It is amazing to consider that in Saint Mary’s 172-year history, only 11 presidents have gone before Cervelli. The College launched a social media campaign on November 1 called the “12 Days of Presidents.” The timeline included 12 brief snapshots of the legacies of Saint Mary’s leaders. Their tenures varied from just two years (Monsignor John J. McGrath ) to 36 (Mother M. Pauline O’Neill, CSC ), but each had a lasting impact on Saint Mary’s.
Sister Irma Burns, CSC, began her three year term in 1931, situated between those of two of Saint Mary’s longest serving presidents, Mother Pauline and Sister Madeleva. Her administration, during the grim years of the Great Depression, was determined to preserve the best of what had been done in the past, to maintain a reputable college, and to continue on despite difficult financial circumstances. Due to the Depression, enrollment at universities across the country was low. Among Sister Irma’s praiseworthy accomplishments was her fiscally responsible decision to open the doors of Saint Mary’s to day students from South Bend and nearby communities. #belles12thprez
A photo posted by Saint Mary's College (@saintmaryscollege) on Nov 2, 2016 at 5:59am PDT
“We promise you discovery: the discovery of yourselves, the discovery of the universe, and your place in it," said Saint Mary's third president Sister Madeleva Wolff, CSC. Sister Madeleva understood that Saint Mary’s women were called to religious sensibility, discovering their unique vocations in life as socially responsible global citizens. She was a visionary, an educator, a medieval scholar, a poet, and a woman of deep spiritual conviction who was known for her eloquence and her outspokenness. #belles12thprez
A photo posted by Saint Mary's College (@saintmaryscollege) on Nov 3, 2016 at 5:57am PDT
