases,
an institute of the National Institutes of
Health and the National Institute of Diabetes
and Digestive Diseases. The commission,
comprising 16 people, is charged with
conducting an overview of research in digestive
diseases and developing a strategic plan for
the next 10 years of NIH digestive disease
research.
Saint Louis University Provost Dr. Joe
Weixlmann was named “Distinguished
Editor of the Year” by the Council of Editors
of Learned Journals. The award recognizes
Weixlmann’s dedication and excellence in
his work with African American Review, the
official publication of the Modern Language
Association’s Division on Black American
Literature and Culture. He was editor in chief
from 1976-2004.
The St. Louis Jesuits, sometimes called “the
fathers of contemporary American liturgical
music,” received an honorary doctorate of
music from Creighton University this spring.
Roc O’Connor S.J. (A&S ’73), Bob Dufford
S.J. (A&S ’67, Grad ’72, ’75), John Foley S.J.
(A&S ’68, Grad ’68, ’74), and Dan Schutte
(A&S ’72), who were featured in the fall 2005
Universitas, were recognized for their 30 years
of ministry to the Church.
U N I V E R S I TA S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I TA S S UMME R 2 0 0 6
Community service tops 750,000 hours
Members of the Saint Louis University community continue to live the institution’s
mission as 14,602 students, faculty and staff contributed 753,808 hours of com-munity
service and outreach during 2005, according to a recently released University
report. This is the second year in a row that members of the University have performed more
than 750,000 hours of service. According to the report, more than 1,270 organizations and
events benefited from SLU faculty and staff volunteerism, up from 1,110 in 2004. Faculty and
staff spent 71,903 hours performing community service in 2005, a drastic jump from 41,533
hours previously. Student service also is intensive. Through academic courses, internships and
campus organizations, students committed more than 76,768 hours to outreach.
SLU students spend
spring break in service
During spring break in March
more than 50 Saint Louis Uni-versity
students participated in
rebuilding efforts in New Orleans. Of
the group, 39 SLU students assisted Ser-vice
International with the demolition of
buildings that were flooded or destroyed
by Hurricane Katrina. After demolition,
the students helped with power washing,
sanitizing and rebuilding efforts. Another
15 SLU students worked with Operation
Helping Hands, where they helped remove
debris in neighborhoods and assisted with
light carpentry, as well as construction and
restoration of homes and buildings.
This year, about 150 SLU students partic-ipated
in spring break mission trips not only
to New Orleans, but other U.S. locations as
well as sites in Mexico and El Salvador.
Social justice magazine
debuts on campus
Current SLU students from various cross-cultural and social
justice groups on campus have collaborated to produce a
student-led, student-run magazine that aims to raise aware-ness
about international social justice issues. Based upon the Jesuit
mission, One World focuses attention on men and women around
the world who are in dire need of help. Whether it’s poverty and
starvation in the developing world or genocide in Sudan, SLU stu-dent
writers explore humanitarian issues in an effort to make read-ers
realize that they have capacity and responsibility to get involved.
To view the magazine online, visit www.sluoneworld.com. Or to
order a copy of the 40-page magazine, send your request and 5 contri-bution
to: One World c/o Donna Bess; Busch Student Center, Suite 237; 20 N. Grand Blvd.; St.
Louis, MO 63103. Make checks payable to Saint Louis University.
AHarvard University team recently won the
Urban Land Institute Gerald D. Hines
Student Urban Design Competition,
which was held March 31 at Saint Louis Univ
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textWinter 2014 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis Universitywinter 2014
Oriflamme
Marks 50 Years
Page 12
Center for
Global Citizenship
Page 16
Alumnus Jimmie
Edwards
Page 18
Art Exhibit with
Local Roots
Page 22
Page 8
C O N T E N T S
f e a t u r e s d e p a r tme n t s
8 | SLU Downtown
The School of Law has moved into its new home in the
heart of St. Louis’ legal community.
— By Lauren Brucker
12 | Warm Welcome
Oriflamme, the student welcome organization, celebrated
its 50th anniversary this fall.
— By Amy Garland
16 | Going Global
The new Center for Global Citizenship has transformed
the former West Pine Gym.
— By Danielle Lacey
18 | The Power of Education
Alumnus Judge Jimmie Edwards is redefining education
for troubled youth in St. Louis.
— By Laura Geiser
22 | No Place Like Home
The latest exhibition at the Saint Louis University
Museum of Art has local ties.
— By Andrew Walker
2 | On Campus
San Ignacio Hall ///
Presidential search update
/// SLU’s latest honors ///
NASA collaboration ///
Health clinic relocation
6 | Biliken News
Basketball schedules
/// Baseball coach
recognized
7 | Advancement News
The impact of
scholarship gifts
23 | Clas Notes
Catch up with classmates.
28 | In Memoriam
Remembering those
members of the SLU
community who recently
died
30 | Al u mni Events
SLU alumni activities
across the country
32 | Perspective
A homily by the late
SLU professor John
Kavanaugh, S.J.
33 | The Last Word
Letters to the editor
Photo by JAMES VISSER
Law students in the
Louis Riethmann Pavilion on
the 12th floor of Scott Hall.
Volume 40, Issue 1
Editor
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
contributors
Lauren Brucker
Amy Garland (A&S ’97)
Danielle Lacey
Katie O’Connor (A&S ’97)
Andrew Walker
On Campus news stories
University Communications
Medical Center Communications
Billiken Media Relations
ON THE Cover
Joe and Loretta Scott Hall, the new home of
the School of Law, in downtown St. Louis.
Photo by James Visser
Design
Art Direction: Matt Krob
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. Address all mail to Universitas,
DuBourg Hall 39, One N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis,
Mo. 63103. We accept email at universitas@
slu.edu and fax submissions at 314-977-2249.
Address fax submissions to Editor, Universitas.
Postmaster: Send address changes to
Universitas, Saint Louis University,
One N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103.
World Wide Web address:
universitas.slu.edu
Universitas is printed by Universal Printing Co.
Worldwide circulation: 121,150
© 2014, Saint Louis University
All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part
without permission is prohibited.
F A L L 2 0 0 4 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5
It is a pleasure to take this
opportunity to address
Saint Louis University
alumni via Universitas. As a
longtime reader of this maga-zine,
it is certainly a different
experience to be writing a mes-sage
for it.
As you may know, I have spent
the past 18 years of my career at
SLU serving as the University’s
general counsel. So in August I
did not anticipate being asked
to become SLU’s interim pres-ident.
Though the request was
unexpected and I had been perfectly content in
my position as a university attorney, I could not
say no. Saint Louis University is an institution
I truly love and have been honored to serve, so
taking on this new role was the right thing to
do.
Since my appointment became effective on
Sept. 2, I have gained an even greater appre-ciation
for the importance and impact of this
outstanding institution. As general counsel, I
met and worked with many people across the
University, but as interim president I have got-ten
to know so many more who are equally as
passionate about Saint Louis University and
about Jesuit education as I am.
In October I had the privilege of attending
a historic meeting with the superior general of
the Society of Jesus, Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., who
was visiting from Rome. Held in Chicago and
hosted by the Association of Jesuit Colleges
and Universities, the gathering included the
presidents and board chairs from all 28 U.S.
Jesuit colleges and universities. It truly was an
honor for me to join this august group of lead-ers
at this first-ever meeting of its kind.
During his remarks Father Nicolás reminded
us of how the spirituality of St. Ignatius Loyola,
founder of the Jesuits, can inspire us today. He
said: “In the understanding of St. Ignatius, the
principal function of a leader is to help the
members of a community grow to become the
living presence of God in the world.”
Perhaps it was the timing, but that statement
struck a chord with me. I always had been aware
of the University’s efforts to encourage growth
and transformation. But as interim president I
know I am seeing Saint Louis University in an
entirely new light.
I am meeting students who
truly embrace our Catholic,
Jesuit values. Whether serving
their fellow students, tutoring
young people or serving meals
to the poor, they truly live our
mission.
I also am meeting faculty
who fully embrace their roles
as leaders and show our stu-dents
how “to become the living
presence of God in the world.”
Our professors teach at prisons,
create healthier school lunches
for local districts and travel the
world to aid indigent communities, assisting
with everything from health care to clean water
wells.
Finally, I am meeting alumni who are living
the lessons they learned at Saint Louis Uni-versity.
In November I started gathering with
alumni groups to provide an update on all of
the great things happening at the University
and to answer questions about SLU. The first
event was held in St. Louis, and in December
I met with alumni in Chicago. In the spring I
plan to travel to even more cities to hold these
information-sharing sessions.
For me, the best parts of these meetings come
before and after my remarks, when I have time
to talk one-on-one with our alumni. I have met
so many SLU graduates who are making a dif-ference
in our world in big and small ways. They
truly illustrate for me the power and promise of
a Saint Louis University education.
I also have enjoyed experiencing the enthu-siasm
our alumni have for their alma mater.
Indeed, Saint Louis University is a wonderful
place, and I am humbled to be at the helm, at
least for a little while.
Please know I am always interested in hear-ing
from alumni. If you would like to reach
out to me, please send an email message to
[email protected].
William R. Kauffman
Interim President
P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G E
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Presidential
Search Underway
In September, the Sa int L oui s
University board of trustees officially
launched the search for a new university
president by establishing a search com-mittee
and by engaging the consulting
firm AGB Search. The search commit-tee
is chaired by trustee Jim Smith, and its members are:
James Burshek, S.J. (A&S ’69), trustee
Anne Gagen (Cook ’72, Grad Cook ’76), trustee
Dr. Jeffrey Gfeller, professor and chairman, psychology
department, College of Arts and Sciences
John Griesbach, professor, School of Law
Al Litteken, trustee
Dr. Teri Murray (Nurs ’79, Grad Nurs ’93, E&PS ’97),
dean, School of Nursing
Dr. Frank O’Donnell, trustee
Vidur Sharma, president, Student Government Association
Patrick Sly (Grad Cook ’77), vice chairman of the board
and trustee
Dr. Jane Turner (A&S ’85, Grad ’91, Med ’92), president,
Faculty Senate
This fall, Smith and AGB Search’s managing partner, Dr.
Jamie Ferrare, met with various University groups to discuss the
presidential search and to learn about the characteristics and
qualities that the SLU community seeks in its next president.
They received input from hundreds of people via direct meet-ings
and emails.
In October, the committee released the presidential position
description, which was approved by the board. This description
can be found online at slu.edu/presidential-search.
The committee is now in the next phase of the search, which
includes identifying prospective candidates and discussing
SLU’s presidential position with them. In January, the search
committee will work to narrow the candidate list to approx-imately
two or three candidates who can be proposed to the
board for review.
“We are very enthused about all the advantages that Saint
Louis University has to offer a prospective president,” Smith
said. “And speaking for the search committee, I can assure you
we will do everything possible to find a great new leader for
Saint Louis University.”
Accolades for SL U ’s
Academics, Service and Value
Ranked among the top Jesuit universities in the coun-try,
Saint Louis University continues to earn praise from
new sources as well as established ones. Here are some of the
University’s most recent honors.
University Dedicates
San Ignacio Hall
in Madrid
Saint Louis University’s Spanish presence
continues to grow. In September, the
University celebrated the opening of its
newest building in Madrid, San Ignacio Hall.
The recently renovated, 26,000-square-foot
building nearly doubles the size
of SLU-Madrid and adds a new library,
classroom space, art and dance studios,
and a restaurant. Photo by Ángel García López
o n c a m p u s
Princeton Review
best college
Saint Louis University made
the Princeton Review’s The
Best 378 Colleges: 2014
Edition. Only about 15 percent
of America’s 2,500 four-year
colleges are profiled in the book.
The profile of SLU highlights
its “solid academic programs”
and sustainability efforts. The
Princeton Review also called
SLU a place where “service,
social justice and political
awareness are stressed at
every level of education.”
Top Marks for Commitment to Service
For the third year in a row, Washington Monthly ranked SLU
among the top five universities in the nation for community
service. The publication looks at schools’ contributions to
the public good in three categories: social mobility, research
and service. SLU was No. 4. The University also earned list-ings
as “Top Jesuit School” and “Top Faith-Based School,”
as well as second place on the list of top private institutions.
In addition, SLU was one of a handful of institutions rec-ognized
at the President’s Interfaith and Community Service
Campus Challenge National Gathering in September.
Started by President Barack Obama in 2011, the chal-lenge
calls for campuses to increase interfaith service and
engagement over the course of one year. The University was
honored for hosting nearly 100 interfaith events.
Finally, SLU placed fifth on Hercampus.com’s 2013 list of
“The Most Charitable Schools.” Hercampus.com is a colle-giate
guide and news network for women college students.
Kiplinger’s
best values in
private colleges
The University was recognized
for affordability and academic
quality among Kiplinger’s “Best
Values in Private Colleges.”
The 2014 list includes the
top 200 private colleges
in the country. Saint Louis
University has appeared on
the list multiple times.
Sierra Club
cool school
SLU was named one of
Sierra Club’s “Cool Schools,”
an honor given by the
environmental organization
to colleges and universities
around the country that are
committed to sustainability.
The list recognizes green
accomplishments and
efforts, such as faculty
and departments engaged
in sustainability research,
and sustainability-themed
courses or curricula.
CollegesofDistinction.com
college of
distinction
One of six Missouri schools —
and the only institution from St.
Louis — to make the 2013-14
list, the University was selected
for its commitment to four
areas: engaged students, great
teaching, vibrant community
and successful outcomes.
SLU was also selected as a
“Catholic College of Distinction.”
Smith
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SL U ’s Free Medical
Clinic Relocates
in North St. Louis
Sa int Louis Univer s it y’s Hea lth
Resource Center, a free clinic oper-ated
by medical school students under the
guidance of SLU faculty physicians, cele-brated
its 20th anniversary of caring for
the underserved and underinsured with
a move to a newer, larger facility in north St. Louis. The new site is known as
the Jesuit Health Resource Center.
Dr. Eva Frazer, a former member of SLU’s board of trustees, and her hus-band
Steven Roberts donated the space.
The new clinic has a large patient waiting room, six patient exam rooms, a
social work room, a conference room, multipurpose rooms, expanded lab space
and a classroom. With the additional space, SLU is exploring the possibility of
offering other services.
Last year the Health Resource Center served more than 1,000 patients at
primary care, well women and pediatrics clinics. About 73 percent lacked
insurance.
Students began seeing patients in the new space during their regular
Saturday morning session late this summer.
NIH Taps SL U to Bid on Nearly
1 billion in projects to study
infectious diseases, including emerging threats.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the NIH,
has funded vaccine research at SLU since 1989. The new contract represents
what likely is the largest research contract or grant in the University’s history.
