MUHS Magazine Winter 2018

MUHS MAGAZINE Vol. 64 Winter 2018

Ignatian leaders in the sports world Jon Greenberg ’85, Dan Smyczek ’89, Jake Moreland ’95, Jeff Bridich ’96, Jake Loos ’04

For Alumni, Parents, Students and Friends of Marquette University High School

Three that matter Rev. Frank Majka, SJ

Jesus tells us to stop worrying about amassing treasure on earth, but lay up treasure in Heaven because where our treasure is, there our hearts lie (Matthew 6:19–21). Saint Paul says something similar when he tells the community at Philippi that he prays they will grow in their ability to discern “the things that really matter” (Philippians 1:9–10).

What about us? After all, each of us has to eventually decide, explicitly or implicitly, what really matters. For some it may be fortune or fame. For others, a loving relationship with another person or peace within our family. For others, it may be breaking a world record in some sport or physical activity, making an important discovery in science or writing a prize-winning novel. Our “what really matters” shapes who we become. As followers of Jesus, what do you and I believe really matters?

At the beginning of his Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius Loyola wrote that the purpose of our life—the “what really matters” for human beings—is to “praise, reverence and serve God our Lord and by this means to save our souls.” (The part about “saving our souls” may be a stumbling block for some, either because people don’t often talk about the soul or they feel such language leads human beings to think they are their own saviors apart from God’s unmerited grace.

I take it to mean that, with God’s grace, when we value what really matters, we can appreciate and accept what God wishes to give us.)

I believe that praising God means to acknowledge and embrace God’s power and especially God’s love for us; that reverence means to put God first, last, and always in our decisions and actions; that serving God means reaching out to others in need because, Jesus said, God regards such service as done to himself as well as to them.

It takes a lifetime of prayer and actions to grasp these three things. None of us will do them perfectly nor simply by our own strength and effort. We will always need to pray for the grace to do them. But if St. Ignatius is right, then these things will bring us closer to becoming who God wishes us to be. And that really does matter.

Rev. Frank Majka, SJ, is mission associate at Marquette University High School.

He also has a spiritual blog, “The Bridge” at www.frankmajka.com.

Lessons learned outside the classroom Dear Friends, Marquette University High School has a long, storied tradition of athletics. For many of our students, lifelong friendships and cherished memories are formed through one of Marquette High’s many sports teams. And, this doesn’t just hold true for our students and alumni. One of my fondest MUHS memories is coaching the varsity baseball team as a Jesuit scholastic with Rick Bridich ’69 and winning the 1992 state championship.

The joy and pride we felt as a team 25 years ago still puts a smile on my face today.

One of the hallmarks of a Jesuit education is the emphasis placed on educating the “whole person.” Athletics, along with other extra-curricular activities, provide an excellent opportunity for students to develop themselves in ways that are just not possible in the classroom. For example, just one year prior to our state victory, the varsity baseball team lost in the state quarterfinals.

That was difficult—to come so close to a goal we worked all season to achieve and then come up short. That was a valuable lesson for those Hilltoppers, myself included, in learning how to deal with disappointment, frustration and failure.

As I reflect back to that special moment in time—winning the 1992 state championship—I’m reminded of why it was so meaningful.

Of course, winning and the trophy are great. However I feel incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to coach such a great group of young men. I appreciated the chance to connect with these guys outside of the classroom on a different, more personal level. Through the ups and downs, wins and losses, the relationships developed on that team and through that state championship experience will last a lifetime. For that, I truly am thankful.

God’s Blessings,

Rev. Michael J. Marco, SJ President

But the next year, 10 of those players returned to the team. They worked hard, and as a result, learned perseverance. They put the team’s goal above their own personal ambitions, and as a result, learned selflessness. They came together as a cohesive unit, and as a result, learned to lead, communicate and trust one another.

These character traits endure long after the last pitch is thrown or last ball is hit. Instead, it is these lessons learned outside of the classroom that help our students achieve success (however they define success) in their pursuits after Marquette High.

Jon Greenberg ’85, Dan Smyczek ’89, Jake Moreland ’95, Jeff Bridich ’96 and Jake Loos ’04 were all involved with Hilltopper athletics and pursued their passion after high school; today they are all leaders in the professional and collegiate sports world.

In the following pages, they share how the lessons they learned at MUHS (both in and outside of the classroom) influence their daily decisions. You’ll also get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of their demanding careers.

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Contents

12 MUHS NEWS

4

News briefs SPORTS

30

12

Volleyball: Driven by defeat

15

Hilltopper highlights FEATURES

44

18

Dick Hallberg: Hallmarks at the High

22

Jon Greenberg ’85: Milwaukee’s Ice Crusher

26

Dan Smyczek ’89: PR Pro With a Flair for Fair

30

Jake Moreland ’95: Never say never

34

Jeff Bridich ’96: Iron Sharpens Iron

38

Jake Loos ’04: Beating the odds

42

MUHS Brotherhood during WWII ALUMNI UPDATE

44

Class notes THEN AND NOW

52

Gym

52 Editor

Editing Assistance

MUHS Magazine is

Julie Felser

Kristen Scheuing

published twice a year for

Contributing Writers

Photography

High community. As always,

Opposite: The Ballet Foklorico Nacional de Milwaukee performed two dances, Tonantzin and Fuego, at Marquette High’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass in December.

Joe Costa ’88

Mike Arndt

we appreciate hearing from

Photo by VIP Photography.

Richard Deverey ’20

Matt Dirksen

you and welcome your

Ann Downey

Nick Monroe

comments and suggestions.

Terry Kelly

VIP Photography

Please send your feedback

and about the Marquette

to the editor at felser@

Chris Lese ’92 Frank Majka, SJ

Design

muhs.edu or MUHS, 3401

Michael Marco, SJ

Jena Sher Graphic Design

W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53208.

