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Bruce Early, Ph.D., began the Jazz
program at Aquinas and taught in the
Aquinas music department from 1971
until his death in 1998. He organized
annual jazz festivals which grew from
three local participants to colleges
throughout the Midwest and brought
thousands to the campus. He was
considered the premier influence on the
local jazz scene for a quarter of a century. |
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Richard Sedlecky ’51 was president of his senior class at
Aquinas and went on to study architectural engineering at
the University of Detroit. He then returned to AQ to teach engineering classes until 2003. He became CEO of a family
construction company that was highly regarded in the city. As
a structural engineer for URS Greiner, Woodward, Clyde, he
supervised several international projects. His community service
embraced St. John’s Home and Catholic Social Services. |
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At the invitation of President
Norbert Hruby in 1954, Sister Agnes
Thiel O.P., ’62 (†) became the director
of the Emeritus program at Aquinas.
This began a 30-year period in which
she became a formidable advocate of
senior citizens in Grand Rapids, Kent
County and Lansing. She received many
awards, including Distinguished American Older Volunteer
of the Year from the National Association for the Aging. |
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Anthony J. Foster, M.D.'73
2008 President’s Award
Anthony J. Foster, physician and surgeon, graduated from Aquinas College in 1973. He received his medical degree from Wayne State University Medical School in 1977 and completed his residency at Mt. Carmel Mercy Hospital in Detroit. He established his first private practice at Mecosta County General Hospital in Big Rapids in 1982 and moved to Grand Rapids five years later. Dr. Foster became an attending physician and a member of the teaching staff at Butterworth, Blodgett and St. Mary’s Hospitals. He has held many professional appointments including Clinical Associate Professor at both Mercy College and Michigan State University’s Department of Human Services at Butterworth Hospital. Currently, he works in the general surgery division for Michigan |
| Medical, P.C. and is on the teaching service for the general surgical residency program at Spectrum Hospital. Foster is also the medical director for the Physician Assistant-Surgical Residency Program sponsored by the Grand Rapids Medical Education and Research Center. His service to the West Michigan community also extends to Aquinas College, where he was instrumental in establishing the campus’ Foster Planet Walk and the Contemporary Writers Series, which, for 12 years, has attained a national and international reputation for excellence. His clinical career, his unfailing sense of compassionate care and his significant support for Aquinas College all have contributed to his being named the first recipient of the President’s Award. |
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George LaMountain†
Former Aquinas President Norbert Hruby was once described George LaMountain as a man of “passionate conviction, unquestionable integrity, brilliant and eloquent.” He gave all of himself to his students and Aquinas. Born in Salina, Kansas, LaMountain received an A.B. from the University of Kansas City and his M.A. from Catholic University of America. Following World War Two military service, he came to Aquinas where he created the department of psychology and served as its long-time chairman. As an intellectual giant, dedicated teacher and academic leader, LaMountain was a dominant figure at Aquinas for 28 years (1954-1982). He was a “Renaissance Man” who championed liberal education, read constantly and wrote on current public issues as well as on Scholastic philosophy. His |
| razor-like reasoning and fearless voice made him formidable in debates and academic meetings. With a keen interest in developments of Vatican II, he served on the Catholic Ecumenical Commission of the Grand Rapids Diocese and was co-founder of a dialogue group with colleagues from Calvin and Aquinas in which colleagues from both colleges participated over a three-year period in stimulating discussions of theology and church history. His entire life was a quest for knowledge and wisdom. |
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Sister Jean Milhaupt, O.P. ’45
Sr. Jean is remembered by her students and colleagues for her puckish wit and her love of the English language, as well as for being the living history of Aquinas College, having been associated with the college as a student, faculty member and archivist since the earliest days of its existence as a four-year school. She has spent more time at Aquinas than anyone else. Jean Milhaupt came to Aquinas from Norwalk, Ohio in 1941, the year it became a four-year institution. Following graduation, she entered the Grand Rapids Dominican congregation. She later went on to earn a master’s degree from Catholic University of America. In 195l, Sr. Jean began life-long service in the English department at the College, with a three-year leave to complete her doctorate in English at the University of Michigan. While at |