SLU received an “Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity” contract with
an estimated value of up to 951
million for the contract duration. Only centers accepted as VTEUs can bid
on specific projects. This is a change in the federal funding mechanism for
vaccine research, said Dr. Robert Belshe, director of the Center for Vaccine
Development and principal investigator on the project.
Business EnDowed
Professor Named
The John Cook School of Business has
appointed Dr. Bidisha Chakrabarty,
associate professor of finance, to the Edward
Jones Endowed Professorship in Finance.
Edward Jones created the endowed pro-fessorship
in 2007 to recognize an expert in
finance who provides academic leadership
through teaching, research and service.
Chakrabarty joined the business school
facult y in 2003. She has received the
Outstanding Faculty Award given by the
John Cook School of Business Alumni
Board, the Kwak Research Award for the
best research productive faculty, the ICRIER
policy paper grant and the National Stock
Exchange of India Research Initiative Grant.
Chakrabarty is a lso a consultant to
Beyond Housing, an organization that
helps families facing foreclosure. She is an
author and researcher on the topics of mar-ket
microstructure, securities regulation,
disclosure and market reaction, and market
design and price discovery.
Parks
Students,
NASA
Launch
Camera
into Space
COPPER (SLU-
01), Saint Louis
Univer s i t y ’s f i r s t
spacecraft designed,
bui l t , t e s t e d and
operated by students
at Parks College of
Engineering, Aviation
and Technology, launched Nov. 19 from the Mid-Atlantic
Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Va. The Air Force
Research Laboratory and NASA Missouri Space Grant
funded the project development, and the launch of
COPPER was sponsored by NASA.
COPPER is a one kilogram, 10-centimeter cube and is
made of commercially available spacecraft parts and stu-dent-
developed electronics.
The mission tests the effectiveness of a commercial infra-red
camera for in-space navigation and object detection, as
well as observes the Earth in the infrared spectrum.
For the next 12 months, Parks College students
will operate COPPER from a radio control station in
McDonnell Douglas Hall on the SLU campus. The space-craft
will de-orbit naturally in less than four years.
COPPER is a product of the Space Systems Research
Laboratory, which is led by Dr. Michael Swartwout and
Dr. Sanjay Jayaram of the department of aerospace and
mechanical engineering, and Dr. Kyle Mitchell of the
department of electrical and computer engineering. More
than 50 undergraduate and graduate students worked to
create COPPER during the past three years.
Class
of 2017
boasts
high
marks
This fall, SLU
welcomed one
of the largest and
most academically
gifted freshman
classes in University
history. The Class of
2017’s credentials
include a mean high
school GPA of 3.81
and an average
ACT score of 27.6.
Geographically,
44 states and
24 countries are
represented in this
year’s freshman
class, and nearly 75
percent of SLU��s
new students
hail from outside
the St. Louis
metropolitan area.
By The Numbers
2013 Make A Difference Day:
SLU’s 16th annual day of
service in October was one of
the largest in University history.
TIAA-CREF was the primary
financial sponsor for the event.
3,691 participants
91% of the volunteers were students.
312 faculty, staff, alumni and
parents participated.
197 Kappa Delta sorority sisters made
the largest volunteer team.
140 community organizations, schools,
churches and homes benefited —
the most sites in the event’s history.
News Bri e fs
University President Emeritus Lawrence Biondi,
S.J., received the 2013 Mayor’s Award for his influence
on economic development in the city of St. Louis.
During Biondi’s tenure, the University had a major
impact on the region’s economy; an independent
study found that SLU generated $715.5 million in
economic impact during 2011 alone. St. Louis Mayor
Francis G. Slay (Law ’80) presented the award in
October.
J. Joe Adorjan (Cook ’63, Grad Cook ’67), chairman
of the University’s board of trustees, was awarded the
Hungarian Order of Merit-Knight’s Cross, Hungary’s
highest state honor. Adorjan is the honorary general
consul of Hungary as well as the founder of the
Hungarian-Missouri Educational Partnership, which
links four Missouri universities, including SLU, with five
Hungarian universities to enhance the education of
emerging leaders who will help create a lasting bond
between the two countries.
Dr. Alexander Garza (PH ’03), the former assistant
secretary for health affairs and chief medical officer
for the Department of Homeland Security, has joined
the faculty of the College for Public Health and Social
Justice. Garza is associate dean for public health
practice and associate professor of epidemiology.
David Cassens is the new dean for University
Libraries. He has served as interim University librarian
since June 2012. Previously he served as assistant
university librarian for administration and director of
Pius XII Memorial Library. He has worked at SLU for
nearly 15 years.
In October, Dr. Mildred Mattfeldt-Beman (Grad E&PS
’92), chair of the department of nutrition and dietetics,
received a Medallion Award from the Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics for guiding her department
to national prominence. Mattfeldt-Beman has built
a program that is a community resource — advising
congressmen, creating healthier school lunches and
promoting business in the region.
Dr. Mike Shaner, professor at the John Cook School
of Business, has been named the “Best Management
Professor” by the World Education Congress in
Mumbai. Shaner was recognized as a thinker and doer
who served as a “role model and a believer in change.”
He joined the SLU faculty in 1974.
Dr. Diana Carlin, associate vice president for graduate
education and international initiatives, was one of 11
U.S. administrators selected by the U.S. and French
Fulbright commissions to participate in a two-week
seminar in France in October. The purpose was to help
both the Americans and French better understand
the other’s higher education and research areas,
and to explain partnership opportunities with French
universities.
o n c a m p u s
HOMECOMING 2013:
Saint Louis University’s 2013 Homecoming
and Family Weekend drew nearly 2,500 people
to campus Sept. 27-29. The celebration
included the popular golf cart parade, with
the theme “Meet Me in St. Louis,” and
celebrations of SLU’s Golden Billikens,
members of the class of 1963 and earlier.
The weekend was capped off with a win by
the men’s soccer team and a spectacular
fireworks display. The 2014 Homecoming
will be Sept. 25-28. Photo by Steve Dolan
Olivia Johnson gets her ears examined
at the clinic by faculty volunteer
Dr. Marilyn Maxwell, professor of
internal medicine and pediatrics.
A student building COPPER (SLU-01).
From left: Dr. Scott Safranski, interim business dean;
Chakrabarty; Robert J. Ciapciak (Grad Cook ’82) of
Edward Jones; and Interim President William Kauffman.
pictured: Students packing meals for Feed My Starving Children on Make A Difference Day. Photo by Kevin Lowder
Photo by Kevin Lowder
Photo by Katie O’Connor
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When Saint Louis University freshman Michael Milek got
a call with scholarship news last spring, he wasn’t imme-diately
sure the news was good. “At first I didn’t think I got it
because of the tone of the caller,” said Milek, an athletic training
major in Doisy College of Health Sciences. “However, he told me
that I received it, and I was really happy.”
The Philadelphia native had been awarded the Martin Luther
King Jr. Scholarship, a merit-based University scholarship granted
to students with a mix of academic achievement, demonstrated
leadership and commitment to service. The scholarship w
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textFall 2006 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis UniversityCatching up with SLU’s
Madrid Campus page 8
Not Your Typical College Cafeteria page 14 Shimmy Gray-Miller: Off Court, On the Record page 18
E d i t o r
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
C o n t r i b u t o r s
Jeff Fowler
Nancy Solomon
“ O n C a m p u s ” n e w s s t o r i e s
University Communications
Medical Center Media Relations
Billiken Media Relations
De s i g n
Art Direction: Matthew Krob
Universitas is published by Saint Louis University. Opin-ions
expressed in Universitas are those of the individual
authors and not necessarily those of the University admin-istration.
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. Address all mail to Universitas, DuBourg Hall
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Address fax submissions to Editor, Universitas.
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Universitas is printed by Universal Printing Co.
and mailed by Specialty Mailing.
Worldwide circulation: 111,720
© 2006, Saint Louis University
All rights reserved.
Volume 3 3 , I ssue 1
I was having dinner in Beirut with the presi-dent
of Notre Dame University of Lebanon
on July 12 when he got the call: Hezbollah
militants had just abducted two Israeli soldiers.
At that point, I had no idea just how harrowing
the next week would be.
When I left for Lebanon just two days ear-lier
to deliver Notre Dame’s commencement ad-dress,
I had no indication a crisis was brewing.
But by July 13 all hell broke loose. From my
hotel in northern Beirut, I heard Israeli jets at-tacking
the Hezbollah section of the city. From
my balcony I could see clouds of black smoke
rise into the air, and at night I could see fires on
the horizon. When the airport and major roads
were bombed, I began to wonder when — if
— I would get back to St. Louis.
For the most part, I felt safe. Because the ho-tel
was in the so-called Christian area of greater
Beirut, we were told it was unlikely to be a tar-get.
Even so, the fighting grew more intense ev-ery
day. Occasional black-outs
and media warnings
to stay in the hotel kept
me on edge. Even more
unnerving, days passed
with no word from the
staff at the U.S. embassy,
even though I had taken
care to register my pres-ence
with them several
times. Literally waiting
by the phone in my hotel
room, I began to feel like
a hostage.
Finally — at 3 a.m.
on July 19 — Saint Louis
University’s general counsel called to say he had
received word from the State Department that
I would be leaving on the cruise ship the Orient
Queen that day and would be permitted only
one 30-pound bag.
I rounded up my essential documents, left
my other luggage behind and headed to the des-ignated
staging area. Waiting in line, I heard
bombs exploding, sounding like thunderclaps
reverberating in every direction.
After showing my passport to the embassy
staff, I boarded a bus to the Beirut seaport. I
joined about 200 men, women and children
gathered there, all of us anxious to be cleared
to board ship. Bombs were dropping just a few
miles away; it was the closest I had been to the
fighting.
We finally left port at 4 p.m. with an Ameri-can
warship, the U.S.S. Gonzalez, following us
in a corridor only half a mile wide. The Gonza-lez
accompanied us all the way to Cyprus. We
arrived just after midnight, but a ship bearing
French national evacuees from Beirut had ar-rived
before us, so we had to stay on the Orient
Queen for three more hours.
Tension was high. Everyone was anxious to
get off the ship, find a place to stay and begin
making their necessary travel arrangements.
Some people fainted; some got angry. There was
some pushing and shoving and even a fistfight.
When more than 1,000 of us were told we could
disembark, the exodus process became chaotic.
Eventually, I got off the ship and to a taxi
that took me to a hotel about 50 miles away.
I was able to catch a chartered plane the next
evening, and I finally arrived in St. Louis at 1
p.m. July 21. It had taken me about 12 hours to
get from the United States to Lebanon by plane.
It took me nearly 52 hours — by bus, ship, taxi
and plane — to get home.
Although I was relieved to be out of war-torn
Lebanon, I must
confess that my experi-ences
there were among
the most memorable of
my life. I’m not saying I’d
willingly do it again, but
I am genuinely grateful
that I had an opportunity
to get to know and appre-ciate
the Lebanese people
and see how resiliently
they handled this crisis.
I also am genuinely
grateful for the sober-ing
moments I spent in
my hotel room thinking
about my life, my relationships and my work at
SLU. I know I have a reputation for being some-what
tough and business-minded at times. But I
came to realize how fortunate I am — with the
help of my God — that so many people were
thinking of and praying for me.
Even several months later, I continue to re-flect
on my life-changing experiences in Leba-non.
I am not a politician, but I know that
what’s most important is to settle this conflict
for the long term. If not, the Lebanese and Is-raeli
people — especially the children — will
continue to suffer. And unlike me, they won’t
get a call at three in the morning to board the
Orient Queen and get out.
— Lawrence Biondi, S.J.
A version of this essay appeared July 30 on the Com-mentary
page of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
President’s Message
photo by Jim Visser
U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 6
F E AT U R E S
Universidad
de San Luis
SLU’s Madrid campus
offers students the world.
By Laura Geiser
A landmark campus gateway framed by fall foliage.
Photo by Kevin Lowder
DE PA R TMEN T S
2 On Campus
Arena groundbreaking Update on
SLU’s national rankings Lincoln
exhibit brings visitors to campus
6 Billiken News
Soccer stadium readies for the College
Cup Forward pass marks its 100th
7 Campaign Update
Campaign already exceeds 80.5 million
multipurpose Arena Aug. 28 at the Arena site near Compton
and Laclede avenues. University officials, coaches and student
athletes as well as St. Louis dignitaries were in attendance to celebrate
the new facility, which includes a 10,600-seat Arena, a practice facil-ity,
athletics offices, locker rooms and training facilities.
“It has taken us a long time to get here,” said University President
Lawrence Biondi, S.J. “While I am not known as the most patient
man in St. Louis, I never lost faith that we would get to this day. And,
thankfully, there were many others who believed as I did.”
The new Arena will be home to Billikens men’s and women’s bas-ketball
and will host a variety of other events such as concerts, confer-ences,
trade shows and commencements. It is expected to bring more
than 400,000 people to Midtown St. Louis each year. St. Louis-based
Clayco will build the Arena, with an expected opening in March
2008.
“There are few institutions in St. Louis that have done more to
enhance life in the city than Saint Louis University,” said Barry H.
Beracha, chairman of the SLU board of trustees. “I ask our friends
from throughout the region to help us complete the fundraising for
this wonderful facility.”
Arena donors were recognized at the event, which also brought out
hundreds of faculty, staff, students and Billiken fans to witness the
beginning of the long-awaited project.
“This is one of the greatest days in Billiken
athletics history, and I’m overjoyed to be here
and be part of it,” said director of athletics
Cheryl L. Levick. “This building is a product
of a tremendous grass roots fundraising effort
because this is a privately funded facility that
did not tap into student fees or tuition dol-lars.
No matter the size of the gift, everyone
involved in contributing to this building has
the right to be extremely proud today.”
“I want to thank Father Biondi and the
board of trustees for giving our program the
opportunity to compete on a national level,”
said men’s basketball head coach Brad Soder-berg.
“When we bring recruits to campus, they now will know that we
are serious about competing with the best programs in the country.”
“The University administration has done its job in bringing this
building to life,” said women’s basketball head coach Shimmy Gray-
Miller. “Now I promise that I will do my job, my staff will do its job, and
our student-athletes will do their job to produce winning basketball.”
The Arena complex will be built on University-owned property
on the eastern end of campus and will be visible from Interstate 64/
Highway 40. It will be funded through fundraising, 1 million for the Arena, moving the University
closer to the project fundraising goal.