Jon Parsons Tim Prosser

Printing

Ryan Walsh ’20

The Fox Company

Cover: Dan Smyczek ’89 (left), vice president of public relations for the Milwaukee Bucks, and Jake Loos ’04, director of basketball analytics and technology for the Phoenix Suns, meet before a game in Talking Stick Resort Arena. Photo by Nick Monroe/ Milwaukee Bucks.

MUHS NEWS

Nobel Prize winner visits MUHS

MUHS rated No. 1 high school in SE Wisconsin

Dr. John C. Mather, winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics, visited MUHS in October while he was in town to speak at the annual Rev. George V. Coyne, SJ lecture, hosted by the Marquette University physics department. More than 200 MUHS students packed into President’s Hall to hear the physicist share his work as senior project scientist on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, a large infrared telescope to be launched into space in 2019.

Described as the next decade’s premier observatory, it will be used by thousands of astronomers worldwide. After his presentation, Mather fielded a wide range of questions from students.

Marquette University High School has been recognized as the highest-rated high school in southeastern Wisconsin and No. 3 in the state, based on recent accountability scores by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Afterward, Declan Byrne ’18, who is thinking about studying aerospace engineering in college, had the chance to talk to Mather and told him about his dream to go to Mars one day—or “at least build a rocket ship to go to Mars. I’m interested in space in general,” says Byrne. Mather stated there are lots opportunities in the aerospace field and encouraged Byrne to pursue his ambitions and take advantage of professional opportunities that come his way.

Mather, a senior astrophysicist in the Observational Cosmology Laboratory at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, won the Nobel Prize for his work with the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite to reinforce the Big Bang theory and rule out other hypotheses for the origin of the universe.

Upon reflecting on his chance to talk with Mather, Byrne says, “It’s really cool to see [working scientists] in person and ask them questions about their passions—why they do what they do and the work they have done.”

Nobel Prize winner Dr. John C. Mather answers students’ questions after his presentation about NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and his work as an astrophysicist.

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The data used to rate MUHS and the other schools in this study came from the 2016–2017 Department of Public Instruction accountability report cards, analyzing student achievement on state tests, academic growth and college readiness.

The data used to assess MUHS only covered those students receiving public money through the School Choice program and does not represent the entire student body. However, internal analysis shows that MUHS students who do not participate in this program and were not included in this particular ranking perform as high or higher than those that do.

“This data points to the high quality work of the student body, the academic preparation students receive for college, and the many good things happening at our school,” says Principal Jeff Monday ’84.

“An MUHS education is much more than accountability scores and academic ratings, but it is nonetheless an excellent indicator of the tremendous quality of the academic experience, and is a testament to the hard work of our students, teachers, and the entire Hilltopper community,” he says.

Geometry students build boats Richard Deverey ’20

Redmond Tuttle ’14 demonstrates how to use a spacer gauge to determine the accurate location and angle for the screws used to fasten the bottom to the chines of the sand dollar boat.

Photo by Mike Arndt.

MUHS math teacher Beth Piper and ASC teacher T.J. Novotny ’13 have teamed up with All Hands Boatworks, a local nonprofit organization that teaches youth boatbuilding skills, craftsmanship and real-world math experience outside of the classroom setting.

“The idea was to actually have kids use geometry in a very physical sense, not just on paper, in order to help them understand it better,” Piper says.

Every Tuesday, students trek three blocks west to the AHB workshop at Michigan Avenue and 38th Street to work on two sand dollar boats, which are being constructed with high-grade woods to ensure lasting sustainability.

The AHB staff provides the necessary instruction and guidance to the students, who work independently on their own assignments and then together to assemble the newly-constructed pieces. “Doing things on paper can only get you so far, to actually see those things come to life is really impactful,” says George Kwiecinski ’20 while crafting right angles for the hull pieces of the boat. Once completed, the two boats will be auctioned off at Marquette High’s 2018 Topper Auction on April 20.

The students have shown great enthusiasm toward this project, and teachers have definitely noticed. “I think the kids are excited to go, it’s exciting to go do something different,” Piper says. “This program is a new approach to better understanding geometry and could be very beneficial to them in the future.”

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MUHS NEWS

Hilltopper highlights news Ryan Walsh ’20

Milwaukee Bucks forward Mirza Teletovic (center back) visits with students in Joe Costa's World Literature class. Teletovic was a young boy who survived the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995. He shared his experiences and his culture with students who are reading a novel that takes place in the post-war years in Bosnia. Teletovic's message was simple: "That person next to you, that person over there, be friends. Be good to each other."

Math and computer science teacher Chris Reis was honored

by STEM Forward with a 2017 STEMMY Award, recognizing organizations and individuals whose efforts demonstrate a unique approach or unparalleled commitment to promoting and improving the STEM competency of students.

Erin Brown has been hired as the new admissions assistant.

She recently served in Peru through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps.

Brown earned her bachelor’s degree in theology and Hispanic studies with a minor in business management from the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn.

Director of Instruction and English teacher Meg Doering received an award from the Wisconsin Council of Religious and Independent Schools for her work on the DPI Professional Standards Council.

Christie Odenwald has joined the Counseling Department as administrative assistant. She previously worked for Brown Deer School District. She earned her bachelor’s degree in criminology and law studies from Marquette University.

English teacher Mike Neubeck recently had an article published in America Magazine, a Jesuit publication, on teaching teenage boys about the Virgin Mary through the use of classical art.

Andrew Kossow, who was recently hired as the performance and fitness coordinator, is presenting research at the Midwestern Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine’s annual conference in Grand Rapids, Mich. In collaboration with the Lakeland University Exercise Science Department, he studied the kinetics of running, single- and double-leg jumps, and pivot jumps.