| Aquinas, she taught literature, composition, grammar and the history of the English language. She also led student groups to the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario, and to Arthurian sites in England; founded Sampler, the student literary and art magazine; served on many College committees; and taught often for Emeritus College. She has served as the College’s archivist since retiring from teaching in 1995. As a charter member of the Aquinas College Historical Commission, she collaborated onan oral history of the College and has dedicated herself to keeping the Dominican heritage of Aquinas College alive. |
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Lyle B. Morrison '52
Since graduation, Lyle B. Morrison has shared his time, talent and leadership with numerous private and public institutions and organizations. He has worked on behalf of the United Way and the Kent County Cancer Society, among others, and has helped establish the Development Council of Catholic Secondary Schools, making sure “No child would be denied a Catholic education for lack of funds.” Lyle has been inducted into the Catholic Secondary Schools’ Hall of Fame and under his leadership the Parish Family Center was established at Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Parish. Lyle has twice served as president of the Aquinas College Alumni Association, chaired an alumni advance gift campaign, served as an Aquinas College Trustee and has been a member of the Circle Theater |
| Board of Directors since 2003. He was also recognized with two alumni association honors, the Outstanding Alumni Award in 1970 and the Distinguished Service Award one year later. He has been a generous supporter of Aquinas College, the Diocese of Grand Rapids and the Catholic Secondary School Foundation as well as many other community organizations. In his professional career, Lyle received Distinguished Service Awards from the Grand Rapids Association of Life Underwriters and the Great West Life Assurance Company as well as the Marvin Muilenberg Distinguished Service Award from the State Association of Life Underwriters for service to the insurance industry and community. His support of the community and to Aquinas College has been immeasurable. |
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Rosemary Fowle Deen ’47
After excelling in academics and literary and dramatic activities at
Aquinas, Rosemary Fowle pursued graduate studies at the University
of Michigan, Kenyon school of English and the University of
Chicago, where she earned her doctorate. For three years she
taught in the Aquinas English department. With her late husband,
Leonard Deen, she taught literature and writing for many years at
Queen’s College (City University of New York). She was co-author of two highly
acclaimed books on writing: Beat Not the Poor Desk and The Common Sense. She gave
many workshops and published book reviews, articles on poetry, and a collection of
essays, Naming the Light. She additionally served as poetry editor of Commonweal
magazine. Deen is mother of five children, an avid reader, traveler and gardener. |
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Ralph J. Bennett, Ph.D.
Doctor and colonel are the titles that manifest the two sides of
Ralph J. Bennett. He served with distinction in the Air Force, the
Reserves and the Michigan National Guard and was awarded
eleven medals, three of which were for merit. He earned six
academic degrees and was an energetic teacher and a fighter for
innovative programs. Bennett taught accounting and economics at
Aquinas from 1960 to 1996, during which time he initiated the
Career Action Program (now Continuing Education), a first in making college degrees
available to full-time workers. The program was instrumental in contributing to the
financial stability of the College. Marked by a characteristic sense of service, he was a
dedicated advocate in bringing college-level education to prisoners and pioneered a
program at Ionia Prison in the mid- |
| 1960s. As a professor at Aquinas, Bennett was
tirelessly devoted to his students, teaching heavy course loads and keeping long office
hours. He was recognized and honored by both the College and community and was the
recipient of the Sears Roebuck Foundation Award for Teaching Experience and Campus
Leadership. |
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Sister Mildred Hawkins, O.P. †
Sister M. Mildred Hawkins, O.P., played a major role in the early
history of the College. Always thinking on an international level, she
came to Catholic Junior College with a doctorate in classical studies
from the Universities of Fribourg and Munich. She first served as
registrar and then as directress of studies. Later, as academic dean, she
played a key role in growing the school into a four-year college. Later,
she was instrumental in promoting and expanding its residential and academic facilities.