For others who would like to make a gift, there still is time to be
part of the Arena project. To make a donation online, go to arena.slu.
edu or call (314) 977-2499. — JF
Arena construction under way;
opening planned for March 2008
Top: The official groundbreakers: (from left) Dan Mitchell, partner, Mackey Mitchell
Associates; L.B. Eckelkamp, SLU trustee; Joe Imbs, president, St. Louis market, U.S.
Bank; Thomas Brouster Sr., SLU trustee; Soderberg; Levick; Dr. Joe Weixlmann, SLU
provost; Biondi; St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay; Kathleen Brady, SLU vice president for
facilities management and civic affairs; Gray-Miller; 19th Ward Alderman Michael
McMillan; Beracha, Vince Schoemehl, president, Grand Center; Bob Clark, Clayco
chairman and chief executive officer; and Evan Krauss, president, SLU Student
Government Association. Middle: St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay (Law ’80) addresses
the crowd. Above: Gray-Miller, Biondi, Soderberg and Levick throw the dirt.
U.S.News keeps SLU
on its ‘Best Buy’ list
For the ninth consecutive year, U.S.News & World
Report has recognized Saint Louis University as one
of the nation’s best values in higher education. In
its special “America’s Best Colleges” issue, U.S.
News lists SLU among the top 50 national, doctoral
universities on its coveted “Great Schools, Great
Prices” list. SLU joins Georgetown and Boston College
among the Catholic institutions on the best values list.
In addition, SLU climbed to No. 77 on U.S. News’ rankings of the
nearly 250 national universities in the country — a list topped by
Princeton and Harvard. It’s the third straight year that SLU has risen in
these rankings. Once again, SLU ranked among the top five Catholic
institutions in the country on this overall list.
Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology’s aerospace
engineering program was ranked No. 5, and undergraduate engineering
programs overall were ranked 29th among engineering schools whose
highest degree is a master’s.
SLU’s undergraduate business programs in the John Cook School of
Business again were ranked among the top 100 of the nation.
Princeton Review
also honors SLU
The Princeton Review has named Saint Louis University one of the top
institutions in the country for undergraduate education. SLU also was
listed as one of the best universities in the Midwest in the 2007 edition
of Princeton Review’s annual book, The Best 361 Colleges. Only about
15 percent of four-year colleges in America and two Canadian colleges
made the publication. The book does not rank the colleges 1 to 361 in
any single category.
The book’s rankings are based on a survey
of 110,000 students attending the
colleges in the book. In the survey,
SLU students spoke highly of the
University’s business, pre-med and
pre-law programs as well as unique
programs in aviation and nutrition.
Survey respondents also noted that
SLU students are friendly and that
the University offers a great library.
Doisy College of health
sciences adds new programs
Already experiencing an enroll-ment
boom, Saint Louis Uni-versity’s
Edward and Margaret
Doisy College of Health Sciences an-ticipates
even more growth in the future
as it prepares to assume responsibility
for three programs that will be discon-tinued
at the Barnes-Jewish College of
Nursing and Allied Health in St. Louis
next year.
Dr. Charlotte Royeen, dean of Doisy
College, said next fall SLU plans to offer
the following new options for SLU stu-dents,
pending approval by the board of
trustees: A new bachelor of science pro-gram
in radiation therapy; a new bache-lor
of science program in cytotechnology;
and a proposed expansion of the graduate
program in the department of nutrition
and dietetics.
SLU and Barnes-Jewish officials are
working to make sure that the transition
for both students and employees goes
smoothly. Some faculty at Barnes-Jew-ish
College will join the faculty of SLU’s
Doisy College, and students enrolled in
SLU programs still will have the option
of participating in clinical training on-site
at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
SLU honors Maronite patriarch
Saint Louis University bestowed its highest honor, the Sword of Ignatius Loyola, on
the patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church June 30. His Beatitude and Eminence
Nasrallah Peter Cardinal Sfeir, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, visited St. Louis
as part of a pastoral visit to America. He was the most significant religious figure to visit St.
Louis since Pope John Paul II in 1999, and his visit marked only the fourth time a Maronite
patriarch has journeyed to the United States. Sfeir also received an honorary doctorate of laws
from Saint Louis University.
En route to the award ceremony, University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., (right) shares a light moment with Maronite
Bishop Robert J. Shaheen (far left) and Cardinal Sfeir (second from left).
Photos by Steve Dolan
Photo by Kevin Lowder
U N I V E R S I T A S w w w . s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 6
Gilsinan
to accept
professorship,
step down
as dean
Saint Louis University’s College of
Public Service has reached a new
milestone: the establishment of its
first named professorship. Civic leader E.
Desmond “Des” Lee provided funding to
support the E. Desmond Lee Professor-ship
in Collaborative Regional Education.
Dr. James Gilsinan, dean of the Col-lege
of Public Service, has been named
the first holder of the professorship. Be-cause
the professorship requires teaching,
research and service, Gilsinan will step
down as dean and rejoin the faculty on
a full-time basis at the end of December.
The honor recognizes Gilsinan’s decades
of service to St. Louis area schools, local
governments and non-profit organiza-tions.
As a Des Lee Professor, Gilsinan
will join scholars from Washington Uni-versity
in St. Louis and the University of
Missouri-St. Louis in researching ways to
help schools and communities improve
the lives of young people.
Michael Frayn wins Literary Award
The Saint Louis University Library Associates will pres-ent
the Saint Louis Literary Award to Tony Award-winning
playwright, novelist and translator Michael
Frayn at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10, in the Anheuser-Busch
Auditorium of SLU’s John and Lucy Cook Hall. The pro-gram
is free and open to the public.
Frayn is the author of several plays, including Noises Off,
Democracy and Copenhagen, which won the 2000 Tony Award
for Best Play. He has written several novels including The Tin
Men, The Russian Interpreter and Spies. He also has translated
several plays by Chekov and Tolstoy from Russian.
In receiving the award, Frayn joins a select group of previous
recipients, including Robert Penn Warren, Arthur Miller and
Tom Wolfe. The award has been presented annually since 1967.
Researchers tackle
mold removal
Armed with a $408,000 grant from
the Department of Housing and
Urban Development, a team from
Saint Louis University School of Public
Health hopes to create universal stan-dards
for getting rid of mold in homes and
buildings. Dr. Anu Dixit, assistant profes-sor
of environmental and occupational
health and principal investigator, said that
the team will review existing, inconsistent
guidelines for mold removal from homes
and buildings by surveying about 400
mold assessment and remediation profes-sionals.
The team will then use the re-sponses
to develop a single comprehensive,
scientifically sound plan for homeowners
and mold remediation experts to follow.
“The timing couldn’t be better for Hur-ricane
Katrina and Rita victims, some of
whom are still battling mold problems in
their homes and businesses,” Dixit said.
News Briefs
Saint Louis University has appointed Karla Gable director of undergraduate admission. She
most recently was assistant vice president of business development at the Missouri Higher
Education Loan Authority (MOHELA), where she oversaw all marketing and public relations
efforts. Prior to joining MOHELA in 2000, Gable was associate dean of enrollment and director
of financial aid at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo.
Dr. Neil Seitz has stepped down as interim dean of Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and
Technology. Dr. Manoj Patankar (Parks ’92), associate professor and chairman of aviation
science, has been named interim dean. A committee has been formed to begin the search for a
new dean for Parks.
Covering more than three-dozen specialties, 112 SLUCare doctors have been selected for
St. Louis Magazine’s 2006 “Best Doctors” list. The list is based on the annual “Best Doctors
in America” database, which considers more than one million peer evaluations to create a
directory of approximately 30,000 doctors. A total of 104 SLUCare physicians were chosen for
last year’s list.
Dr. Teri Murray (Nurs ’79, Grad ’93, ’97) has been named the new director of the School of
Nursing in the Doisy College of Health Sciences. Murray, previously the associate director,
succeeds interim director Dr. Margie Edel. Murray, also an associate professor of nursing,
recently was named to the prestigious 2006 Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellows
Program, which provides individual leadership development for nurses who aspire to lead
and shape the U.S. health care system. She is also the president of the Missouri State Board
of Nursing.
Dr. Jennifer Kohler (A&S ’93, Grad ’97, ’99) is the new director of the School for Professional
Studies. She is the first director of the school in a new position created as a result of the recent
merger with the College of Public Service. Kohler previously served as director of organizational
studies, interim associate dean and associate dean in the School for Professional Studies.
The National Defense Transportation Association has named Saint Louis University’s Dr. Ik-
Whan Kwon (Grad ’90), professor of decision sciences and management information systems,
as the 2006 recipient of the NDTA Educator Distinguished Service Award. Kwon is recognized
internationally for his specialization in supply chain design and management and is director of
the Consortium for Supply Chain Management Studies at the John Cook School of Business.
Campus goes wireless
This summer, Saint Louis Uni-versity’s
information technology
staffers and subcontractors pulled
150,000 feet of wire throughout campus
to make SLU completely wireless. Now
the University’s wireless network includes
the entire campus — including residence
halls and academic buildings.
Campus Kitchen marks its fifth
anniversary and serves its 125,000th meal
In September, Saint Louis University’s Campus Kitchen cel-ebrated
its fifth anniversary and served its 125,000th meal. In
2001, SLU served as the pilot school for the Campus Kitchens
Project, a growing network of Campus Kitchens that are hosted by
universities across the country.
Each Campus Kitchen shares dining hall kitchen space with
host universities; partners with campus dining to recycle safe, us-able
food that would normally go to waste; and mobilizes college
students and community volunteers to make and deliver meals to
the community.
Each month, SLU Campus Kitchen volunteers deliver more
than 2,000 meals and snacks to local residents, community cen-ters
and after-school programs. Volunteers prepare meals in an on-campus
cafeteria and then deliver them to individual families and
group service centers.
SLU’s success has paved the way for the Campus Kitchens Proj-ect
to schedule three new site openings this fall, bringing the net-work
to 10 Campus Kitchens nationwide.
Sobrino returns to
SLU after 15 years
One of Saint Louis University’s
most famous alumni was back
on campus in September for
the first time in 15 years. SLU’s Great Is-sues
Committee welcomed Jon Sobrino,
S.J. (A&S ’62, Grad ’65), who discussed
“Being Christian in a World of Poor
and Victims.” Sobrino’s contributions to
theology have been recognized with nu-merous
awards, includin
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textSummer 2018 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University. This is a special Bicentennial issue, celebrating the University's 200th anniversaryUNIVERSI TAS 2 SUMMER 2018 SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSIT Y 1 BICENTENNIAL
P R E S I D E N T ’ S
M E S S A G E
VOLUME 4 4, ISSUE 2
EDITOR
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Amy Garland (A&S ’97)
ART DIRECTOR
Matt Krob
CONTRIBUTORS
Anne Marie Apollo-Noel
Dr. Dolores Byrnes
Molly Daily (Grad A&S ’18)
Marie Dilg (Grad SW ’94)
Sarah Hilgendorf
ON CAMPUS NEWS STORIES
University Public Relations
Billiken Media Relations
ON THE COVER
Detail of a window in St. Francis
Xavier College Church depicting
the north entry of DuBourg Hall
flanked by graduates. The word
“Christocracy” in red letters
above the entry indicates Christ’s
influence on education. The
window was designed by Emil Frei
Jr. and installed in the 1930s.
Photo by J.J. Mueller, S.J.
(A&S ’69, Grad A&S ’70)
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. Address all mail
to Universitas, DuBourg Hall 39, One N.
Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103. We
accept email at [email protected].
Postmaster: Send address changes to
Universitas, Saint Louis University,
One N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103.
Website: slu.edu/universitas
Universitas is printed by Henry Wurst Inc.
Worldwide circulation: 116,500
© 2018, Saint Louis University
All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part
without permission is prohibited.
Detail of two windows in St. Francis Xavier College Church
that spotlight academic disciplines and sit on each side of the
window on this issue’s cover. On the left, painting and music are
depicted. On the right, mathematics and science are shown.
PHOTOS BY J.J. MUELLER, S.J.
PHOTO BY JAY FRAM
F E ATU R E S
D E PARTME NTS
10
The First Two Centuries
A 200-year timeline of Saint Louis University
— By Molly Daily
16
Always at the Frontier
An excerpt from the official bicentennial book
— By Dr. Dolores Byrnes
20
Exhibiting History
The Saint Louis University Museum of Art’s new
exhibition — Photos by Steve Dolan
24
Talking About My Generation
Campus activities and hangouts since the 1940s
— By Amy Garland
29
The Bicentennial Logo
The hidden details of SLU’s 200-year mark
— Designed by Matt Krob
30
More Than a Job
Reflections from 10 longtime faculty and staff
— By Marie Dilg
36
Cover Story
Telling SLU’s history through its alumni
magazines — By Laura Geiser
40
Making Good Time
An update on the bicentennial service challenge
— By Anne Marie Apollo-Noel
2 On Campus
Major gift to the business school ///
Madrid’s 50-year celebration /// 2018
commencement /// Climate Summit
/// Prospect Yards /// Gift for nursing
scholarships /// Literary Award to Sondheim
42 Class Notes
43 Alumni Spotlight
Eric Moraczewski (CSB ’04)
46 In Memoriam
48 Feedback
49 The Last Look
Our beloved University is worthy of celebration —
both for the memorable achievements of our shared
past and for the many impressive ways in which we
live our mission today.
We began this past academic year with the
bicentennial Mass. As we planned it, I believed that it would be
remembered as one of the very best moments in our history. An
email I received from a parent of one of our students confirmed that
to me. He said, “As I sat at the 200th anniversary Mass, with its
gorgeous backdrop and significant history, I was brought to
tears by the humbling appreciation that my daughter could
attend a university like SLU.” This gratitude for SLU and our his-tory
set the tone.
More recently, as part of our bicentennial celebration, we hosted
the Saint Louis Climate Summit and brought together world-re-nowned
speakers Cardinal Peter Turkson, Dr. Mario Molina, Carl
Pope and Bill Nye to examine a path forward for our planet. (Read
more on page 5.)
The Climate Summit was born out of the desire to respond to
Pope Francis’ call to care for all of creation, especially our environ-ment,
in his encyclical Laudato Si’. Chaired by SLU’s own Dr. Jack
Fishman (Grad A&S ’74, ’77) and David Webb (A&S, CSB ’97, Grad
’12), and planned with support from Dr. Peter Raven and trustee
Trudy Busch Valentine (Nurs ’80), the summit attracted meteorol-ogists;
government leaders; experts in climate science, ecology and
sustainable development; students; and engaged St. Louisans for
three days of discussion.