Scott Rudie has been hired as vice president for communications and marketing. He previously was the senior director for marketing and communications at Mount Mary University. Rudie received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from UW–Whitewater and master’s of art in history from Cardinal Stritch University.

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The Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary (Milwaukee Inter-Council) awarded scholarships to Jamie Sepulveda ’21

and Francis Faye ’21, who received the Lady Joyce Shakespeare Award and Sir Knight Ted Goins Award, respectively. Sepulveda and Faye were honored for their academic achievements, participation in extracurricular school activities and volunteer work for their churches and communities.

This year’s Senior Follies production, directed by faculty member Chris Lese ’92, was entitled The Night Before Follies, and spoofed the MUHS faculty and administrators.

The Science Olympiad Team, moderated by science teachers Nicole Williams and Russell Craze placed second in the National Science Teachers Association state competition in November.

Additionally, the MUHS team was invited to present at an NSTA

Open House, to share information and advice to current and prospective Science Olympiad teachers about its organization, preparation and participation in NSTA events. Students also met with a NSTA national director and shared feedback on their favorite parts of Science Olympiad and possible improvements for the future.

The SMART Team, moderated by science teachers Keith Klestinski and Carl Kaiser, are studying T-cell biology. T-cells are cells in the body that help the body’s immune system fight off diseases like cancer. This year, the group is working with Dr. Weiguo Cui, an associate investigator for the Blood Research Institute (Immunology) at the BloodCenter of Wisconsin and an assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at Medical College of Wisconsin.

Senior Follies stars (left to right): Mrs. Jane Powers (Pike Piekenbrock ’18), Mr. Paul Fleisch ’94 (Ethan Lehman ’18), Father Charley Stang, SJ, (Nick Beine ’18), Mrs. Ann O’Hara (Camil Maroun ’18) and Father Tom Manahan, SJ, (Brian Callan ’18).

Computer Science teacher Chris Reis was honored with an Excellence in STEM Award by STEM Forward, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting STEM education and careers to all students through collaboration with business, education, government and the community. Photo by Mike Arndt.

Photo by VIP Photography.

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MUHS NEWS

Hilltopper highlights news

FIRST Robotics team members Nicholas Weinschrott ’18 (left) and Jameson Petropoulos ’18 test the batteries that power the robot for current and voltage in preparation for this year’s competitions. Last year, Team 1732, won the Wisconsin and St. Louis regional competitions, advanced to Worlds, and finished in the top 10 percent of teams from around the globe.

Photo by VIP Photography.

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Coached by math teacher Joe Griesbach ’75, the Math Team, of Zach Sekaran ’18, Frank DeGuire ’18, Joseph Webb ’19, Nick Wieber ’18, Jay Schauer ’18, Michael Rose ’19, John Baylon ’19, and Michael Sohn ’20 finished fourth out of 25 teams at the MSOE Math Competition. Approximately 200 students participated and Sekaran was awarded a medal as one of only four students who earned a perfect score.

The Robotics Team 1732 hosted a FIRST LEGO League tournament for more than 400 elementary- and middle-school students. The tournament, the largest in Wisconsin, challenged students to build a robot, develop a project to answer a science question and complete a teamwork exercise to demonstrate the core values of FLL. Conclave and other student groups held fundraisers to support hurricane victims and raised more than $3,500 for Catholic Relief Services.

The Unity Council hosted the first-ever Topper Talk, an opportunity for students to discuss difficult topics in a comfortable environment. Approximately 70 students participated in the talk titled, “To kneel or stand: A conversation about choice, freedom and pride.”

More than 20 students traveled with social studies teachers Elsa Banks and Katie Egan to attend the Chicago International Model United Nations conference. Jonny Klar ’18 represented Estonia in the European Union cabinet and won a Delegate’s Choice award and John Quinlan ’18 represented Chile in the International Court of Justice and also won a Delegates Choice award.

In partnership with the Capuchin Community Services House of Peace, Key Club organized Marquette High’s annual food basket and toy drive. The MUHS community donated more than 200 food baskets and $3,500 in toys. Additionally, the alumni mothers donated gift cards, hats, mittens, blankets and coats.

Retired science teacher Carolyn Parrott and a women’s quilting group in Oconomowoc donated handmade quilts.

The MUHS Best Buddies chapter volunteered at an auction event benefitting St. Coletta Day School of Milwaukee,

a private school serving students with special needs. The group also hosted a Christmas dance and social for all the Southeastern Wisconsin Best Buddies school chapters.

Students in the President’s Ambassadors program, a leadership development and donor relations program for juniors and seniors, had the opportunity to visit with and learn about the career journey of Chris Layden ’01, managing director of Experis; John McDermott ’76, senior vice president of Rockwell Automation; David Stearns, general manager of the Milwaukee Brewers; and Alex Toole ’93, State Farm Insurance agent and member of the MUHS Board of Directors.

Award-winning author Paul Fleischman spent the day at MUHS as part of the 2017–18 HilltoppeREAD program. Fleischman, author of Whirligig and this year’s all-school read, met with students in various science, art and English classes. He also met with Guys Read Book Club and the Environmental Science Homeroom.

At an all-school assembly, the author talked to students about his childhood in California and how those experiences influence his creative process.

The Wisconsin Historical Society traveling display entitled Crossing the Line: The Milwaukee Fair Housing Marches of 1967–1968 came to MUHS for the month of December.

The display commemorates the 50th anniversary of Milwaukee’s civil rights marches by examining the practices and prejudices that led to segregation in Milwaukee and chronicling the school desegregation and fair housing movements of the 1960s. The exhibit also posed the question, “What can you do to end segregation today?”