Sr. Mildred drew upon her experience in Europe and brought in teachers from overseas to
serve on the faculty in the fields of languages and music. She was regarded as visionary
for the future, a “maker and shaker.” True to the Dominican principles upon which
Aquinas was founded, Sister Mildred was a steadfast advocate for the |
| student. Her
insistence on the importance of the liberal arts, high academic standards and the primacy
of teaching over publication set a lasting tradition for the college. Sister Mildred passed
away in 1988 at the age of 101. |
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Joseph’ 50 and Mary Elizabeth (Beckwith ’50 †) Hansknecht
Joseph Hansknecht and Mary Beth Beckwith met at Aquinas where both were involved in campus activities. Joe was a class officer, president of Student Guild and the Michigan Region of National Student Association. Mary Beth worked on the Aquinas Herald and the committee which financed and built the Marian shrine. They were married in their senior year and following graduation in 1950 went on to earn master degrees. Joe taught political science at Aquinas (1953 -1957). Later, they moved to the Detroit area where they became agents for change. Mary Beth was a leader in the Christian Family Movement and the Call to Action Coalition. Joe designed an educational program on racism for the archdiocese, was a founding member of Detroit’s Urban Alliance, and served on the board of the Southern Cooperative |
| Development Foundation. He received the Bishop Emrich citation for Outstanding Layman of the Year from the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan and the Human Rights Day Recognition Award from the City of Detroit. In 1997, Aquinas honored the pair with the Outstanding Alumnus and Alumna Awards. Three of their nine children attended Aquinas. In memory of Stephen, a 1983 Aquinas graduate, who died in an automobile accident shortly after graduation, Joe and Mary Beth donated $10,000 to maintain the Marian statue and shrine. Mary Beth died in 1996. |
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Sr. Malachi Laithwaite, O.P. †
Librarian, teacher, story-teller, scholar, gardener and true gentlewoman, Sister Malachi Laithwaite devoted 35 years to the College library. Born in Ireland, she received a broad education in several countries. Then she came to the United States, gained a master’s degree in library science and experience in several libraries. Joining the Grand Rapids Dominicans, Sr. Malachi was assigned to Catholic Junior College as the first full-time librarian. She built up the library holdings and moved them to three different sites as the College grew. She was an authority on children’s literature, organizer of the Friends of Aquinas College Library, and a founding member of the local Story-Spinners League. On visits to her family in England, she met literary figures such as C. S. Lewis and searched in book shops for bargains. Aquinas granted her an honorary |
| doctorate of letters 1970. For six years after her retirement in 1971, she worked with Indian youth in San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico. She then returned to Grand Rapids and spent her final years in the House of Studies (now Hruby Hall). Renowned Grand Rapids' artist Paul Collins' created a painting of Sr. Malachi at work in the Hruby Hall garden. The painting is displayed in the College's Hauenstein library. Sr. Malachi died in November 1980. |
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R. Paul Nelson, President Emeritus
Between 1969 and 1997, Paul Nelson served Aquinas in many capacities. He began as associate academic vice president (1969-1973) and moved to dean of curriculum (1973-1975), dean of continuing education (1975-1984), dean of student development (1984-1990), interim president and, finally, president (1990-1997). Paul originated the Summer School Without Walls concept, developed field experience semesters and independent study. He was honored by the National Association on Career Development for Persons with Disabilities. In 1990, during a time of financial crisis at the College, he accepted the presidency and restored a spirit of community. He introduced strategic planning and total quality management and supported students in their plan for renovating Cook Carriage House. He emphasized the |
| Dominican heritage of the College: learning, service and community. In 1997, he retired from the presidency. but has continued to remain active in the community and academic affairs, teaching at Aquinas Emeritus College, serving on College-related committees and leading book discussions for the Grand Rapids Public Library. |
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Patrick M. Quinn ‘58
After completing a military enlistment that interrupted
his collegiate studies, Patrick Quinn re-entered Aquinas
College and graduated in 1958. He had a long career in
the food industry beginning with Nabisco, spending time
in sales and management. In 1973, he joined the Grand
Rapids-based D&W Food Centers, serving in several
capacities, including executive vice president. He finished