In affirmation of this summit, I received a letter from Cardinal
Pietro Parolin, who is the secretary of state for the Vatican. In the
letter, Cardinal Parolin quotes Pope Francis’ prayer that, “This gath-ering
may serve to inform society more effectively on the issue of
climate change and encourage the University community ‘to pro-mote
best practice, to stimulate creativity in seeking new solutions
and to encourage individual or group initiatives.’”
In addition to these and other impressive events and academic
programs, our bicentennial has inspired an outpouring of support
from our community. Our stakeholders are demonstrating their
belief in the importance of our work by investing in SLU. We are
in the midst of the single greatest fundraising year in SLU history.
Further, we are confident we will end this year at more than twice
our previous all-time total.
This February, trustee Dr. Richard Chaifetz (A&S ’75) and Jill
Chaifetz made a transformational gift of 27 million.
Their latest gift is intended to grow SLU’s nationally ranked entre-preneurship
center and provide resources for other programs in the
newly named Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business. (Read more
on page 2.)
Thank you to each of our alumni who have contributed to this
historic fundraising year. Your gifts support innovation, academic
excellence, scholarship and informed medicine. They will invigo-rate
Saint Louis University, and reflect your confidence in our plan
for the future.
The very near future holds two outstanding opportunities for
all of us to come together to celebrate SLU’s first two centuries. I
hope you will join us for a Grand Celebration on Saturday, Sept. 29,
during our special bicentennial Homecoming and Family Weekend.
This evening will feature live music, food and fun activities for all
ages. And on Thursday, Nov. 15, I invite you to a 200th birthday
celebration featuring a private concert by the St. Louis Symphony
Orchestra at Chaifetz Arena.
As we all celebrate this historic milestone, our University is part-nering
in shaping the direction of our region, and we are doing
wonderful work in the classroom, in the laboratory, in the hospi-tal
and in the community. Your support during our past and in the
present is vital to our future. While you read, I hope you’ll learn
new facts about your alma mater, reminisce about your time here and
be inspired by the stories of those who shaped our beloved institu-tion.
I would be delighted to hear your reflections.
May God bless you, and may God continue to bless Saint Louis
University.
Dr. Fred P. Pestello
President
This special issue of Universitas takes you on a journey though Saint Louis
University’s past. The timeline, book excerpt, faculty memories and photos that you
will find on the following pages all serve to remind you of SLU’s noble history.
UNIVERSI TAS 2 SUMMER 2018 SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSIT Y 3 BICENTENNIAL
Chaifetz Family Gift Leads to
Business School’s New Name
In February, SLU trustee Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz (A&S ’75)
and his wife, Jill Chaifetz, increased their giving to Saint
Louis University to 15 million to the
business school. In 2007, the couple provided the lead gift
of 12 million that enabled the construction of Chaifetz
Arena.
To honor this new, generous contribution, the University
has renamed its business school the Richard A. Chaifetz
School of Business and the school’s entrepreneurship
center the Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship.
SLU students, faculty and staff members turned out to
thank Chaifetz during a special reception on Feb. 22.
In his remarks, Chaifetz briefly told the story of how former
SLU President Paul Reinert, S.J., allowed him to remain
at SLU when financial issues threatened his ability to stay.
Chaifetz promised Reinert that he would pay back his
tuition — and that he would pay back the University in an
even bigger way in the future.
“This allows me to give back to a school I love, am
passionate about and want to make even greater,” Chaifetz
told the large crowd. “I want to hear the Chaifetz School
of Business mentioned in the same breath as other great
business schools.”
The Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business has seven
programs nationally ranked by U.S. News and World
Report — three undergraduate and four graduate —
including the country’s No. 9-ranked undergraduate
entrepreneurship program.
Chaifetz is a world-renowned entrepreneur and business
leader, who in 1984 founded ComPsych Corp., today the
world’s largest provider of employee assistance programs,
behavioral health and wellness services. The company, of
which he remains founder, chairman and CEO, provides
services to more than 100 million individuals and 45,000
organizations in more than 160 countries. He also is
founder and chairman of the private investment firm
Chaifetz Group. He has been a member of SLU’s board of
trustees since 2007 and was an inaugural member of the
business school’s Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame.
ON C AMPUS
PHOTOS BY STEVE DOLAN
Chaifetz addresses the crowd.
Chaifetz (left) and SLU President Dr. Fred P. Pestello
talk with students at the February event.
Guests gathered in the in the Shanahan
Atrium of Cook Hall listen to Chaifetz.
UNIVERSI TAS 4 SUMMER 2018 SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSIT Y 5 BICENTENNIAL
2018 Commencement
Celebrates the Bicentennial
With SLU’s bicentennial in mind, the University
began a new tradition at the May 19 com-mencement
ceremony at Chaifetz Arena as members
of its Class of 1968 — now called Golden Billikens
— led the entry procession and received special
recognition. Golden Billikens will be honored at
University commencements going forward.
In another nod to the bicentennial, SLU reintro-duced
its “Varsity Song,” which was written in 1909
and had not been performed at commencement
since the 1960s. (See the original on page 19.) It was
updated by Dr. Aaron Johnson, assistant professor of
music, and sung by the University’s Mastersingers.
More than 2,100 students graduated this spring.
This year’s commencement speaker was Ronald
Mercier, S.J., provincial of the Jesuits’ U.S. Central
and Southern Province. He received an honorary
doctor of divinity from the University. Also honored
with honorary degrees during the ceremony were
two SLU alumni, former U.S. Congressman William
“Bill” Lacy Clay Sr. (A&S ’53) and former St. Louis
Mayor Francis G. Slay (Law ’80).
The student speaker from the graduating class was
new law alumna Sarah Tomlinson. University archi-vist
emeritus John Waide (A&S ’73) was the mace
bearer.
Climate
Summit Draws
Thousands
Saint Louis University
brought toge t her
some of the most author-itative
minds in climate
science, ecology and sus-tainable
development
for the 2018 Saint Louis
Cl imate Summi t thi s
April.
A highlight of SLU’s
yearlong bicentennial
celebration, the three-day summit was inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical
Laudato Si’ that called attention to humankind’s responsibility to care for the earth
in the wake of climate change.
Nearly 2,300 students, faculty and members of the St. Louis community attended
the summit’s keynote address at Chaifetz Arena. The speakers were Carl Pope,
former executive director of the Sierra Club and co-author of Climate of Hope: How
Cities, Businesses and Citizens Can Save the Planet, and Bill Nye “The Science Guy,”
well-known science educator and advocate.
The summit featured experts from around the world, including Cardinal Peter
Turkson, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development; Dr.
Mario Molina, 1995 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry; recipients of various
United Nations Environmental Awards; and members of the Pontifical Academy of
Sciences, the primary scientific advisory council to the pope.
Panelists presented about food security, water availability, rising sea levels, busi-ness
issues related to climate change and more. More than 220 people attended the
academic portion of the summit, which was shared worldwide online.
The summit was organized by
Dr. Jack Fishman (Grad A&S ’74, ’77),
professor of earth and atmospheric
sciences and director of SLU’s Center
for Environmental Sciences, and David
Webb (A&S, CSB ’97, Grad ’12), director
of SLU’s Emerson Leadership Business
Institute. Dr. Peter Raven, president
emeritus of the Missouri Botanical
Garden, and Trudy Busch Valentine
(Nurs ’80), a SLU trustee, were key
members of the planning team.
During February and March, SLU competed in the annual
nationwide RecycleMania competition, an eight-week
event that raises awareness about campus sustainability.
8th year
participating in RecycleMania
331,762 lbs.
of single-stream recycling collected by SLU
86,267 lbs.
of electronics collected during
the E-Waste Drive
4th place
in the national electronic
recycling competition
25,721 lbs.
of old documents shredded and
recycled during ShredMania event
443,750 lbs.
total diverted from landfills
by SLU this RecycleMania
IN ADDITION TO THE CLIMATE SUMMIT, HERE ARE A FEW
HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS SPRING’S BICENTENNIAL EVENTS:
O N C A M P U S
BY THE NUMBERS
RecycleMania
Students volunteer at March’s
E-Waste Drive, part of the national
RecycleMania competition.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Nye (left) and Pope give the keynote address at Chaifetz Arena.
PHOTO BY SIMON NGUYEN
INTERCULTURAL ORIGINS
OF ST. LOUIS AND THE
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI WEST,
1800-1840
This conference examined
themes including the
international influences
present in early St. Louis,
and the expansion of the
St. Louis region.
WOMEN AT SLU:
THE STRUGGLE FOR
KNOWLEDGE, POWER AND
LEGACY
This symposium discussed
both the challenges and
opportunities women
confront as female
students, staff and faculty
at SLU.
FROM SELMA TO ST. LOUIS:
THEOLOGY OF MARTIN
LUTHER KING JR., AND THE
PURSUIT OF JUSTICE 50
YEARS LATER
This public symposium
offered performances and
reflections on King’s legacy
of liberation and justice.
PHOTO BY SIMON NGUYEN
Turkson (left) and Molina
Confetti and streamers were released at the
end of the ceremony in Chaifetz Arena.
Graduates’ caps Honorary degree recipients (from left) Slay, Mercier and Clay
Doisy College of Health Sciences graduates
PHOTOS BY STEVE DOLAN
UNIVERSI TAS 6 SUMMER 2018 SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSIT Y 7 BICENTENNIAL
SLU, St. Louis
Archdiocese
Sign Agreement
to Enrich
Seminarian
Education
St. Louis Archbishop
Robert J. Carlson and
SLU President Dr. Fred P.
Pestello signed an agree-ment
in April that brings
the Kenr ick-Glennon
Seminary undergraduate
program fully into SLU’s College of Philosophy and Letters, which oversees pro-grams
for students training for the priesthood and ministry.
Currently, seminarians take their first two years of undergraduate classes at
SLU and finish their education at the seminary, receiving a degree from Kenrick-
Glennon Seminary. Under the new agreement, seminarians will receive a Bachelor
of Arts degree in philosophy from SLU, taking classes taught both at SLU and at the
seminary. The program changes will be implemented for the 2018-19 school year.
The seminarians will be able to explore other disciplines while at SLU. Carlson
said he hoped that many would take advantage of the language arts and minor in
Spanish, as the archdiocese has a growing Spanish-speaking population.
Graduate Programs Earn High
U.S. News Rankings
The health law program in the Saint Louis
University School of Law has been named the
best in the nation by health law scholars for the
14th year, according to the 2019 U.S. News &
World Report “Best Graduate School” rankings.
The Center for Health Law Studies has been
listed as a top program since the rankings were
first published.
Four programs in the Richard A. Chaifetz
School of Business were ranked in the top
30 this year, including entrepreneurship,
international business, supply chain
management and accounting.
SLU School of Nursing’s master’s program
ranked among the top 50 out of more than 500
nursing graduate programs in the country.
1 Health Law
12 Entrepreneurship
13 International Business
15 Supply Chain Management
28 Accounting
28 Part-time Law
50 Best Nursing Programs – Master’s
51 Best Medical Programs – Primary Care
66 Best Nursing Programs – Doctor of Nursing Practice
70 Best Medical Programs – Research
88 Best Law Programs
163 Part-time MBA
194 Top Education Programs
Atlas Week Celebrates SLU’s Global Connections
The 2018 Sam and Marilyn Fox Atlas Week — “From Broken Walls,
We Build Bridges: Out of Conflict Rises Community” — paid special
attention to the ways that SLU students, faculty and staff members have
forged connections beyond campus to improve the world.
The week featured panels, presentations, film screenings, a soccer
tournament, and other opportunities to experience the myriad cultures
that make up the SLU community.
A highlight was the keynote address by brothers Fred and Milton
Ochieng’. Fred is pursuing cardiovascular medicine fellowship training
at Saint Louis University; Milton is a gastroenterologist with the BJC
Medical Group at Progress West Hospital. They spoke of their paths
from their Kenyan community Lwala to medical school in the United
States and beyond. The pair was orphaned and has used their medical
educations to give back to Lwala through the creation of a community
health clinic network.
The week culminated with the traditional Parade of Nations and the
Billiken World Festival.
Ring Award Winner Dr. Lauren Arnold,
associate professor of epidemiology in the College for Public
Health and Social Justice, is the most recent recipient of the
Nancy McNeir Ring Award, given by SLU’s chapter of Alpha
Sigma Nu to a faculty member who has displayed a special
dedication to students. Arnold addressed graduates during
Midyear Commencement in December. In her address, she
reminded the graduates to find joy in their decisions and to
find good mentors
Newly Named “Prospect Yards” District Connects SLU’s
North and South Campuses
In March, members of the Saint Louis University family, SSM Health and the
community cast nearly 6,000 votes to name St. Louis’ newest district. The win-ning
name? Prospect Yards.
The 150-acre district connects SLU’s north and south campuses and is bordered
by Laclede Avenue, Chouteau Avenue, Grand Boulevard and Vandeventer and Spring
avenues. The district lies within Midtown in the same way that Cortex is part of
St. Louis’ Central West End neighborhood and the Loop is part of University City.
Prospect Yards includes projects such as the construction of the City Foundry STL
and an Element by Westin hotel, as well as redevelopment of the Armory building.
The name reflects the area’s early 20th-century roots, when the area west of
Grand was known as the “Prospect Industrial District,” one of 17 industrial districts
in the city and home to an extensive rail yard and many businesses.
The umbrella developer for the larger, 400-acre area is St. Louis Midtown
Redevelopment Corporation, which is owned by Saint Louis University and
SSM Health.
Stephen Sondheim Named 2018
St. Louis Literary Award Recipient
The Saint Louis University Library Associates
selected Stephen Sondheim, one of the most
eminent lyricists and composers of the modern era,
to receive the 2018 St. Louis Literary Award. He is
the first musical lyricist to win the award since its
inception in 1967. Sondheim will come to SLU in
October to accept the award.
In a career spanning 70 years, Sondheim has writ-ten
the lyrics, music or both for some of the most
iconic plays in the history of American theater,
including West Side Story, Into the Woods, Sunday in the
Park with George, Sweeney Todd and Gypsy.
The award ceremony and conversation with the
author, who will be interviewed by Muny artistic
director Michael Isaacson (A&S ’86, Grad CSB ’96),
is planned for Oct. 4. For more information, visit
lib.slu.edu/about/associates.
Med School Residency
Program Receives Highest
Accreditation Status
The Accreditation Council for Graduate
Medical Education, the accrediting body for
medical residencies and fellowships, granted the
School of Medicine continued accreditation, its high-est
accreditation status. The status took effect Jan.
24, after a site visit earlier in the month.
SLU is the sponsoring institution for 65 residency
and fellowship programs at six area hospitals and
many other clinical sites.