The Science Department began offering AP Physics I and AP Physics C for the first time in 2017–18. Other academic updates include allowing high-performing sophomore math students to take AP Statistics, offering multivariable calculus for transferable college credit and adding History of Milwaukee to the Social Studies Department course offerings.

Marquette University High School was awarded a 2017 Best Places to Work Award from the Milwaukee Business Journal.

MUHS ranked fourth out of 10 in the "large employer” category.

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SPORTS

State champions champions

The soccer team defeated Arrowhead HighSchool 2–1 to capture the WIAA Division 1 state championship, the team’s fourth straight state title.

Photo by VIP Photography.

The soccer team defeated Arrowhead High School 2-1 to capture the WIAA Division 1 state championship, the team’s fourth straight state title.

Photo by VIP Photography.

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SPORTS

Driven by defeat Volleyball rallies back to capture state title Richard Deverey ’20

The MUHS varsity volleyball team battled its way to a stunning 44–4 overall season record and the 2017 WIAA state title. Sweet redemption for a team that was driven in the off-season by a crushing defeat in last year’s state championship game. Favored to win heading into the 2016 final, the Hilltoppers were up two games against rival Catholic Memorial High school before losing three straight games—and the state title. “It was pretty shocking,” says returning senior Liam Schroeder ’18. “Kind of a slap to the face.”

traveled to Canada for the St. Vital Invitational Tournament, where they placed second among a field of strong Canadian teams, losing to the No. 1-ranked Manitoba team. Ward and Schroeder were named to the tournament’s All-Star team.

Ward, a four-year varsity player who would be named state player of the year by the Wisconsin Boys Volleyball Coaches Association, hit his stride this year. “The game really began to slow down for him,” says Sullivan. “This was his time to shine.” The team as a

Schroeder and his nine returning teammates ramped up their off-season efforts and returned with a hunger to reclaim the title. “[Last year’s loss] definitely put a stronger fire in my belly.

It stung for a while. We needed to take care of business this time around,” he says.

Within the first week of the season the team faced nemesis Catholic Memorial. In a reversal of the 2017 championship match, CMH squandered a two-game lead to lose 3–2 to the Hilltoppers.

CMH did not give up easily. “I learned then that no team is just going to roll over,” says Schroeder. “You have to work for every win.”

Five days later, MUHS won the New Berlin Varsity tournament and became the season’s team to beat. “We had targets on our back; we knew that,” says Coach Eric Sullivan.

With last year’s loss always in the back of their minds, each game was critical. They dropped a few games in the beginning and then settled into a rhythm under the leadership of Connor Ward ’18.

“They worked well together, they’re smart . . . all those things you could say about a team that is really clicking,” says Athletic Director Bob Herman ’85. “And there was a lot of trust.”

As the season rolled on, the team kept building momentum, placing high in tournaments. “We peaked toward the end of the season which was fortunate,” says Sullivan. In October, the Hilltoppers

Opposite: Jack Reilly '18. Photo by VIP Photography.

Conor Ward ’18 sets Liam Schroeder (#14) for the kill in the Division 1 state championship game against Kaukauna. Photo by VIP Photography.

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SPORTS

The Hilltoppers defeated Kaukana in the 2017 state championship match and are now tied with Kaukana’s record of nine WIAA state volleyball titles. Photo by VIP Photography.

whole was galvanized by the unique bond that was formed after their heartbreak last year. “We already had chemistry as friends, and the team chemistry just followed,” says Schroeder. He says getting team haircuts was the last piece to fall into place as they headed into post-season play.

“Once playoff season comes around, everyone gets fired up,” says Schroeder. “You start playing your best games.”

They faced Racine Horlick in regionals, then Brookfield East, another talented team.

Favored again to win, the Hilltoppers swept nine sets over two days of state finals before hoisting the 2017 state volleyball championship gold ball in victory. With the win, MUHS tied Kaukana’s record of nine WIAA state volleyball titles.

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Of Ward’s two finals finishes, this year’s was most meaningful.

“I was on the team my freshman year in 2014 that won [the state championship]. But this is a lot sweeter, because this is my class” he says. Schroeder, set to play for University of Southern California next year, had a fantastic finals showing with eight kills and four blocks. “I’m proud to play for Marquette High volleyball,” he says. “Other than enjoying the success we obtained this year, I consider my teammates some of my greatest friends.”

Like last year, the Hilltoppers were favored to win heading into the finals, ranked No. 1 in the coaches poll every week so it was clear nothing less than a state title would be acceptable for this team.

Hilltopper highlights sports The soccer team beat Arrowhead High School 2–1 to win the WIAA Division 1 state championship, the team’s fourth-straight state title, its seventh title in eight years and the 13th since 2000.

Coached by Steve Lawrence ’99, the team finished 20–3–1 for the season and was ranked No. 22 in the nation by the USA TODAY/ United Soccer Coaches poll. Dominic Lambo ’19 was named First Team All-State and Greater Metro Conference Player of the Year. Nick Cheung ’18 and Carter Abbott ’18 were named Best of the Rest All-State. Seniors Colin Harris, C.J. Keyes, Lambo, Charles Lewis, David Newton and Andrew Schlidt received Greater Metro Conference Scholar–Athlete honors, earning a 3.5 or higher GPA. Outside of competition, assistant coach Craig Posselt coordinated a soccer camp for kids with diabetes and Coach Lawrence and Newton helped out as coaches.

