Preservation Bills Provide Glimpse into Past Fifty-year reunions are milestones, yet they can also be motivators. Several Class of '63 alumni were so moved after their reunion in 2013 that they approached President David Laughlin, asking how they could help SLUH by volunteering. After several conversations, they agreed to set up an archive to preserve the school’s vast history—a timely project, given the impending Bicentennial. “The SLUH spirit is like no other,” says project leader Terry Donohue '63. “We owe much of what we have become to what SLUH gave us 50-plus years ago. We wanted to not only contribute to the celebration of our 200th anniversary, but also to provide a window into this unique culture for anyone to enjoy.”
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Development of the archive requires accumulating nearly 200 years of records, pictures and artifacts into an organized and retrievable collection. According to Donohue, “Ultimately, the SLUH Archive is a treasure trove of history, culture and accomplishments to be maintained and preserved indefinitely.” For more than two years, he and some classmates—including Ron Horst '63, Marty O’Brien '63, Tim O’Connell '63, Lee Schilligo '63, Norm Thomas '63 and Bob St. Vrain '63—have met weekly at SLUH to start the archive. It has been timeconsuming work, but already they have developed much of the physical and technical infrastructure for the archive to flourish well into the future. Given the amount of time the archive committee has spent exploring and learning about the school’s history, what are some of their thoughts and perspectives? What historical nuggets or gems might they share?