8.4 Million Gift to Nursing School
Abequest gift totaling $8.4 million will allow the
School of Nursing to create the Dr. and Mrs.
Robert C. Hoppe Endowed Scholarship. The gift
— the largest in the School of Nursing’s history and
among the largest in SLU’s history — was made by the
estate of Mary K. Hoppe (Nurs ’51, Grad Nurs ’59).
“The Hoppes’ generosity in providing educational
assistance for students will live eternally through the
lives of the scholarship recipients and the countless
numbers of patients each student touches,” Nursing
Dean Dr. Teri Murray (Nurs ’79, Grad Nurs ’93, Grad
Ed ’97) said.
The nursing school plans to honor Hoppe and her
husband, Dr. Robert Hoppe (Med ’51), at its 90th
anniversary celebration this fall.
Dois
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textFall 2008 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis UniversityINSIDE:
A Q&A with
John Kavanaugh, S.J.
page 12
Emergency Preparedness
page 16
First Class of Presidential
Scholars
page 19
16
2
Volume 35, Issue 1
Editor
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
Contributors
Clayton Berry
David Chilenski (Cook ’98)
Marie Dilg (Grad SW ’94)
Nick Sargent
“On Campus” news stories
University Communications
Medical Center Communications
Billiken Media Relations
Design
Art Direction: Matt Krob
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. 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 Specialty Mailing.
Worldwide circulation: 118,600
© 2008, Saint Louis University
All rights reserved.
FALL 2004 WINTER 2005
Twenty years ago, I had just begun to
settle in for my first year here at Saint
Louis University when I challenged
our board of trustees and administration team
to create new ways for us to fulfill our mission
of forming women and men for others. We
knew that the Saint Louis University educa-tional
experience was a unique opportunity,
and we were striving to find a new way to
attract students who not only were high-caliber
academic scholars but also had the potential to
become the type of leaders needed to improve
our communities.
Due to the generosity of alumni and SLU
supporters, we were able to establish the Presi-dential
Scholars program, which back in 1988,
awarded the first 10 recipients with full schol-arships
to Saint Louis University. In this issue
of Universitas you will see how that investment
continues to pay dividends for these 10 men
and women and for the communities in which
they live.
I am blessed to have been at SLU long
enough not only to witness the growth of this
first class of Presidential Scholars during their
years at SLU, but also now to see how they
have grown and fulfilled the promise we saw in
them two decades ago. Starting on page 19, you
can read about this “first-class” group — an
emergency room physician, owner of a social
service agency, corporate lawyer, business
analyst, piano teacher, researcher, pediatrician,
manager for a home health care company and
two alumnae serving their families as full-time
mothers.
Although they have settled on careers and
homes that literally are all over the map, the
members of the initial class of Presidential
Scholars — much like the more than 300
Presidential Scholars who have followed them
— show a commitment to service to others as
well as an appreciation for the opportunities
they received here at SLU. Their continued
success is one of the best endorsements for the
next generation of students who apply to Saint
Louis University.
And that’s one of the most important ways
our original scholars are returning the invest-ment
many SLU alumni and supporters made
in them 20 years ago. We have great faculty,
staff, researchers and alumni at Saint Louis
University, but to keep SLU a great university,
we need to continue to attract great students.
All of you already are doing a wonderful job
promoting Saint Louis University as you
achieve success in your professional, personal
and service lives. But I ask you to join your
alma mater’s efforts to attract even more of
tomorrow’s leaders to SLU.
During the last academic year, SLU’s total
enrollment increased 3 percent, and our goal is
to continue to provide more opportunities for
students who are eager to study at SLU. Even
outside of St. Louis, many of you will see in
movie theaters and hear on the radio a new
SLU recruitment campaign, that encourages
students to “Be a Billiken.” Using our Univer-sity’s
unique mascot, the campaign highlights
SLU’s equally unique attributes, which sepa-rate
SLU from other top national schools.
But your help, whether setting up one-on-one
meetings with prospective students in
your city or joining SLU recruiters at a college
fair in your area, can make the difference in
whether a student seriously considers SLU. If
you’re interested in lending some of your valu-able
time to the SLU recruitment cause, please
contact our alumni relations office at alumni@
slu.edu for more information.
I hope you enjoy reading about our 20th
anniversary class of Presidential Scholars as
much as I have enjoyed catching up with these
10 alumni.
Lawrence Biondi, S.J.,
President
SLU’s Presidential Scholarship celebrates its 20th anniversary.
Photo by Jim Visser
{ president’s message } { contents }
8 | The Billiken: From Fad to Icon
Learn how the Billiken came to be
and how he came to SLU in this
article celebrating the unique mascot’s
100 years. — By Nick Sargent
12 | Life, Hope and Homilies
Philosophy professor John
Kavanaugh, S.J., has been raising
tough questions for more than 30
years. Now he gives some answers.
— By Laura Geiser
16 | In Case of Emergency
How well is SLU prepared for a crisis?
A new emergency preparedness team
is making sure the University is ready
for anything. — By Clayton Berry
19 | Primary Scholars
SLU’s inaugural class of Presidential
Scholars arrived on campus 20 years
ago. Find out where these 10 alumni
are today. — By Marie Dilg
2 | On Campus
Homecoming marks the Billiken’s
birthday • New rankings released •
Avian flu research • Heritage Hall •
Art exhibits • Convocation
6 | Billiken News
Basketball schedules • Trost on all-
NCAA team • Volleyball wins big
7 | Advancement News
A conversation with David
Suwalsky, S.J., director of SLU’s
museums and galleries.
24 | class notes
Catch up with classmates.
28 | In Memoriam
Remembering those members of the
SLU community who recently died.
30 | alumni events
Find SLU alumni activities wherever
you live.
32 | Perspective
A recent alumnus discusses the
criminal justice system.
33 | the last word
Letters to the editor.
8 19
12
features depar tments
6
2 U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 8 3
{ on campus }
To celebrate the Billiken’s 100th year, the University
threw two birthday celebrations to coincide with
Homecoming and Family Weekend, which drew
thousands of graduates and parents to campus Sept. 26-28.
In all, more than 2,500 alumni and friends and 1,200 par-ents
and family members made their way to SLU’s campus.
The schedule of events included class reunions, jazz socials,
campus tours and a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game.
The birthday celebration kicked off in the Family Fun
Area on Saturday, where alumni, parents and students
turned out to make birthday hats, enjoy birthday-themed
activities and eat cupcakes. The Billiken had only one wish
for his birthday party: that all of his friends bring new
children’s books, later donated to a special program at SSM
Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center. Almost 200
books were collected.
The birthday celebration continued that night, as the
men’s soccer team won its game against in-state rival Mis-souri
State University by a 3-0 margin, with almost 5,800
in attendance. It was the second largest crowd in Hermann
Stadium history.
During halftime, the stadium lights dropped, and a three-tier
cake was brought onto the field. The capacity crowd
sang “Happy Birthday” to the Billiken. As soon as the song
ended, a fireworks display erupted over the stadium.
Homecoming Weekend also featured tours of the new
Chaifetz Arena, the annual golf cart parade, a barbecue,
Mass, brunch and a concert.
“With wonderful events and spectacular weather, we
really celebrated the Billiken’s birthday in style, and we are
already looking forward to next year,” said Meg Connolly
(A&S ’90, Grad ’92), associate vice president for alumni
relations and annual giving.
The 2009 Homecoming Weekend is scheduled for Sept. 25-
27. Call the office of alumni relations at (314) 977-2250 to help
with reunion planning.
Homecoming celebrates 100 years of the Billiken
Scenes from
this year’s
homecoming
This summer, two national
publications recognized
Saint Louis University as
one of the best schools
in the country for under-graduate
education. U.S.
News & World Report’s
“America’s Best Colleges”
ranks SLU 80th out of
more than 260 national
universities in the United States. The ranking placed
SLU among the top five Jesuit universities in the
country for the sixth consecutive year. U.S. News
also gave high marks to the University’s undergrad-uate
engineering and business programs.
The Princeton Review’s 2009 edition of The Best
368 Colleges places SLU in the top 15 percent of
America’s 2,500 four-year colleges. Listings in book
are based on institutional data, school visits and
feedback from students, independent college coun-selors
and parents. However schools are chosen
primarily for their outstanding academics.
SLU earns
U.S. News,
Princeton
Review
honors
Researchers
study avian flu
Saint Louis University School of
Medicine has begun one of the larg-est
avian flu clinical trials in the United
States to test a new vaccine approach to
prevent the disease.
The study tests whether an injection
of an FDA-approved avian flu vaccine
created in 2004 can prime the body’s
immune system so a second shot of a
different avian flu vaccine can protect
against avian flu infection.
Public health experts are concerned
that the avian flu could become the
next influenza pandemic because bird
viruses have started previous outbreaks.
The study will examine the vigor of the
body’s antibody response and the safety
of the vaccines.
SLU is the lead site of the research,
which is sponsored by the National In-stitute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,
part of the National Institutes of Health,
and will include up to five study sites.
SLU named a great
place to work
In its “2008 Great Colleges to Work For”
issue, The Chronicle of Higher Education
recognized Saint Louis University as one of
the best universities to work for in the nation.
SLU was one of five institutions of higher
education with 2,500 or more employees
recognized in the following categories:
Teaching
Environment:
Faculty members
say the institution
recognizes innova-tive
and high-quali-ty
teaching.
Tenure Clarity
and Process:
Requirements for
tenure are clear,
faculty members
say.
Housing
Assistance
Programs:
The “Hometown
SLU” program
provides forgiv-able
loans toward
homes purchased
in neighborhoods
near the University.
403(b) or 401(k):
Saint Louis
University offers
an award-winning
retirement plan.
New endowed
chair benefits
ophthalmolo g y
Dr. Anwar Shah, a former
SLU faculty member, has
established an endowed chair
in ophthalmology. Shah began
his relationship with SLU as an
intern and resident in ophthal-mology,
after coming to the
United States from Pakistan as a
Fulbright Scholar in 1955.
After completing fellowships
at Washington University in St. Louis and Harvard Medical School,
Shah became director of retina services in SLU’s department of
ophthalmology. He was a member of the SLU faculty for years,
training numerous ophthalmology residents. In 1980, he built the St.
Louis Eye Hospital, a 160,000.
4 U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 8 5
CONVOCATION
CELEBRATION
For the first time, in August Saint
Louis University’s annual convocation
to welcome new students and their
families to the SLU community was
held at Chaifetz Arena. Previously
held in St. Francis Xavier College
Church, convocation moved to the
arena this year to allow more faculty
and staff to participate in the event.
{ on campus } Viewing Heritage Hall on the day of its dedication are (from left): Dr. Patricia
Demuth, former coordinator of gerontological nursing at the School of
Nursing; Sister Noreen McGowan (seated), former faculty member and director
of nursing at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital; and Virginia Patton Spe-noga,
former faculty member.
Nursing School marks anniversary
with Heritage Hall installation
When Saint Louis University School of Nursing marked its
80th anniversary by unveiling its Heritage Hall, one sec-tion
was left empty by design.
“Visitors to Heritage Hall will learn of the many greats we have
achieved as an innovator in nursing education. But the best is yet
to come,” said Dr. Teri Murray (Nurs ’79, Grad ’93, ’97), dean of
the School of Nursing.
Located on the second floor of the School of Nursing Building,
Heritage Hall is a three-dimensional timeline of the School of
Nursing’s milestones. It was dedicated Sept. 27.
A seed donation for Heritage Hall was made in honor of Dr.
Joan Carter (Nurs ’58, Grad ’62), associate dean emerita of the
School of Nursing. Alumni and other friends of the School of
Nursing contributed to the historical remembrance.
Faculty from Saint
Louis University’s
Doisy College of
Health Sciences and
the department of
nutrition and dietetics’
Fresh Gatherings
cafeteria are featured
in a book by author
Patricia Corrigan called Eating St. Louis: The Gate-way
City’s Unique Food Culture. The hardcover book
serves up stories and photos of the places, people
and foods that have
come to define and feed
St. Louis. It also features
little-known tales about
local restaurants, food
manufacturers, groceries
and specialty food shops.
Eating St. Louis can be
ordered online at: www.
eatingstlouis.com.
Doisy
College
featured
in book
Rec Center reminder
Whether you’re a member of SLU’s
Simon Recreation Center or
not, alumni may enroll in most of the
center’s fitness classes, including Pilates,
yoga, aerobics, spinning, kickboxing,
bouldering and swimming. Several
dance classes also are offered. There is
a moderate fee for class enrollment, and
all skill levels are welcomed. Classes and
schedules vary, so visit www.slu.edu/
organizations/crcisc for details or call
(314) 977-3969.
As the Billiken
celebrates
his 100th
birthday
Issues of Universitas that feature the
Billiken on the cover (including this one)
NCAA Division I Billiken
teams at SLU
Billiken statues on campus
(plus, there’s a Billiken-shaped
topiary)
Individuals inducted
into SLU’s athletic
Billiken Hall of Fame
Pageviews of SLU’s “What’s a Billiken?”
page (www.slu.edu/billiken.xml) during
the last three months 8 18 2 227 5,397
t h e A R T S a t S L U
SLUMA shows
‘Diebenkorn,
Hockney and
Dine’ works
The Saint Louis University
Museum of Art is present-ing
“Diebenkorn, Hockney
and Dine: Selected Prints
from the Bank of America
Collection.” This iconic trio
of contemporary artists
is represented by more
than 100 of their respec-tive
prints spanning the
period between 1950 and
1986. The works on paper
reveal explorations into the
aesthetics of line, color and
formal complexity. SLUMA’s
hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
Wednesday through Sun-day.
For more information,
visit sluma.slu.edu.
MOCRA’s
‘Pursuit of the
Spirit’ marks
15 years
This fall, visitors to SLU’s
Museum of Contemporary
Religious Art can view the
exhibition “Pursuit of the
Spirit,” which draws on art-ists
and artworks selected
from the museum’s first 35
exhibitions. As the museum
celebrates its 15th an-niversary,
the selections are
dedicated to the ongoing
dialogue between con-temporary
artists and the
world’s faith traditions. The
museum is open 11 a.m.
to 4 p.m., Tuesday through
Sunday. For more informa-tion,
call (314) 977-7170 or
visit mocra.slu.edu.
Campaign
memorabilia
on display at
SLUMA
The Saint Louis University
Museum of Art is exhibit-ing
“Persuasive Politics:
Presidential Campaign
Memorabilia.” Centuries of
presidential memorabilia are
showcased in the collec-tion:
a George Washington
coat button, an “I Like Ike”
cigarette pack and an 1860
Abraham Lincoln campaign
coin are among the more
than 700 campaign items,
ranging from the historic and
stoic to the contemporary
and whimsical. SLUMA’s
hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
Wednesday through Sun-day.