The volleyball team won nine straight games in the WIAA state tournament to capture the championship title. Additionally, the Hilltoppers matched their championship opponent Kaukauna for most titles in WIAA history. The team, coached by Eric Sullivan,

Running back Danny Carter ’18 broke the MUHS single game rushing record against Germantown with 32 carries for 330 yards. Photo by VIP Photography.

had an overall record of 44–4 for the season, capturing the GMC Conference and sectional championships. Setter Conor Ward ’18 was named State Player of the Year. Liam Schroeder ’18 was named First Team All-State, Aidan Frazier ’18 was named Second Team All-State, and Ben Foley ’18 received Honorable Mention All-State honors. Frazier, Schroeder and Adam Schulte ’18 received GMC Scholar–Athlete honors.

Dominic Lambo ’19. Photo by VIP Photography.

The football team, coached by Jeff Mazurczak ’82, advanced to postseason play for the fifth consecutive year. The Hilltoppers defeated Oshkosh West 56–39 before losing to eventual state champion Kimberly, 33–49, and finishing the season 6–5. Jon Gaines ’18 and Joe Heffernan ’18 were named Honorable Mention All-State. The following seniors were named GMC Scholar– Athletes: Daniel Carter, Nicholas Daniels, David Faye, Stephen Foley, Patrick Georg, Michael Kahler, Adam Pfankuch, Nicholas Ragonese and Daniel Strom. Additionally, the team partnered with Easterseals Southeast Wisconsin for the football camp Tackling Autism, a day of fun for autistic children and their families fun by MUHS football players on Takton Field.

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SPORTS

Hilltopper highlights sports

(Left to right) Max Krawczyk ’18, Alex Radocha ’18 and Will Friedrich ’19. Photo by VIP Photography.

The cross-country team finished the 2018 season ranked ninth in Wisconsin but fell short of qualifying for the WIAA state meet by 10 points. Seniors William Campbell, Daniel Cesarz, John Cesarz, Frank DeGuire, Lorenzo DeMichele, Kean Kearney, Charles Koehler, Alex Kramer, Nathaniel Pruhs, Joshua Surges and Robert Tallmadge received GMC Scholar–Athlete honors.

The baseball team, coached by Sal Bando Jr. ’88, earned its second straight WIAA state championship runner-up title last summer, losing to undefeated West Bend West in the state final 6–4. The team clinched regional and sectional championship titles and finished with an overall record of 27–8. Peter Ahn ’17 and Zach Nogalski ’17 were named First Team All-State and Patrick

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Sisk ’17 was named Second Team All-State. Ahn, Ryan Hecht ’17, Henry Lamers ’17 and Nogalski received GMC Scholar– Athlete honors.

Mike Duehring, MUHS director of performance and fitness, and Angela Balistrieri, athletics administrative assistant, received the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association Outstanding Service Award, which was presented during a Marquette High pep assembly in November.

Head varsity golf coach Brad Niswonger qualified for the 2017 USGA Senior Amateur Championship tournament in Minneapolis, Minn.

RECRUITING FUTURE HILLTOPPERS Do you know an ambitious young man who may be interested in becoming a Hilltopper? Encourage them to sign up online and be added to our Future Hilltopper list. Both boys and parents will receive information about MUHS and updates on activities they can attend.

Visit www.muhs.edu/admissions and click on Future Hilltopper.

2018 Campus Visit Days 7th graders and parents are cordially invited to attend an upcoming 2018 Campus Visit Day to experience what it is really like to be a student at Marquette University High School.

March 15 April 12

April April 26 19

April 19 March 22

May 3 26 April

April 12

Visiting boys will sit in on classes, eat lunch with current students, meet faculty and take a tour of the building. Parents are invited to attend a 45-minute coffee time and brief presentation after dropping off their sons. Following the presentation, an optional 30-minute highlight building tour will be available.

May 3

For more information or to register, visit:

www.muhs.edu/admissions

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Hallberg’s Hallmarks Ann Downey

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FEATURES

Behind a mountain of churros, a Jorge Curioso puppet, some groan-worthy humor and a trademark congenial smile, Richard Hallberg’s 37-year career at MUHS was shaped by his love for the Spanish language and Hispanic culture.

Before retiring from the classroom at the end of the 2016–17 school year, Hallberg played off that passion as he helped to create first-hand experiences for Marquette High students through the language exchange and immersion programs.

Hallberg taught every level of Spanish over his years at MUHS and demonstrated a sophisticated and nuanced understanding of the language. His love for puns and mastery of traditional Spanish idioms made his classes fun for generations of students. World Languages Department colleague Marie Mansfield says, “Dick is a talented Spanish speaker. Native speakers love to talk to him because he has a beautiful sense of humor in Spanish and is so welcoming.”

Hallberg’s interest in Spanish began very early in his life when he would watch Howard Hathaway on Twin Cities public television.

Hathaway broadcast as “Don Miguel” from a public TV studio in St. Paul to various schools. Hallberg’s teachers, Notre Dame sisters, showed the program three times a week as a way to expose them to the language.

“It was an early, pioneering distance-learning effort,” Hallberg says. “I was captivated by the music and the rhythm and the sound of the language . . . I was hooked.”

Spanish teaching position at MUHS and joined the department staffed at the time by Jim Wilkinson ’73, Jim Beaudoin, Sy Kreilein, Jim Greenwald and Jim Radtke.

“I always wanted to teach high school,” Hallberg says. “I enjoyed that age and I knew it was an important period of life. I really like the energy and the willingness of those students to learn.”

Hallberg would try anything to engage his students and inspire in them a love of the language and Hispanic culture. When Mansfield started at MUHS, her office was next to Hallberg’s classroom. “I could hear the energy and life that radiated from his classroom. His students conversed, performed and sang in Spanish. He liked to bring out Jorge Curioso and other props to engage the students.”

MUHS admissions coordinator Kevin Drees ’11, who had Señor Hallberg for all four years, fondly remembers Hallberg’s end-ofsemester fiestas. “We would eat churros and share camaraderie.

