DES History

DePaul Emeritus Society History

Like people, most organizations do not materialize “full grown.” They start out small, often have “parents” and develop over time.  The DePaul Emeritus Society is no different. Upon the infusion of so many new members to the family, it only seems fitting that a little information about DES’ ancestors is in order.

The Professor Emeritus Society (PES), founded in 1992, was conceived by four faculty (William Gorman, Adolph Mark, John Masterson and Edwin Schillinger) with the support of Fr. Thomas Munster (Chancellor’s Office) and Ted Tolcher and Beth Bracco (Development). It was formed “to provide a vehicle to keep retired faculty involved with the university, to have an open line of communication with the university, and, to provide an opportunity for social and professional interaction amongst these retirees.” The first luncheon gathering of the PES was held on November 11, 1992. Bill Gorman was its first and only chair.

In 2000, a group of university administrators including Steve Loevy, Fr. Tom Munster, Fr. Ed Udovic, Elaine (Watson) Beaudoin and Carolyn Wright raised the possibility of creating multiple lines of communication with all faculty and staff retirees, individuals on disability, and spouses of deceased retirees. It was hoped this would improve communication among these groups and the university. Two years later, the idea of a Staff Emeritus Society (SES) was raised, and officially founded in 2003.  The first SES planning committee was composed of 5 retired staff members (Nancy Gall, Marjorie Piechowski, Nancy Rospenda, Karen Stark, and Elaine (Watson) Beaudoin); Tom Paetsch (active employee); Camille Licklider and Joel Schaffer (Development); Fr. Tom Munster and Gerry Timm (Chancellor’s Office), Carolyn Wright (Human Resources) and Fr. Ed Udovic (Mission and Values). The purpose of the SES was similar to that described by the Professor Emeritus Society.  Its first luncheon was held on October 29, 2003 and Elaine (Watson) Beaudoin was its first and only chair.

Both organizations worked to improve communications and identify general university benefits for their respective retiree groups including continued access to University libraries, identification cards, and DPU email addresses; invitations to university events including Service Awards Luncheons, Annual Health Faire, and Vincentian Service Day; receipt of paper and electronic university publications and announcements; and, discounts to events and facilities, course tuition and parking.  

When Bill Gorman died in 2006, the university took the occasion to review the two separate organizations and to contemplate the combining of the societies.  A questionnaire was sent to all faculty and staff retirees asking if they thought a merger was a good idea.  The overwhelming majority saw the combining of the two organizations as a positive step. The DePaul Emeritus Society was born in 2008.  “The DES is open to all faculty and staff of DePaul University who have retired from the university with 20 years of full-time service and are 55 years or older, or have retired from the university with 10 years of full-time service and are 62 years or older.” The initial DES charter called for the election of six officers, three faculty and three staff. The first officers were Elaine Beaudoin, Fr. Tom Croak, Jerry Goldman, Dick Meister, Nancy Rospenda, and Denny Shea. An inaugural luncheon, attended by over 60 individuals, was held on May 12, 2008 in the Cortelyou Commons.

Today’s DES mission is to provide a means for ongoing connection, communication, and socialization between the university and its emeritus faculty and staff, and between individual retirees whose professional lives were for so many years dedicated to university service. Since the DES’ inception, a number of programs and communication vehicles have been established including the semi-annual Newsletter and luncheon, Oral History Program, Memorabilia Project, Annual Road Trip Outing, Book Club, DES Website, DES News Updates blog, and the DES Facebook page. In addition, through the philanthropic support of our members, more than thirty small scholarships have been granted to upper-level, undergraduate students while creating a DES Scholarship Fund now in excess of $100,000 assuring an income stream that will support scholarships in perpetuity. Our sponsor (or we might say our “God Parent”) during DES’ six year of life has been the Office of Mission and Values for which we are very grateful.

  

Elaine Beaudoin
June 30, 2014