his career as president and CEO of Spartan Stores from
1985 until his retirement in 1997. He served on the board
of Old Kent Bank (now Fifth Third Bank) as well as numerous
food industry-related boards and committees. His community
service has been widespread and included the United Way,
Junior Achievement, the American Cancer Society Foundation,
Special Olympics and the Racial Justice Institute. In
1987, he |
| became a trustee of Aquinas and, later, the first alumnus to serve as chairman of the board. He received the Outstanding Alumnus Award in 1991. After completing a nine-year tenure as trustee, Quinn was granted trustee emeritus status. However, he returned to the board again as a trustee and continues to serve on several board committees. He has committed his time to serving the Catholic Church at the parish, diocesan, and national levels. He is a member of the National Advisory Committee to the U.S. Council of Bishops and is on the board of Legatus. Pat and his wife, Rita, who have been married 50 years, have four daughters, two sons and 11 grandchildren. |
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Lewis B. Clingman, Ph.D. †
Lewis B. Clingman was an enthusiastic, dedicated teacher who spent his entire
professional career at Aquinas (1946-1976). After serving as historian for the
U.S. Air Force overseas, he joined the College faculty in 1946. He was
recruited by Monsignor Arthur Bukowski, the College’s first president, and
they became lifelong friends. He served as chairman of the history department
from 1948 until 1968, when he resigned to devote more time to research and
writing. During that time, and until his death in 1976, Clingman continued to
be a leader in the lay faculty. In his teaching and living, he was faithful to the
social teachings of the Church, committed to racial justice and a living witness
to the Gospel. Through his many speaking engagements and his involvement in civic and diocesan affairs, he kept the name of Aquinas before |
| the public. He was
a charter member of the Grand Rapids Human Relations Commission
and wrote his doctoral dissertation on its history. He
was a consultant for the Story of Grand Rapids, edited
by Z.Z. Lydens, and for Michigan Catholic Schools in the
area of history. The Clingman gift to Aquinas has included
his wife, Dorothy, six children and two grandchildren,
all of whom attended the College. Clingman’s oldest
daughter, Mary Brigid is a Dominican Sister at Marywood.
He died in 1976. |
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Gertrude Horgan †
When Gertrude Horgan joined the Aquinas faculty in 1955, she had already
been vice president of Incarnate Word College, San Antonio, and had received
a gold medal from Pope Pius XII for service to the Church. While at Aquinas
(1955 -1979), she continued to exert strong leadership in academics and in
service projects. On the death of Sister Marie Celeste Stang, she became dean
of women. As a member of the English department she introduced offerings in
world literature, black culture, and women in literature and promoted
interdisciplinary studies. She established the still flourishing Irish study
program in the mid-1970s, was a leader in the local Irish Heritage Society and
collected and published James Barry’s Tales from the West of Ireland. Her apostolic
spirit is shown in her initiation of student outreach |
| programs in Latin America and in service to the National Council of Catholic Women. After retiring from Aquinas in 1979 she moved to Cape Cod where she helped establish Wisdom College, a non-credit program for retirees. She died in 1996. |
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Sister Aquin Gallagher, O.P. †
Outstanding teacher and advisor to alumni for many years, the former
Catherine Gallagher, who was born in 1898 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania,
joined the Grand Rapids Dominicans in 1915. After becoming Sr. Mary Aquin,
earning graduate degrees in English and journalism and, teaching in secondary
schools, she joined the faculty of Catholic Junior College in 1933 and helped it become Aquinas. Over the years, she taught every English class from Anglo-
Saxon to linguistics, with Latin and Greek on the side. As advisor for student
newspapers, she received a medal from the Catholic School Press Association.
She served on the board of directors of the Catholic Renaissance Society of
America, helped organize the national literary honor society Lambda Iota Tau,
and received the Faith and Service |
| Award of Kappa Gamma Pi, national honor
society for women in Catholic colleges. In 1956, she became faculty advisor to
alumni and was granted the Outstanding Service Award in 1972. She kept
abreast with everything contemporary, changing religious garb after Vatican II,
discussing the latest novels, dramas and films. In her 45 years at the College,
she inspired countless students by her contagious enthusiasm and joy in
literature and the interest she took in their personal lives. She died in January,
1978. |
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Norbert Hruby Ph.D.
