group would be beneficial to supporting the needs of the School,” offered Cox. “All of the Jesuit presidents, specifically Father Koch and his assistant Dee Powell, could not have been more supportive in helping our organization get off to a sound start.” Father Koch, affectionately known as “The Heart of Jesuit,” was adopted by the JAAWA as their mentor and spiritual advisor. An alumnus of Jesuit Dallas, he served as president, principal, director of alumni and alumni chaplain during a dazzling career that spanned 62 years until his passing in 2006. “Many of the initial members were wives of the Class of ’52, so we all knew one another and were eager to assist Jesuit any way that we could,” said former JWA President and 1993 Woman of the Year Kay Neuhoff. “Father Koch had taught all of our husbands and our initial focus was supporting his needs.” “I would have gone to the moon for Father Koch and most all of the women felt the same way,” added Sylvia Tillotson. “In fact, I remember one of Mary Lee’s key charges during our first few years was raising funds for the Rev. Patrick H. Koch, S.J. Scholarship Fund.”
Although the JWA received its official start in 1979, the seeds for the organization were planted during the very beginnings of the School. It was 1943 when the plans for a Mother’s Club were put into motion after a delegation of ladies met with Rev. Joseph C. Mulhern, S.J. to discuss the possibility of an organization to assist Jesuit Dallas in the sponsorship of its various activities. Under the leadership of the group’s first president, Marguerite Nabholtz, the Jesuit Mother’s Club hosted socials, receptions, choral and musical programs, and athletic tailgates. Initially projecting a vibrant presence, the organization lost momentum through the 1960s and 70s. In 1979, Mary Lee Cox, who was the parent to an incoming freshman, recognized the need for a support service group to help the Jesuit Dallas alumni. Her vision, combined with the enthusiastic endorsement and support of Rev. Patrick H. Koch, S.J. ’44 prompted the creation of the Jesuit Alumni Association Women’s Auxiliary (JAAWA). “I had an immense appreciation of Jesuit and it quickly became apparent that a women’s support
While Father Koch helped JAAWA get off the ground, the presidents that followed maintained his enduring spirit while facilitating the program’s rapid growth. Because interest continued to surge, the scope of membership eligibility was expanded to include mothers of current students, mothers and wives of alumni, and friends of Jesuit. In 1984, during the presidency of Rev. Clyde LeBlanc, S.J., the JAAWA was repositioned as the Jesuit Women’s Auxiliary (JWA) and the purpose shifted from supporting Jesuit alumni to supporting Jesuit Dallas in all of its endeavors. During that same year, the JWA coordinated another monumental first as Father LeBlanc reached out to then-president Kay Neuhoff to assist in implementing an auction to help finance an endowment fund. Following months of research and planning, the JWA organized
Marguerite Nabholtz served as the first president of the Mother’s Club, a precursor to what eventually became the JWA.
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