By Kris Leonhardt
Editor-in-chief
Continued from previous week
In September 1969, college faculty voted 48-30 to consider a new name and the adoption of a motto to represent a changing school.
A name change had been contemplated three times before, starting in 1953, but college leaders were once again looking at a change of identity.
The motion for a change was made by Rev. Francis Dorff, a St. Norbert priest.
Rev. Dorff referenced 12 Catholic colleges that had changed their names in the previous decade, adding that the current name indicated a strict “religious parochialism” and was “foreign-sounding” and gave a false impression of what the school was at that time.
The matter was opposed by the entire De Pere City Council and the St. Norbert Alumni Association.
Dr. Robert Christin, college president at the time, told the Press-Gazette that he “found the name satisfactory” and did not feel that changing the name would “impress people who have not heard of the college.”
Christin cited St. John’s College in Maryland and St. Olaf in Minnesota as two colleges with solid academic reputations and sectarian names.
“The reputation of a college throughout the United States is based upon what it does internally and not upon its name. I would prefer to see everyone at St. Norbert College focus on examining the college… examination would lead to more flexibility in our academic programs, more involvement of students in the learning process, more opportunities for students to read and study on their own,” he said.
“I am convinced that St. Norbert College can be a leader to introduce academic innovations appropriate to the 1970s and by doing this will become well-known around the country as St. Norbert College.”
In December, college faculty decided against the name change, voting it down 30-20
Christin called for other changes, however, and implemented a course system and an academic divisional structure.
In 1973, Neil J. Webb was inaugurated as the college’s fourth president, replacing Christin.
Webb established the college’s first notable endowment fund as part of a $9.4 million fundraising campaign.
The endowment was kick-started by a $50,000 bequest from Mrs. Leila Hopwood Gross and $91,000 donated by Mrs. William P. Hayes.
Webb also worked to right the college financially and grow quality instead of increasing student body numbers.
During his tenure as president, fundraising grew from $300,000 in his first year to $3.2 million a decade later when he stepped down.
Continued in next week’s edition