For more information,
visit sluma.slu.edu.
Madonna and Child. Frederick
J. Brown (1994-95), oil and
mixed media on canvas.
McKinley campaign pin
with flag ribbon.
Clubs-Blue Ground. Richard
Diebenkorn (1982), etching,
spitbite aquatint, drypoint.
Public Health receives 26.3 million contract from
the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The new contract is in addition to last year’s $26.8
million, five-year contract to the School of Public Health to follow the health of children
from St. Louis City and Macoupin County in Illinois.
FIRST CLASS
This fall, Saint Louis
University debuted a new
classroom building at 3721
Laclede Ave. The building,
which was the former home
of Forest Pharmaceuticals,
was completely gutted and
renovated this summer.
Now known as the Laclede
Classroom Building, the fa-cility
boasts 15 classrooms,
a new forensics/anthropol-ogy
lab and several seminar
rooms.
Photo by Steve Dolan
Photo by Steve Dolan
Photo by Kevin Lowder
date opponent place time
Nov. 05 vs. Harris-Stowe State St. Louis 7 p.m.
(ExhIBITION)
Nov. 14 vs. Missouri-St. Louis St. Louis 7 p.m.
Nov. 19 vs. Kent State St. Louis 7 p.m.
Nov. 22 vs. Boston College St. Louis 1 p.m.
Nov. 25 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb. 7 p.m.
Nov. 29 at Detroit Mercy Detroit 1 p.m.
Dec. 02 at Southern Illinois Carbondale, Ill. 7 p.m.
Dec. 06 vs. Savannah State St. Louis 7 p.m.
Dec. 13 vs. Samford St. Louis 4 p.m.
Las Vegas Classic
Dec. 17 vs. USC Upstate St. Louis 7 p.m.
Dec. 19 vs. Liberty St. Louis 7 p.m.
Dec. 22 vs. DePaul Las Vegas 7 p.m.
Dec. 23 Las Vegas Classic Las Vegas 6:30 or
Championship 9 p.m.
Dec. 30 vs. UMBC St. Louis 8 p.m.
Jan. 02 vs. North Carolina A&T St. Louis 7 p.m.
Jan. 08 at Xavier Cincinnati 7 p.m.
Jan. 14 vs. Massachusetts St. Louis 7 p.m.
Jan. 17 vs. George Washington St. Louis TBA
Jan. 22 at Temple Philadelphia 7 p.m.
Jan. 25 vs. Richmond St. Louis 2 p.m.
Jan. 29 at Dayton Dayton, Ohio 7 p.m.
Jan. 31 at Fordham Bronx, N.Y. 6 p.m.
Feb. 04 vs. Duquesne St. Louis TBA
Feb. 08 at Richmond Richmond, Va. 1 p.m.
Feb. 11 vs. Charlotte St. Louis 7 p.m.
Feb. 14 at Rhode Island Kingston, R.I. 1 p.m.
Feb. 1
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textFall 2009 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis UniversityFALL 2 0 0 9
Inside:
SLU Students
for Life
Page 8
Men’s soccer’s 50th
Page 12
Gutenberg
leaf donation
Page 16
Madrid memories
Page 28
2 U N I V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u
Life lessons | 8
SLU’s Students for Life group
is recognized nationally for
its efforts close to home.
— by Nick Sargent
goal keepers | 12
The Billiken men’s soccer team
celebrates 50 years and 10
national championships.
— by Christopher Boyce
a noble fragment | 16
The gift of a rare Gutenberg Bible leaf
enhances SLU’s special collections.
— by Marie Dilg
world class | 18
Meet six students who came
to Saint Louis University
from around the world.
— by Allison Babka
2 | On Campus
2009 Homecoming • Record
enrollment • Billiken stuffed
toy available • H1N1 research
• Education and Public
Service dean named
5 | Billiken News
Basketball schedules • SLU
to host NCAA Tournament
6 | Advancement News
Meet 38 benefactors who recently
had SLU buildings, centers and
rooms named in their honor.
23 | class notes
Catch up with classmates •
Legacies: Freshmen and their
SLU families • Memorias
Bonitas: Alumni share their
Madrid Campus memories
29 | In Memoriam
Remember those members
of the SLU community
who recently died.
30 | alumni events
Find SLU alumni activities
wherever you live.
32 | Perspective
A member of the class of 1959
reflects on his 50-year reunion.
33 | the last word
Letters to the editor
features depa r tment s
{ contents }
Volume 3 6, Issue 1
Edi tor
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
Contributors
Allison Babka
Christopher Boyce
Marie Dilg (Grad SW ’94)
Nick Sargent
“On Campus” news storie s
University Communications
Medical Center Communications
Billiken Media Relations
Cov er Photo
Jay Fram
De sign
Art Direction: Matt Krob
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. Address all
mail to Universitas, DuBourg Hall 39, One Grand Blvd.,
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,
One Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103.
World Wide Web address:
www.slu.edu/pr/universitas.html
Universitas is printed by Universal Printing Co.
Worldwide circulation: 111,390
© 2009, Saint Louis University
All rights reserved.
F A L L 2 0 0 4 W I N T E R 2 0 0 5
In October, I had the pleasure of celebrat-ing
my 22nd Homecoming weekend here
at Saint Louis University. Even with a few
rain clouds this year, I always enjoy catching up
with alumni — from those who are returning
just months after graduation to our Golden Bil-likens,
who celebrate their 50-year class reunion.
Each Homecoming it never ceases to amaze
our alumni how much SLU and our neighbor-hood
have changed since their days as students.
I know that while many of you live hundreds
of miles away from your alma mater, you take
great pride in the revitalization happening here
in Midtown St. Louis.
If you have not been back to Midtown during
the past 20, 10 — even the past few years — a
lot has changed. And it’s not just your fellow
SLU alumni who have noticed.
Earlier this year, Saint Louis University was
recognized by the Coalition of Urban and Met-ropolitan
Universities as one of the “Saviors of
Our Cities” in the organization’s survey of Best
College and University Civic
Partnerships.
I am proud that for nearly
two centuries, we have not
only built character by educat-ing
students in the Jesuit tradi-tion,
but we also have built St.
Louis through our efforts to
reshape our campus and the
areas that surround us.
Truly, our engagement in
Midtown allows SLU to live
out a Jesuit ideal we hold
so dear: being women and
men for others. Our ongoing
investments in the commu-nity
— including our two
most ambitious building
projects: Chaifetz Arena and
the Edward A. Doisy Re-search
Center — have served as catalysts to new
developments and new jobs. I am quite proud
of the significant role Saint Louis University has
played in the progress of our region, especially
in Midtown St. Louis.
Since opening our on-campus Chaifetz Arena
on April 10, 2008, development has boomed in
the area surrounding campus. In the area east
of Chaifetz Arena, developers have revived long
vacant and run-down buildings into a thriving
mixed-used business district. We’ve welcomed
four new restaurants and a number of other new
businesses in this area that has become known
as Midtown Alley.
Buildings that surround the campus such as the
Moolah Temple and the historic Coronado Hotel
have been transformed from empty, decrepit spac-es
into modern urban palaces. At the Moolah you
will find many of our students watching a movie
on its big screen or bowling a few games down-stairs.
Once the premier hotel in St. Louis, the
Coronado is now home to some great restaurants,
offers apartments to many of our undergraduate
and graduate students and hosts many of the city’s
elite events in its regally restored ballroom.
Growth has so transformed SLU’s neighbor-hood
that a local publication selected Midtown
as the best neighborhood for restaurants this
year, a lofty honor in a city with such a rich
culinary culture.
It is because of your continued interest in
SLU that we can continue to have a positive im-pact
on our community. Your support not only
moves us one step closer to Saint Louis Uni-versity
becoming the finest Catholic university
in the nation, it moves us closer to restoring St.
Louis as one of the country’s finest communities.
Whether during Homecoming 2010 or some-time
earlier, I hope you will visit your old SLU
and Midtown haunts and see how your campus
neighborhood has changed.
Lawrence Biondi, S.J.
President
{ president’s message }
8
12
16
18
Photo by Kevin Lowder
Missing this issue’s “By the Numbers?” See page 13.
2 U N I V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u f a l l ’ 0 9 U N I V E R S I T A S 3
News Briefs
Representing more than three dozen specialties, 148
SLUCare doctors were selected for St. Louis Maga-zine’s
2009 “Best Doctors” list. The list is based on the
annual “Best Doctors in America” database, which
considers more than one million peer evaluations to
create a directory of approximately 30,000 doctors.
SLU once again has earned national recognition in the
Chronicle of Higher Education’s second annual “Great
Colleges to Work For” survey. SLU was honored
in six categories among institutions with more than
10,000 students, up from four categories last year.
The 1818 Advanced College Credit Program marked
50 years with a celebration in October. The program
provides qualified high school juniors and seniors
in partner schools the opportunity to begin college
course work. In addition to receiving credit toward high
school graduation, students may opt to dual enroll in
courses approved for college credit through SLU.
Dr. Bryan Clair, associate professor in the depart-ment
of mathematics and computer science, is
Saint Louis University’s recipient of the 2009 Em-erson
Excellence in Teaching Award. His research
areas include topology and graph theory, and he
has been on the SLU faculty since 2000.
Two members of the Saint Louis University family
received Lifetime Achievement awards from the St.
Louis Business Journal at its Health Care Heroes
recognition ceremony Oct. 1: Dr. Robert Belshe,
director of the Center for Vaccine Development and
the Dianna and J. Joseph Adorjan Endowed Chair
of Infectious Diseases; and Dr. Anthony Rejent,
clinical professor of pediatrics.
Pius XII Memorial Library is extending its hours.
Through Dec. 15, the library will be open 24 hours
a day, five days a week. “Students have been
requesting 24-hour access to Pius Library for many
years,” said Dr. Gail Staines, assistant provost for
University libraries.
{ on campus }
Photo by Steve Dolan
Homecoming 2009:
Don’t rain on SLU’s parade
A rainbow cast across the early evening sky was a sure sign that Saint Louis
University’s Homecoming and Family Weekend was a major success despite
a few showers.
More than 3,400 alumni, parents and family members attended more than
40 events Sept. 25-27. Attendees didn't let intermittent rain on Saturday de-ter
them from enjoying campus tram tours, an ice cream social, a barbecue
and more.
“Even though the weather wasn’t picture perfect Saturday, our alumni had
a great time coming back to campus this year,” said Meg (Burnes) Connolly
(A&S ’90, Grad ’92), associate vice president for alumni relations.
Among the highlights of the weekend were the annual golf cart parade with
students, staff and administrators decorating their carts in a 1950s theme, as
well as a fireworks extravaganza during the halftime of SLU’s soccer match
against Tulsa.
Each year, there are special events for those alumni marking their 50-year
reunion. More than 260 of these Golden Billikens attended a Sunday brunch
— making it one of the most successful in history.
SLU boasts record
enrollment
For the first time in its history, Saint
Louis University is enrolling more
than 13,000 students — 13,313, to be
exact. This record-breaking number is
bolstered by a freshman class of 1,597
students, which is the second largest in
SLU history.
The freshmen also are among SLU’s
brightest ever. The mean grade point
average of the class is 3.71, and the average
ACT score is 27. The class also includes
242 honors students, another Saint Louis
University record.
SLU’s first-year students are geographi-cally
diverse, too. In all, 65 percent come
from outside the St. Louis area, and U.S.
students represent 39 states, from New
York to Hawaii. The class also includes
nearly 200 new international freshmen
from outside of the United States, repre-senting
13 countries.
Take the
Billiken
homeS
aint Louis
University’s
unique mascot
is now a
unique
stuffed toy.
Working
with Build-
A-Bear Workshop,
SLU now has a
taller, softer and
more realistic
looking stuffed
Billiken that is getting rave reviews.
Designed by St. Louis-based Build-
A-Bear, the plush Billiken arrived on
campus in early fall and is available at
the Barnes and Noble Bookstore and at
Chaifetz Arena. You also can purchase
a Billiken and other SLU merchandise
online at slu.bncollege.com.
U.S. News ranks SLU
among finest Jesuit
universities
Saint Louis University is one of the
nation’s finest Jesuit universities,
according to the 2010 edition of U.S.
News & World Report’s “America’s
Best Colleges” edition. In the listings,
SLU ranked 88th among the more
than 260 national universities in the
country — a list topped by Harvard,
Princeton and Yale. The ranking
placed SLU among the top five U.S.
Jesuit universities for the seventh
consecutive year.
Individual undergraduate programs
also were highlighted in this year’s
U.S. News rankings. The University’s
undergraduate engineering programs
were ranked No. 38 in the country.
And SLU's undergraduate busi-ness
programs ranked No. 101. The
business school’s entrepreneurship
program earned the No. 16 spot.
Dean named for College of Education
and Public Service
This summer Dr. John Watzke was appointed dean of the College
of Education and Public Service. He joined the Saint Louis Uni-versity
faculty in 2007 as chairman of the department of educational
studies. He had served as interim dean of the college since August
2008.
Watzke said one of his first goals as dean is to call upon the vast
network of professionals who are graduates of the college’s programs.
“My vision is to bring together a professional network, with our fac-ulty
and our students, to more fully impact our city and our state,” Watzke said.
Before arriving at SLU, Watzke held positions as administrator, faculty and
fellow in the Institute for Educational Initiatives at the University of Notre Dame.
Celebrating the Spirit:
Archbishop Robert Carl-son,
newly installed lead-er
of the St. Louis Archdi-ocese,
presided over the
Mass of the Holy Spirit
Aug. 27 at Saint Louis
University. The annual
event at the beginning of
the school year drew an
estimated 1,100 student,
faculty and staff worship-ers
to St. Francis Xavier
College Church.
New endowed
professorship named
for CADE professor
Dr. Eustáquio Araújo, professor of ortho-dontics
at Saint Louis University, was
invested as the inaugural holder of the Pete
Sotiropoulos Endowed Professor of Ortho-dontics
on Sept. 24. The endowed profes-sorship,
which is the first for the orthodontic
program, is named for Dr. Pete Sotiropoulos (Dent ’48, Grad ’50),
the first graduate of the master’s program and a longtime professor
and administrator at SLU's Center for Advanced Dental Education.
“The history of the Saint Louis University orthodontic program
has a lot to do with Dr. Pete — he is one of the icons of this place,”
said Araújo, who also directs the orthodontic clinic at CADE. “To
carry his name with me is a major responsibility and honor.”