Aquinas’ second president, Dr. Norbert Hruby, came to the College in 1969 with a Ph.D. in English from Loyola University. He brought with him an extensive background in drama, radio and television and educational leadership at his alma mater, University of Chicago and Mundelein College in Chicago. The Self-Study which he directed resulted in major changes in curriculum, governance, student and faculty rights and responsibilities. His innovations
helped to put the College on a sound financial basis and brought to the campus
adults in degree-completion programs (Encore and Career Action), non-credit
classes for older students (Emeritus College) and a Master of Management
program. A major capital campaign resulted in renovation of several campus
buildings and erection of the Art and Music |
| Center. He served the broader
community by initiating the Eastown Neighborhood Association and serving
as a board member or consultant for numerous educational, religious and
cultural organizations at the local, state and national levels. He has been the
recipient of honorary doctorates from Hope College, Kendall School of Art
and Design and Aquinas. He retired from the presidency in 1986 and continues
to pursue his lifelong interest in theatre by writing plays and traveling with his
wife, Dolores, a prominent choir-director and composer - when she is
available. |
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C. Arthur Woodhouse †
C. Arthur Woodhouse, financier, executive and Catholic lay leader, earned the
title “Mr. Aquinas” through his many services to the College. In the 1940s and
50s, he advised the all-Dominican Board of Trustees on business, finance and
community relations. He participated in planning all the major construction on
campus up to 1979. He was co-chairman of the celebration of the College’s 40th anniversary (1962). Later, he received an honorary doctorate of laws from Aquinas - cited as a great friend-raiser and supporter of the College - and the Alumni Outstanding Service Award. In 1969, he became the first lay member of the Aquinas Board of Trustees and remained as a trustee until 1980. In 1977, the Woodhouse Learning Resource Center was dedicated in honor of him and
his wife, Marguerite. He served the Grand |
| Rapids Diocese on Bishop Allen J. Babcock’s Advisory Board and the Board of Directors of Resurrection Cemetery
and as Chairman of the 1959 Diocesan Development Fund campaign. He died
in 1981 at the age of 84. |
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Marcia (Miller) Clapp '46 †
Marcia (Miller) Clapp ’46 † worked at Aquinas for 20 years, beginning in 1960, serving in a number of capacities, including publicity coordinator, director of publications and director of public relations/alumni. In 1980, she left Aquinas to become public information manager at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Rapids. She met her husband,
Charley Clapp Sr., while the two attended Aquinas.
They were married in 1949. He died in 1959. Before
coming to Aquinas, she had worked as a reporter
and columnist for West Michigan Catholic, and did freelance writing for
The Grand Rapids Herald (now the Press). In 1976, she received the Aquinas
College Outstanding Alumna Award for her loyalty to the College and
her support of and friendship with members of the Aquinas
community. Marcia and her husband, Charley, Sr., had five children,
Mary ‘72, Bruce ‘74, Kevin, |
| Charles Jr. ‘78 and Teresa ‘80. Marcia
passed away in 1985 at the age of 60. |
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Kenneth J. Marin '47
Kenneth J. Marin ’47 was a member of Aquinas College’s first entrance class in 1940. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve Corps in 1942 and, the following spring, was called to service as an Air Force weather observer. After military service in Italy, he returned to Aquinas to complete his undergraduate degree. After a brief teaching stint
at St. Joseph’s College in Indiana and graduate work (M.A., A.B.D.) at the University of Michigan, he returned to Aquinas in 1953 as a faculty member and director of public relations. In 1954, he founded the Aquinas College Credit Union and, for many years, became very active in the credit union movement. In the mid-to-late 1960s, he served as
president of the Credit Union National Association and consulted
internationally on credit unions. In 1969, he was elected to the
Michigan Credit Union Hall of Fame. In 2001, he was |
| awarded an
honorary doctorate in social sciences from Aquinas College. He and
his wife, Mildred (Jablonski ‘47), have had six children, all of whom
attended Aquinas: † Mark ‘71, David ‘74, Kevin ‘77, Marysharon ‘78,
Elise ‘81, and † Molly. |
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Sr. Aquinas Weber, O.P. '58
Sr. Aquinas Weber, O.P. '58 entered the Grand Rapids Dominicans
in 1944, and earned her B.A. at Aquinas. She did graduate
work at Catholic University of America and Marquette University
before completing her M.A. in sociology with a focus on
urban studies at the University of Michigan. In her long
and distinguished career, she has served as teacher, principal,
directress of student sisters, as well as being prioress
of the Dominican Sisters, Marywood. Her service to Aquinas
College includes work as former chairperson and member
of the College Board of Trustees, director of the Emeritus
College, vice president for Development and, since 1988,
Chancellor, until her retirement this summer. She has
served on many boards including those of the Greater Grand
Rapids Housing Authority, Old Kent Financial Corporation
(first woman elected), the |
| Salvation Army, St.