Hallberg studied Spanish at Hill High School in Forest Lake, Minn., and became a modern languages and political science major at St. Mary’s University in Winona, Minn.

Following graduation, Hallberg worked for a year for Catholic Charities helping immigrants with their migration forms, and then spent a year in Chiquimula, Guatemala, teaching English with the Christian Brothers as a volunteer. When he returned to the U.S., Hallberg enrolled at Moorhead State University to earn a teaching certification. While there, he saw a poster advertising teaching assistant positions at Marquette University. He applied, got the job, and moved with his wife Vicky to Milwaukee to pursue a master’s degree in Spanish at Marquette University while working as a teaching assistant. In 1979, he learned of an opening for a

Dick Hallberg performing with Sha-Na-No, the faculty rock band that makes surprise performances once every four years. Photo by VIP Photography.

Hallberg retired from the classroom at the conclusion of the 2016–17 school year after a 37-year teaching career at MUHS. Photo by VIP Photography.

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FEATURES RICHARD HALLBERG

Misterioso, and La Catrina to his classes. Wilkinson notes, “Destinos entertained and educated a generation of Spanish students.”

“Señor enjoyed those days and so did we,” Drees says. “He would have a really fun time with us breaking down the episodes and the awkward acting.” Current World Languages Department chair Dan Miller says, “He has a super-human ability to quote any Destinos episode verbatim.” Because of his dedication to using video, Hallberg worked for an organization called the America Video Lab to create exercises for the classroom based on the material presented in the videos.

Hallberg was also on the team that brought the AP program to MUHS. “I felt that AP was the best college-prep course for high school at the time,” he said. “It’s proficiency-based and allows students to delve deeply into a subject and get a great base for future study.”

Hallberg often used props in his lessons including the puppet Jorge Curioso.

Señor was a hoot and we always ended the parties with loud, borderline obnoxious, Spanish singing.” Drees also noted that Hallberg began every class with a Spanish prayer and petitions.

“Each class began with ‘En el nombre del padre . . .’. It was fun because of course it was in Spanish, and being students in Spanish 1 and 2, it was not always easy for us to give our petitions in Spanish. But he would work through it with us in a way that was kind and funny.”

Hallberg’s passion for the AP program ran so deep that he became a national reader of AP exams, something he has done for more than 20 years. Every June, he spends 12 days scoring exams. He has become such a fixture that he now supervises a group of scorers, ensuring the accuracy of the evaluations. Hallberg comments on how the exam has evolved over the years from a focus on grammar to that of proficiency. “It’s a more authentic model for learning

Hallberg in 1980, his first year of teaching at MUHS.

Spanish teacher Alexis Cazco said she is “grateful to have had a colleague, mentor and friend like Hallberg. “Since I started working at MUHS in 2012, he was so pleasant to be around and very supportive at all times, always with a smile on his face.”

“He always has a cheery disposition, says Tim Prosser. “He’s a glasshalf-full guy.” Drees says Hallberg brought the same positivity to the classroom.

“He taught in a way that was very kind and eager.

He wanted you to learn and more important, he wanted you to understand. We talk about a caring, yet challenging, environment at MUHS and I think he embodied that.”

Perhaps inspired by his middle school TV mentor Don Miguel, Hallberg introduced the video programs Destinos, El cuarto

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(Left to right) Tom Ernest, Dick Hallberg and Jon Parsons honored with the Hansen Excellence of Teaching award in 2006.

a language. We now focus on reading, speaking and writing with a strong grammatical foundation.”

Outside of the classroom, Hallberg was active in Spanish education organizations, the Wisconsin Association of Foreign Language Teachers and the Central States Conference on Teaching of Foreign Languages, where he has twice presented immersion days. He has also taught adults through the UWM School of Continuing Education.

Throughout his career, Hallberg enjoyed meeting educators from all over the country. “I’ve made a lot of friends over the years,” he says. Mansfield says, “He is known and respected by many people in the World Languages field. When we attended conventions, I was always amazed how many people know Dick, and Dick was happy to introduce us to other colleagues in our field,” she says.

“Dick welcomed all, and invited most everyone to join us for a fun lunch or dinner.” Cazco adds, “One of my favorite memories was working together to organize the state Spanish pronunciation contest for three consecutive years. He always made sure every participating teacher felt at home and had a great experience.”

Hallberg’s love of the Spanish language runs deep, as does his affinity for the Hispanic culture. Over the years, he has arranged trips to Mexico, Costa Rica and Spain. In the 1980s, the trips were cultural tours rather than service programs. In Mexico, his groups visited Mexico City, Taxco and Acapulco, practicing the language as they made their way around the country. By the late 1990s and 2000s, the trips became more language intensive with students living with families during their stay.

In 2012, Hallberg and Rev. Terry Brennan, SJ, took at group of students to Costa Rica to study the Spanish language and culture with David D’Amore ’79, owner of Academia de Español D’Amore, where the students studied every day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and stayed with local families.

Reflecting on nearly four decades as a high school teacher, Hallberg reveals his genuine gratitude for his career. “I’m going to miss the interaction with the students—their desire to learn. I’m also humbled by the support of so many students and colleagues.

The camaraderie at Marquette High is beyond expectations.”

The future looks bright for Señor Hallberg. He has been working for a few years as a medical and legal interpreter and hopes to continue that work in his retirement. In fact, because it is nearly impossible to escape the long reach of Marquette High, one of the doctors for whom Hallberg currently interprets is a former student who graduated in 1986. He continues to demonstrate the generosity of spirit that was a hallmark of his 37 years on the Hilltop.