College Church marks 125 years
St. Francis Xavier College Church has kicked off its 125th an-niversary
of serving St. Louis in its pres-ent
location with a yearlong series of events.
The celebration will include a speaker series,
concerts, liturgies, an exhibition of College
Church historic artifacts at the Saint Louis Uni-versity
Museum of Art and other activities.
In addition, several commemorative items have
been produced to celebrate the anniversary. A
Christmas ornament (pictured right,
actual size), Christmas cards, mugs,
shirts and other mementos mark-ing
the celebration will be available
at the church, the SLU bookstore
and elsewhere. For more informa-tion,
visit collegechurch.slu.edu.
Araújo
Photo by Kevin Lowder
4 U N I V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u f a l l ’ 0 9 U N I V E R S I T A S 5
{ billiken news }
oct 30 / 09 vs. arkansas-fort smith (E xh) Chaifetz Arena 8 P.M.
Nov 07 / 09 vs. St. Ambrose (E xh) Chaifetz Arena 2 P.M.
Nov 14 / 09 vs. Southeast Missouri State Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
Nov 18 / 09 vs. Nebraska Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
Chicago Invitational Challenge
Nov 22 / 09 vs. Kennesaw State Chaifetz Arena 1 P.M.
Nov 24 / 09 vs. Mississippi Valley State Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
Nov 27 / 09 vs. Iowa State Chicago (UIC Pavilion) 5 P.M.
Nov 28 / 09 vs. Northwestern / Notre Dame Chicago (UIC Pavilion) 4:30 / 7 P.M.
dec 02 / 09 at Georgia Athens, Ga. 6 P.M.
dec 05 / 09 vs. Southern Illinois Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
dec 12 / 09 vs. Rockhurst Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
dec 16 / 09 vs. Belmont Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
dec 19 / 09 vs. Missouri State Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
dec 22 / 09 vs. UMKC Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
dec 29 / 09 vs. Eastern Illinois Chaifetz Arena 8 P.M.
jan 02 / 10 at Bowling Green Bowling Green, Ohio 7 P.M.
jan 09 / 10 vs. Richmond Chaifetz Arena 4 P.M.
jan 13 / 10 at Duquesne Pittsburgh 6 P.M.
jan 17 / 10 at Charlotte Charlotte, N.C. 3 P.M.
jan 20 / 10 vs. Fordham Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
jan 27 / 10 at George Washington Washington, D.C. 6 P.M.
jan 30 / 10 at Richmond Richmond, Va. 1 P.M.
feb 03 / 10 vs. St. Bonaventure Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
feb 06 / 10 at La Salle Philadelphia 3 P.M.
feb 09 / 10 at Saint Joseph’s Philadelphia 6 P.M.
feb 13 / 10 vs. Dayton Chaifetz Arena 3 P.M.
feb 17 / 10 vs. Rhode Island Chaifetz Arena 8 P.M.
feb 21 / 10 at Massachusetts Amherst, Mass. 3 P.M.
feb 24 / 10 vs. Xavier Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
feb 27 / 10 vs. Duquesne Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
mar 03 / 10 vs. Temple Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
mar 06 / 10 at Dayton Dayton, Ohio 6 P.M.
mar 09 - 14 atlantic 10 tournament Atlantic City, N.J. tba
Nov 05 / 09 vs. Southwest Baptist (E xh) Chaifetz Arena 6 P.M.
Nov 13 / 09 vs. Southern Illinois Chaifetz Arena 8 P.M.
Nov 18 / 09 at Missouri State Springfield, Mo. 7:05 P.M.
Nov 21 / 09 vs. Butler Chaifetz Arena 2 P.M.
Courtyard by Marriott LA Westside Thanksgiving Classic
Nov 27 / 09 at Loyola Marymount Los Angeles 3 P.M.
Nov 28 / 09 vs. Montana / South Florida Los Angeles TBA
Nov 30 / 09 vs. Arkansas State Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
dec 04 / 09 at Creighton Omaha, Neb. 7:05 P.M.
dec 06 / 09 at Evansville Evansville, Ind. 4 P.M.
dec 13 / 09 vs. Indiana Chaifetz Arena 2 P.M.
dec 17 / 09 at Oakland Rochester, Mich. 5:30 P.M.
dec 19 / 09 at Western Michigan Kalamazoo, Mich. 1 P.M.
dec 23 / 09 vs. Tennessee Tech Chaifetz Arena 2 P.M.
dec 29 / 09 vs. Bradley Chaifetz Arena 5:30 P.M.
jan 02 / 10 at Memphis Memphis, Tenn. noon
jan 06 / 10 vs. SIU Edwardsville Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
jan 09 / 10 at St. Bonaventure Olean, N.Y. Noon
jan 13 / 10 vs. Massachusetts Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
jan 15 / 10 vs. Rhode Island Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
jan 20 / 10 at Xavier Cincinnati 6 P.M.
jan 27 / 10 vs. Temple Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
jan 30 / 10 at Charlotte Charlotte, N.C. 6 P.M.
feb 02 / 10 vs. Duquesne Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
feb 07 / 10 at Dayton Dayton, Ohio 1 P.M.
feb 10 / 10 vs. La Salle Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
feb 13 / 10 at Saint Joseph’s Philadelphia 1 P.M.
feb 16 / 10 at Fordham Bronx, N.Y. 6 P.M.
feb 18 / 10 vs. Charlotte Chaifetz Arena 7 P.M.
feb 23 / 10 at George Washington Washington, D.C. 6 P.M.
feb 28 / 10 vs. Richmond Chaifetz Arena Noon
MAR 05-08 ATLANTIC 10 TOURNAMENT Upper Marlboro, Md. TBa
2009-10 BILLIKEN MEN’S BASKETBALL schedule 2009-10 BILLIKEN woMEN’S BASKETBALL schedule
Former Saint Louis University standout guard
Kevin Lisch (Cook ’09) has signed a profes-sional
contract with the Perth Wildcats of the
Australian National Basketball League.
This spring SLU head swimming and diving
coach Jim Halliburton became the seventh
male swimmer inducted into the Ozark Swim-ming
Hall of Fame and also was selected to
the Missouri Athletic Club Hall of Fame for his
coaching achievements. This summer at the St.
Louis Senior Olympics, Halliburton turned in 11
record-breaking performances, each of which
earned him a gold medal in the men’s 50-54
age group.
This summer, Tim Kelly was added to the men’s
soccer coaching staff as a full-time goalkeeper
coach, while former Billiken Brian Grazier (Cook
’08) was brought in to serve as the program’s
graduate student manager. Grazier played for
the soccer Billikens from 2003 to 2007. Fol-lowing
his graduation, he played professionally
for one season with the Colorado Rapids of
Major League Soccer. He is pursuing a master’s
degree in higher education at the University. In
addition, Dave Beck was promoted to the lead
assistant coaching slot.
Former SLU soccer All-Ameri-can
Brad Davis (2000-01) played
every minute and scored the only
goal for the Major League Soc-cer
All-Stars in the MLS All-Star
Game against Everton FC of the
English Premier League July 29 in
Sandy, Utah. Davis is a midfielder
with the Houston Dynamo.
Saint Louis University cross country/track and
field has three new coaches. Ryan Bak was
added as a women’s distance coach, while Jes-sica
Scott joined the staff as a middle-distance
coach. Valorie Thorson coaches the Billikens’
sprinters.
The SLU men’s and women’s track and field
teams earned spots on the U.S. Track and Field
and Cross Country Coaches Association 2009
Division I All-Academic Track and Field Team
lists. The Billiken men’s squad posted a cumula-tive
GPA of 3.211, ranking 12th in the country
and leading all Atlantic 10 Conference schools.
The women’s team ranked 35th in the nation
with a 3.332 cumulative GPA.
SLU to host 2012 NCAA
Tournament Regional
The NCAA has named Saint Louis
University as the host institution and
the Edward Jones Dome as the site for a
2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tourna-ment
Regional. The three games will be
played at the Edward Jones Dome March
23 and 25, 2012. It will be the 15th time
that St. Louis has held either a men’s or
women’s NCAA basketball tournament,
including five Final Fours.
“Saint Louis University recognizes the
strong tradition of successful events hosted
locally by the Missouri Valley Conference,
the St. Louis Sports Commission and the
St. Louis Convention and Visitors Com-mission,
and SLU is pleased to lead this
bid to showcase the city of St. Louis as one
of the top sports cities in America,” SLU
director of athletics Chris May said.
SLU and the MVC have agreed to
alternate as the hosts for NCAA tourna-ments
held in St. Louis. In this bid cycle,
the University will serve as the host.
billiken beat
Brad Davis
Saint Louis University Billiken basketball is kicking off its
second season in Chaifetz Arena. Tickets for both men’s
and women’s games are available by visiting
www.slubillikens.com or by calling (314) 977-4SLU.
Photos by
Jed Jacobsohn /
Getty Images
On Oct. 6, as the first doses of H1N1
vaccine were being delivered, U.S.
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Kathleen Sebelius and U.S. Rep. William
Lacy Clay Jr. visited Saint Louis University
to share important information about the
new H1N1 flu vaccine and how to best
prevent the spread of this disease.
SLU’s Center for Vaccine Development
is one of only eight centers funded by the
National Institutes of Health to conduct
vaccine research and is leading some pivotal
H1N1 vaccine clinical studies. SLU is study-ing
the H1N1 influenza vaccine in adults,
children and pregnant women.
“The work that has gone on here and at
other vaccine centers across the country will
prevent illness and save lives in the months
ahead,” said University President Lawrence
Biondi, S.J. “We are very proud to have been
part of this critically important research.”
Sebelius praised SLU for its leadership
role in testing the 2009 H1N1 influenza vac-cine
and protecting public health.
“Without jeopardizing any safety steps,
this vaccine is coming to market f
Louis E. Caister (circa 1975)
No full textDr. Louis E. Caister served as the Dean of Academic Affairs at Asbury Theological Seminary from 1976 to 1983.https://place.asburyseminary.edu/ecommonsatsimages/1015/thumbnail.jp
Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University
No full textFall 2007 issue of Universitas: the magazine of Saint Louis University. This is a special issue on Fr. Biondi's 20th anniversary as University President.Inside
A DuBourg
Hall Makeover
{ page 14 }
Library Treasures
{ page 16 }
Student on a Mission
{ page 20 }
Celebrating
Father
Biondi’s
Anniversary
{ page 8 }
U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 1
Fall leaves frame O’Donnell Hall, home of the Saint Louis University Museum of Art.
Photo by Kevin Lowder
20 Years and
Counting
A Q&A with University
President Lawrence
Biondi, S.J., as he
marks a milestone
anniversary at SLU.
By Laura Geiser
Photo by James Visser
Volume 34, Issue 1
E d i t o r
Laura Geiser (A&S ’90, Grad ’92)
C o n t r i b u t o r s
Allison Babka
Marie Dilg (SW ’94)
Lauren Olson (Intern)
Nick Sargent
“ O n C a m p u s ” n e w s s t o r i e s
University Communications
Medical Center Communications
Billiken Media Relations
De s i g n
Art Direction: Matthew Krob
Universitas is published by Saint Louis University. Opin-ions
expressed in Universitas are those of the individual
authors and not necessarily those of the University ad-ministration.
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 pub-lication
should indicate that fact. The editor reserves the
right to edit all items. Address all mail to Universitas,
DuBourg Hall 39, 221 N. Grand, St. Louis, Mo. 63103.
We accept e-mail at [email protected] 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 Specialty Mailing.
Worldwide circulation: 121,408
© 2007, Saint Louis University
All rights reserved.
Cover photo by James Visser
Because University President
Lawrence Biondi, S.J., is
sharing his thoughts in a
Q&A that appears on pages
8-13 of this issue, he begged
off his usual president’s
message and asked me to write
an editor’s message instead.
From 1900-1908 Saint Louis University
was led by William Banks Rogers, S.J., a
visionary who is said to have transformed
SLU. In just eight years as president, he Ameri-canized
and modernized SLU’s academic struc-ture,
re-established the School of Medicine, ex-panded
the campus, rebuilt the athletic program
and made plans to open a School of Law.
Rogers had a brief but groundbreaking ten-ure
marked by his prophetic grasp of future
trends, including his early understanding of
the importance of public relations, his em-phasis
on alumni development
and his commitment to the St.
Louis community.
In Better the Dream, a history
of Saint Louis University by
William Barnaby Faherty, S.J.,
Rogers is dubbed the “Second
Founder of Saint Louis Univer-sity.”
Clearly he was a fascinat-ing,
driven man.
I have been intrigued by
Rogers’ story since stumbling
across his achievements many
years ago. But there are prob-ably
very few other people on campus (except
maybe our archivists) who even know his name.
You see, his legacy is not widely known at SLU
today. Yes, SLU once had a Rogers Hall, but
that building is now known as Jesuit Hall. And,
yes, Rogers’ portrait does hang on the second
floor of DuBourg Hall, but it is just one of 30
paintings of past SLU presidents that adorns
the long hallway.
Someday a portrait of our current president,
Lawrence Biondi, S.J., will hang there, too
— his legacy for time and history to decide.
Perhaps one day, Biondi will be known as the
“Founder of the Modern Saint Louis Univer-sity.”
It’s certainly possible.
Like Rogers before him, Biondi has done his
share of transforming Saint Louis University
during his 20 years here. Of course, his ef-forts
to improve SLU’s physical campus come
to mind first. But there’s more to his tenure
than that. Just as Rogers did, Biondi has em-phasized
academics, established new schools,
re-energized the athletic program and made
SLU a force in the community. (Read about
his reflections on his years at SLU beginning
on page 8.)
Of course, Biondi would be quick to tell you
that he didn’t do it alone. And as I speculate
Rogers would agree, Biondi knows his legacy
is not about him — it is about leaving an out-standing
university for his successor to lead.
The concept of “legacies” brings to mind a
story I heard from Father Biondi’s former as-sistant,
Mike Isaacson (A&S ’86, Grad Cook
’96), a Broadway producer whom I interviewed
for the summer issue of Universitas.
“You know, the interesting thing about work-ing
for a university is that universities are liv-ing
in a weird world,” Isaacson said. “They’re
about today, and they’re about 200 years from
today at the same time. And, when you think
about the legions of people who have worked
for Saint Louis U., and you
walk through those halls, you
can kind of feel history.
“I remember once, early on
with Biondi, we were leaving a
meeting, and it had gone hor-ribly.
He was so frustrated.
“We were quietly walking
in DuBourg Hall through the
second-floor hallway that has
all the paintings of past SLU
presidents. We get two-thirds
down the hall, and Biondi just
stops, and he points at one of
them and says, ‘Who’s that?’