John’s Home, Gleaners and Hospice of Grand Rapids. She also served
as director of the Eastown Neighborhood Project. She has received
numerous awards including the National Jewish Foundation’s Tree of
Life Award, Notre Dame Award for leadership in Christian ideals, the
first Aquinas Reflection Award, and the Legacy Award from the Greater
Grand Rapids Women’s History Council. |
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Monsignor Arthur F. Bukowski
Monsignor Arthur F. Bukowski led the College through 35 years of formation and expansion. Born in Bay City, Michigan, he attended St. Joseph Seminary in Grand Rapids and completed his graduate work at Catholic University of America and Sulpician Seminary in Washington, D.C. Ordained in 1933, he served as dean of Grand Rapids Catholic Junior College, and was named president when that institution evolved into Aquinas College. An early leader in interracial justice
projects and labor relations, he chaired the Michigan Committee on Civil
Rights and served on the Michigan Fair Employment Practices Committee.
He was also on the executive committee of the Association of Independent
Colleges and Universities of Michigan (AICUM). After leaving Aquinas in
1969, he continued his missionary work in Appalachia |
| and Guatemala, taught
at St. Joseph Seminary and served as director of the Society for the
Propagation of the Faith in Grand Rapids. Monsignor Bukowski passed away
in 1989. The campus chapel is named in his honor. |
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Jerome C. Byrne '48
Jerome C. Byrne ’48 graduated from Aquinas College and attended Harvard Law School, where he was editor of The Harvard Law Review before graduating magna cum laude. Moving to Los Angeles, he joined the firm of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher LLP, and, eventually, became a partner. As a specialist in labor management
relations, he headed the firm’s labor and employment department. In his long and distinguished legal career, he practiced before the United States and California
Courts of Appeals and before the Supreme Court of the United States. In
1965, he headed a team appointed by the University of California to study
the causes of student unrest.The influential Byrne Report recommended
sweeping changes to the University of California system. He served for 12 years on the Aquinas College |
| Board of Trustees and endowed the prestigious
Byrne Scholarship, awarded annually to the first place finisher in the Spectrum
Scholarship Competition. He passed away in October 2001. |
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Peter M. Wege
Peter M. Wege is well known for his philanthropy and leadership not only in West Michigan and throughout the state, but around the globe. Since 1956, he has been an advisor and consultant to Aquinas on a variety of issues and served 13 years as a member of the College Board of Trustees. In addition to his generosity to Aquinas, Wege has been a special benefactor of Saint Mary’s Mercy Medical Center, the Franciscan Life Center in Ada, the Grand Rapids Art Museum, as well as
many other community and environmental organizations. He continued his
generous support of the College as a major contributor to the Aquinas College
Performing Arts Center. Wege, who was once described as one of the "foremost green thinkers in the design industry," is the author of the book "Economicology" that encourages businesses to be environmentally |
| responsible. He is the founder of
the Grand Rapids-based Center for Environmental Studies. And, in 1997, he
established the annual Wege Speaker Series at Aquinas. It was created to
promote greater awareness of important issues affecting our global
community, the environment and human spirituality and to generate dialogue
necessary to develop solutions to those problems. |
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