Hallberg, who retired from the classroom last year, currently works as a medical and legal interpreter. Photo by Mike Arndt.

www.MUHS.edu 21

Jon Greenberg ’85 Milwaukee’s Ice Crusher Joe Costa ’88

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FEATURES

If you noticed all the fanfare around Water Street and the Third Ward last June during the 2017 National Hockey League Stanley Cup playoffs and finals, you may have wondered when Milwaukee became a hockey town.

When the Chicago Blackhawks fell in the first round of the playoffs to the Nashville Predators, the local ‘Hawks home here at Steny’s Tavern and Grill, was swept by the golden yellow of the Preds’ hockey jersey.

Before finally losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup finals, the Preds had produced pockets of gold rushes around town as hockey fans celebrated as if cheering for their own team—and that rousing display of devotion is due in large part to the work of MUHS alum, Jon Greenberg ’85, president of the Milwaukee Admirals.

For more than a decade, Greenberg has focused on the fans and the players of the Milwaukee Admirals American Hockey League team. Taking advantage of the less structured AHL environment, Greenberg and his team have created awardwinning fan experiences while catering to the players he knows work every day to leave his team for the big league.

“The road to Nashville runs through Milwaukee,” Predators general manager David Poile says of the Admirals hockey team, which is the top minor league (AHL) affiliate for the Predators. Indeed, 19 of the players on Nashville’s Stanley Cup roster had played for the Admirals—the reason for the rabble-rousing during hockey’s pinnacle last year. Poile appreciates the environment Greenberg has created here for his prospects.

“This is the kind of environment that we want our players to develop in,” he says.

In turn, Milwaukee fans get to see elite players before they make it big in the NHL. Pekka Rinne, the Predators All-Star goalie and Finnish Olympian, considered by many to be one of the best goalies in the world, played 145 games on the Admirals over three seasons before moving on to the Predators in 2008. “Those three years were very big for me,” Rinne told SB Nation in 2014. “On the ice, getting used to North American hockey. Especially off the ice, I think that's a really big part, feeling comfortable and fitting in.” While Rinne was acclimating himself to American culture in Milwaukee, fans were watching one of the hottest players in hockey.

It’s the kind of care for the whole person Greenberg learned at Marquette High, and, in particular, from his faculty advisor, Rev. Don Driscoll, SJ. “From day one through my senior year, the things he shared with me and the time he took to talk to me . . . he found a way to get to the root of what you were struggling with,” says Greenberg. “I’ll never forget that.”

When Greenberg was just starting out as a sportswriter, he never guessed he would be running a hockey club and promoting the team with bobblehead giveaways featuring Teddy Roosevelt and Benjamin Franklin in Admirals uniforms. Before joining the hockey team, Greenberg spent 21 years with the Milwaukee Brewers, starting as a bat boy in 1984 and eventually becoming the team’s director of media relations.

In 2005, Harris Turer, now Admirals owner and CEO, was part of the Brewers ownership group with then-owner Mark Attanasio. Turer called Greenberg at his hotel when he was at the Brewers spring training and told him he was interested in purchasing the Admirals and was looking for someone to be

For the athletes, both those who have spent multiple seasons developing their skills for the big leagues as well as seasoned NHL All-Stars who have returned to Milwaukee on injury rehabilitation assignments (like Rinne a few years ago), Greenberg is determined to offer an “excellent experience [and] a professional atmosphere” and the type of environment where young players feel cared for, where they can grow both on and off the ice.

Jon Greenberg ’85 is president of the Milwaukee Admirals. Photo by Mike Arndt.

Rev. Don Driscoll, SJ, in 1981.

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FEATURES JON GREENBERG ’85

president of the organization. With his typical humility, Greenberg thought Turer was asking him for recommendations. As Greenberg began listing potential candidates, Turer stopped him to offer the position. “After a long silence, I told him I knew very little about hockey,” Greenberg says. “And I was used to running a department, not an entire organization.” The challenge, though, was perfect for Greenberg, who saw it as an opportunity not only to try something new, but to take what he had learned working alongside Bud Selig at the Brewers for two decades.

Greenberg would also draw on his MUHS experience.

“Marquette High was an enormous part of my development as a person, part of my core,” he says. “The relationships built with students and teachers, I am extremely grateful for that.”

Since taking the helm of the Admirals organization, Greenberg has worked to implement the outreach programs that are slowly and surely helping to turn Milwaukee into a hockey town. Admirals players are encouraged to get out into the community, through the player development program and on their own. They visit Children’s Hospital and schools as part of the Reading: The Ultimate Power Play program, for which they attend pep-rallies, distribute school supplies and encourage kids to set and achieve reading goals— the reward for which is, of course, Admirals tickets.

Once the director of media relations for the Milwaukee Brewers, Greenberg is comfortable in front of the cameras.

The school program is part of Greenberg’s mission to give back to the city of Milwaukee. For example, each season the Milwaukee Admirals Charity Game (this year on April 8), fans enjoy discounted tickets, and $3 from every ticket sold goes to Children’s Hospital. With the 9,000-plus-seat Panther Arena, Greenberg’s team stands to raise nearly $30,000 at one game. In 11 seasons, the Admirals have raised more than $325,000 for local charities including the MACC Fund and Boys & Girls Clubs of Milwaukee.

Greenberg is reluctant to mention this charitable work. “You do community service for the right reason, not to get credit for it,” he says, a lesson he learned at Marquette High, particularly within the Senior Shared Life Program. In fact, much of Greenberg’s work with the Admirals focuses on what he refers to as a mission to build relationships, to give back and give thanks—another lesson for which he is quick to credit his time at MUHS. His MUHS-inspired cura-personalis approach is implemented in the Admirals front office, where he has focused on forging familystyle relationships. “I want to take good care of the people who work here,” he says, referring to both the 15 full-time employees as well as the 35 additional crew members needed on game nights.

