DOUG HARDER Doug Harder retired this year after 39 years as a math teacher at MUHS. Harder started his career at St. John’s Cathedral High School, and he still talks about his “luck landing a position at Marquette.”
Harder has consistently brought humor and empathy to each lesson, whether he is talking about the quadratic formula or the FOIL method of factoring. No Senior Follies has missed the opportunity to include a scene of Harder throwing an eraser or squirting a water bottle at an unfortunate student. Beyond his math classroom, Harder has coached basketball and assisted Nativity Jesuit Middle School students at summer camp. He is proud of his involvement in the College Prep Program, which reflected his desire to ensure that the Marquette High experience would be open to all students. His fondest memories are those that demonstrate his call to serve. Harder was an active participant and chaperone in the Appalachian
service trip, an important component of the Senior Shared Life Program. He relished the opportunity to travel with students and offer lessons of hope and faith to those who had less. Undoubtedly, one of Harder’s most significant contributions has been his involvement with the Kairos program. Like McLaughlin, Harder speaks from a deep sense of friendship with Christ and an abiding love for his family. When Harder tells his story, others listen. His voice is one of simplicity and gratitude for the many gifts he has been given. His message as he shares his faith on this important retreat is consistently, “You buddy me; me buddy you.” Students know he has worked each day to enhance their chances of success. His close friend and college roommate from St. Norbert’s, Terry Kelly, graciously described Harder’s many contributions saying, “He has touched the lives of countless people, both at Marquette High and in various other settings. When you have that kind of impact on so many people, you have had a marvelous career.” Upon his retirement, Harder still feels a deep sense of gratitude for the opportunity to teach at Marquette High.
“I really like the people I taught with over the past 39 years. There were many very talented and special people. So many of them influenced my life and helped me to become a better person.” Harder plans to spend his retirement with his wife, Carol, their four children and nine grandchildren at their cottage in northern Wisconsin, a setting that he has often shared with members of the MUHS community. He also plans to spend part of the winter in a warmer climate and longs to visit Pearl Harbor. At the celebration last May, the faculty, staff and administration expressed their friendship and gratitude for the multiple gifts of Jeni McLaughlin and Doug Harder. The “red-haired wonder” and the “eraser thrower” will long be remembered among the growing group of Marquette High’s great teachers.
Doug Harder in 1983
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