And I say, ‘I don’t know.’ And he says, ‘My
point exactly, so let’s just keep going.’
“It was that sense of even though you may
be heading an institution, the institution is far
bigger than you will ever be, and time leaves
your name in the dust. Your obligation to here
and now is to leave the lights on when your
time is through.”
Maybe that portrait they stopped at was of
Father Rogers; maybe it wasn’t. In any case, I
do know the lights are on at Saint Louis Uni-versity
— both literally and figuratively — il-luminating
the good works, scholarly achieve-ments
and personal successes of our 12,309
students, our 5,436 faculty and staff members
and our 108,110 alumni around the world. For
that light, we can thank Biondi, Rogers and 29
other Jesuits who have served as SLU presidents
and understood the real meaning of legacy.
– Laura Geiser, Editor
EDITOR’ s Message FE ATURES
DEPA RTMENTS
2 On Campus
Sword of Loyola honors artist Grant explores
children’s health New blogs offer inside
view of SLU New mall at Medical Center
Portrait of DuBourg Kranz back on campus
6 Billiken News
Billiken broadcasts online Basketball
schedules Billiken mascot ranked No. 1
7 Campaign Update
A conversation with David Nolda,
director of annual giving programs
22 Off the Shelf
Eight books from the SLU community
23 Class Notes
Catch up with classmates
29 In Memoriam
Remembering those members of the SLU
community who recently died
30 Alumni Events
Find SLU alumni activities wherever you live
32 Perspective
A SLU soccer player learns a lot
from those she is teaching
33 The Last Word
Letters to the editor
14
Grand Once More
DuBourg Hall’s fourth
floor is restored to its
turn-of-the-century glory.
By Allison Babka
16
Treasures to Behold
… and to Be Held
A look inside the
University’s rare book and
manuscript collection.
By Marie Dilg
20
A Woman for Others
Student Rachel
McCullagh is living
SLU’s Jesuit mission.
By Lauren Olson William banks rogers, S.J.
2 U NI V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 3
Of Father Biondi’s 20 62 SLU-owned buildings in 1987; 127 in 2007 0 Annual full scholarships awarded in 1987; 30 in 2007 113 SLU-owned acres in Midtown St. Louis in 1987; 234 in 2007 »
years as SLU president
TA SLU makes
two national
rankings
Saint Louis University is one of the
top schools in the country for under-graduate
education, say two of the
nation’s leading college guides. In August,
SLU received honors from both U.S.News &
World Report and The Princeton Review.
The 2008 edition of U.S. News’ “America’s
Best Colleges” ranked SLU No. 82 among
262 national universities. According to the
magazine, SLU is ranked as one of the top
five Jesuit universities in the United States.
U.S. News ranked SLU’s undergraduate
engineering programs No. 31 and under-graduate
business programs in the top 100.
The undergraduate entrepreneurship pro-gram
ranked No. 21.
In addition, SLU was listed in the 2008
edition of The Princeton Review’s “Best 366
Colleges” guidebook, published by Random
House. Only about 15 percent of the four-year
colleges in America and two Canadian
colleges were chosen for the book. SLU also
was named to The Princeton Review’s “Best
in the Midwest” list.
Sword of Ignatius awarded
to Project Compassion artist
Saint Louis University presented its highest honor – the
Sword of Ignatius Loyola – to Kaziah Hancock, founding artist and
president of Project Compassion, at the DuBourg Society dinner,
Nov. 3. During the last four years, Hancock has painted hundreds
of portraits of American servicemen and servicewomen who have
been killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The paintings
are given to the families of the fallen soldiers free of charge. To
date, Hancock and four other Project Compassion artists have
completed more than 750 paintings.
The Sword of Ignatius Loyola is named for the founder of
the Society of Jesus, Inigo Lopez de Loyola. Symbolic of
the Ignatian vision of service, the sword is awarded to
those who have given themselves to humankind for the
greater glory of God.
Past recipients include Harry Truman,
Jacques Cousteau and Jackie Joyner-
Kersee.
Major grant will improve children’s health
The National Institutes of Health selected the city of St. Louis and Macoupin County, Ill.,
as sites for the National Children’s Study, the largest study of child and human health ever
conducted in the United States. The extensive population-based study looks at the health
and development of children by following them from before birth to adulthood.
Saint Louis University School of Public Health is partner-ing
on the project with Saint Louis University School
of Medicine, Southern Illinois University Edwards-ville
School of Nursing, Southern Illinois Univer-sity
School of Medicine in Springfield, Washing-ton
University School of Medicine in St. Louis
and St. Louis Battelle Memorial Institute.
As the lead institution, SLU School of
Public Health has received a $26 million,
five-year contract from the National Institute
of Child Health and Human Development
and a consortium of federal agencies includ-ing
the National Institute of Environmen-tal
Health Sciences, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention and the U.S. Envi-ronmental
Protection Agency.
Saint Louis University is one of 22
new study centers added to the Na-tional
Children’s Study, which will
follow a representative sample of
100,000 children from before birth
to age 21. The study seeks informa-tion
to prevent and treat some of
the nation’s most pressing health
problems, including autism, birth
defects, diabetes, heart disease and
obesity.
Check out ‘True SLU’
via new blogs
Want the true story about Saint Louis
University? Read the True SLU blogs.
Blogger Alyssa, a sophomore studying
abroad at SLU’s Madrid campus, will tell you
her story. So will Jennifer, a nutrition and di-etetics
instructor who bikes 6 miles to work
every day, and Jared, a member of Legion
1818 who paints his face and puts on a kilt
to support the men’s soccer team (when
he’s not reading history books or playing
trumpet in the pep band).
The blogs are just one part of the Univer-sity’s
comprehensive student recruitment
effort. Aimed at prospective undergraduates
and their parents, the True SLU blogs give an
accurate, authentic depiction of what life is
like for Saint Louis University students, fac-ulty
and staff.
Each blogger posts at least once a week,
and new bloggers will join them during the
year. To read the blogs, visit www.slu.edu
and click the “True SLU Blogs” box in the
lower left-hand corner.
During the summer, the College of
Public Service was restructured in
an effort to lead to new efficiencies
and synergies. Educational studies, educa-tional
leadership and higher education, so-cial
work, counseling and family therapy,
and public policy studies have joined to cre-ate
a new academic unit: the College of Edu-cation
and Public Service.
Formerly independent units, RegionWise,
the Stupp Geographic Information Systems
Laboratory and Center for Organizational
Leadership and Renewal are now part of the
public policy studies department and remain
in the college. The Counseling and Family
Therapy Clinic also remains with the college,
and University officials hope to create more
collaborations between the clinic’s research-ers
and social work faculty.
Dr. Marla Berg-Weger, senior associate
provost for academic affairs, continues to
serve as interim dean of the college as a na-tional
search is conducted for a permanent
replacement.
The communication sciences and disor-ders
department and its associated clinics
have moved into the College of Arts and Sci-ences.
Research methodology is now part of
the Graduate School.
The School for Professional Studies, which
joined the college in 2004, has again become
a separate unit under the leadership of Berg-
Weger. She will continue to direct the school
long term.
College of Public Service reconfigured, renamed
SLU scientists conduct
groundbreaking
research — literally
This summer, a Saint Louis University
team was part of a group of scientists
drilling deep into the San Andreas
Fault in California to better understand
what causes earthquakes. It’s research that
could have implications back at SLU, which
is near the New Madrid Fault.
As part of the project known as San Andreas
Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD), a team
of scientists has drilled a 3-kilometer, or nearly
2-mile, hole directly into the fault midway be-tween
San Francisco and Los Angeles.
SLU geology professor Dr. David Kirsch-ner,
senior Tim Keenan and recent graduate
Eric Sandusky (Pub Ser, A&S ’07) were part
of a scientific team that studied the unearthed
rock material as part of the SAFOD project.
Kirschner has been involved in the massive
undertaking for several years and has received
three grants from the National Science Foun-dation
for research related to the project.
Portrait of
DuBourg
returns home
In June, Saint Louis
University welcomed
William Page Dame III
and his wife, Beverly,
to campus to mark
the Dames’ gift of
a portrait of Bishop
Louis-Guilliame-
Valentine DuBourg,
founder of SLU.
The portrait was
painted not long after DuBourg was consecrated a
bishop. The oil painting is thought to date to 1815
and is believed to have been painted in Rome,
where DuBourg had journeyed to be consecrated
by Pope Pius VII as the Bishop of Louisiana and
the Floridas.
In 1817, Bishop DuBourg moved to St. Louis. He
established the St. Louis Latin Academy (now
Saint Louis University) in 1818, initially run by
the diocese. In 1826, DuBourg invited the Jesuits
who resided in Florissant, Mo., to take over the
administration of the college. In 1829, Peter
Verhaegen, S.J., became the first Jesuit president
of St. Louis College. In 1832, the college received
its charter from the state of Missouri.
The portrait has been installed in the Père
Marquette Gallery of DuBourg Hall.
SLU alert system in place
Saint Louis University now has a new
emergency communication tool
designed to quickly alert the entire
SLU community about an imminent public
danger, campus disaster or other major crisis.
SLU recently signed an agreement with St.
Louis-based GroupCast to provide a mes-sage
broadcast system that can notify all
students, faculty and staff by office, home
and cell phones within minutes of an emer-gency
situation. It also sends text messages.
Co-founded by a SLU alumnus and located
in Fenton, Mo., GroupCast provides similar
services to other colleges and universities.
4 U N I V E R S I T A S w w w. s l u . e d u U N I V E R S I T A S F A L L 2 0 0 7 5
Of Father Biondi’s 20 9 University-sponsored sports teams in 1987; 18 in 2007 0 Faculty/staff mission-related programs in 1987; 24 in 2007 53 SLU public safety officers in 1987; 103 in 2007 94 Doctorates awarded in 1987; 157 in 2007
years as SLU president
The deputy surgeon general of the U.S.
Air Force hosted guests from England’s
Royal Air Force at Saint Louis Univer-sity’s
Center for Sustainment of Trauma and
Readiness Skills (C-STARS) on Oct. 6.
During the visit, dignitaries had the opportu-nity
to observe a simulation, in which students
treated an artificial, computerized patient in a
lab designed to look like a real field hospital.
The two-week C-STARS program at Saint
Louis University is one of only three of its kind
in the country that provides Air Force medical
personnel with real-life, hands-on trauma ex-perience.
Through clinical rotations with SLU
trauma doctors and nurses and weekly simula-tion
exercises, students have the opportunity
to sharpen and refresh their trauma care skills
prior to deployment.
Former NASA mission control commander
Gene Kranz (Parks ’54) returned to SLU for a special
ribbon-cutting ceremony at McDonnell Douglas
Hall during Homecoming Weekend in September.
Kranz was on hand as officials unveiled a wall
display honoring the 80th anniversary of SLU’s Parks
College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology.
Divided into three sections, the colorful, three-dimensional,
illustrated timeline of Parks’ history
runs the full length of McDonnell Douglas Hall’s
main corridor. Stretching 370 feet wide and
towering 11 feet high, the display features a
stainless steel timeline that connects all three
sections.
Black and white photographs and other images
representing the key people, news and technology
from Parks’ history are displayed above the timeline.
Below, aerial shots fade into each other, illustrating
the changes to Parks’ former campus in Cahokia,
leading to the SLU campus, where Parks has been
located since 1997.
Gass receives
Literary Award
The Saint Louis University Library Associates presented the
2007 Saint Louis Literary Award to noted writer, critic and
philosophy professor William H. Gass on Oct. 24.
Gass joined an impressive list of writers who have been recognized
for their legendary contributions as novelists, essayists, poets and
playwrights. Recipients of the Saint Louis Literary Award include
Saul Bellow, Eudora Welty, John Updike and Joan Didion.
During a writing career that spans nearly five decades, Gass has
been recognized for his works of fiction and nonfiction as well as sto-ries
and essays. He has received many awards and honors, including
the American Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award
for Criticism and the Mark Twain Award for Distinguished Contribu-tions
to Literature in the Midwest. As the David May Distinguished
Professor in Humanities at Washington University in St. Louis, he
taught philosophy for more than 30 years and founded the univer-sity’s
International Writers Center.
More than 1,000 students, faculty, family and friends
gathered at the Medical Center on Oct. 12 to remember and
give thanks to the several hundred individuals who donated their
bodies this year to Saint Louis University School of Medicine’s Gift
Body Program.
First-year medical students planned the memorial service, which
included reflections, prayers, songs and words of appreciation to
the donors’ family members and friends in attendance.
“The ceremony is a sign of our thanks for those who have donated
their bodies so we could learn. It also provides an opportunity for
their family and friends to understand why they made this decision,”
said Tom Heffner, a first-year medical student. “For me personally,
the ceremony is an opportunity to give thanks to my first patient for
the opportunity to work on him and learn from him.”
Body donors
remembered at service
New mall enhances Medical Center
Saint Louis University has increased the beauty, safety and accessibility of
the Medical Center with a new pedestrian mall.
The area along Vista Avenue between Grand Boulevard and Carr Lane Avenue
has been transformed into an urban oasis that mimics green space near the
Doisy College of Health Sciences building as well as parts of campus north of
I-64/Hwy. 40. The section is bordered by the School of Medicine complex on
the north and the building that now houses the department of neurology and
psychiatry on the south.
Pedestrians are welcomed to the mall by one of SLU’s signature red
brick monuments, and landscaping, trees and flowers provide a parklike
atmosphere. Safety also has been enhanced, as city streetlights were replaced
by upgraded lighting that shines brightly on the mall.
News Briefs
Dr. Boyd A. Bradshaw (Grad ’05) was
recently hired as SLU’s vice provost for
enrollment management. He oversees
undergraduate admission, student financial
services, the registrar’s office, student
academic services and the international
center. From 1997 to 1999 Bradshaw was
program coordinator and assistant director
of admissions at SLU. Most recently he was
assistant university provost for enrollment
management at the University of Louisville.
Dr. Raul Artal, chairman of obstetrics,
gynecology and women’s health at the
School of Medicine, has received a
“Preggie” award for his pioneering work that
supports exercise for pregnant women. The
award, given by FitPregnancy magazine,
recognizes those who have improved the
welfare of pregnant women, new mothers
and young children.
Dr. Govindaswamy Chinnadurai, professor
at SLU’s Institute of Molecular Virology, has
been as selected as a member of a study
section of the Center for Scientific Review,
which reviews applications for grants from
the National Institutes of Health.
In October, Dr. Patricia Monteleone (Med
’61, Pub Hlth, Grad Cook ’91), dean of the
School of Medicine, received an
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