Jon Greenberg, Nolan Yonkman, an Milwaukee Admirals player from 2006 to 2010, and Harris Turer, Milwaukee Admirals owner, attending a Milwaukee Brewers game where Yonkman threw out the ceremonial opening pitch.

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Typically, in minor league sports, young employees, like the athletes themselves, hone their craft and move on to bigger venues.

When Greenberg took over as president, there were just four full-time Admirals employees. He brought a new crop of young, enthusiastic, creative people on board who could focus on building a new and exciting hockey product in Milwaukee. Many of those individuals, still part of the core group, now have families of their own, as does Greenberg. His wife, Shannon, is a Divine Savior

Jon Greenberg with his wife, Shannon, and daughter, Caroline, at the 2017 U.S. Open.

Holy Angels alumna and his daughter, Caroline, is a current student at St. Thomas More High School and hockey player.

Of his job, Greenberg says, “We have fun, we laugh every day. I need people to be as relaxed as they can be, not concerned about saying the wrong thing. I tell them don’t ever feel bashful about throwing out any idea.”

Under Greenberg’s leadership, the Admirals organization has developed an award-winning fan experience known for its fun and frivolity. “In a major league setting, there is a template,” he says. “You do X, Y, and Z. But here we do the entire alphabet.

We’re able to differentiate with a fun, off-the-wall experience.”

With imaginative (and often zany) game-night promotions like Taco Tuesdays, merchandise giveaways, theme games like Princess

and Superhero Day and a post-game concert series featuring the likes of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and country music chart topper Dierks Bentley, professional hockey in Milwaukee is about more than just fancy skating and 100 mph slap shots. How about “The Human Hockey Puck”— ice bowling with a massive sling shot and a fan seated on a saucer sled or an on-ice tour in a huge wooden pirate ship? The Admirals honor a hometown hero at every game—a first responder, military veteran or an individual currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Although organized hockey has had a home in Milwaukee for nearly 40 years—the Admirals began as the amateur outfit the Milwaukee Wings in 1970—the city was never considered a hockey town.

In 2005, Turer recognized the need for a strong, unifying leader, someone who would usher in a new type of sports experience in Milwaukee. Based on the evidence—an energetic Admirals fan base, the chance for fans to see the game’s future stars, the consistent growth of youth hockey in the area, a strong front-office culture, and the proliferation of important community service initiatives— Greenberg is crushing it.

www.MUHS.edu 25

Dan Smyczek ’89 PR Pro With a Flair for Fair Tim Prosser

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FEATURES

Dan Smyczek ’89 has always been interested in sports, and in the ’80s it was easy for a grade-schooler to get hooked on Marquette High athletics. While still a kid at St. Mathias Parish School, Dan’s brother Ron ’87 and parish classmates Aaron Krzewinski ’87, Joe Jaskolski ’87 and Mike Schneider ’87 played and attended Hilltopper sporting events. Dan was a fierce fan and his transition to MUHS came naturally but not without one early disappointment. It was the kind of turning point that would set Smyczek on a course toward his current position of vice president of public relations for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Dan Smyczek arrived at football tryouts the summer of 1985 hopeful he’d wear the Hilltopper jersey like his friends and classmates. He didn’t make the freshman team, but Coach Bob Brezinski saw something else in Smyczek and offered him the chance to stay on as team manager. And so began his high school career as team manager of both the basketball and football programs, which he did all four years except his sophomore year, when he played football. Smyczek remembers his one “moment in the sun” of his brief gridiron career: recovering an onside kick against Bradley Tech at Burnham Field.

Smyczek credits his parents, Tony and Sue, for their tremendous sacrifice to send him and his three siblings to Catholic high schools. Dan received tuition assistance through the MUHS work/ study program, answering phones in the “Jes Res.” He always had a part-time job outside of high school, too: paper route, fast food, pharmacy helper, stocker at Target. The school’s Polish Heritage Club moderated by Dan Lazowski kept him busy on Paczki Day. “It was all fun, especially the best part of Marquette High—the friends you make from all over,” Smyczek says.

Marquette memories abound for Smyczek, but one remains fuzzy.

He remembers getting a JUG (junior year in math with Mr. Teschendorf), but says to this day he doesn’t know why. Asked to recall teachers that influenced him, Smyczek names Joe Griesbach ’75 and Jim Kearney. “One of the best lessons for life I received was when I was struggling in Mr. Griesbach’s class and he sought me out, he went looking for me and found me in the B&G to explain some concept, to ensure I would understand the material I needed to know. Talk about going the extra mile for a person. Kearney’s creative writing class had some great assignments and, of course, storytelling.”

With regards to serving the school’s mission, it’s easy to overlook the many ways students serve the school itself, especially in the form of an athletic team manager, who serves both players and coaches, taking care of tasks from laundry to water bottles, sweeping

Dan Smyczek '89 holding the U.S. Open trophy during a media tour for the event held at Erin Hills.

Smyczek and Charlie Kersten ’89 in Boston.

the courts to packing the uniforms. Smyczek is proud of the perspective he gained as someone who worked behind the scenes serving those in higher-profile roles. “Managing was great fun.

Guys like Justin Kischefsky ’87, Joey “Goose” Ganzer ’88 and Scott Stange ’88 kept it lively, trying to stay on Coach Foran’s good side.”

Naturally the team manager shared in the excitement and camaraderie of high-level play. He was working the sidelines when Marquette High won the 1988 state football championship, and was court-side when the team took the 1989 basketball state title, beating St. Joe’s and Nicky Van Exel, who later went on to play in the NBA.

www.MUHS.edu 27

FEATURES DAN SMYCZEK ’89

“In both cases, you are working with the public, trying to target wins for either constituents or fans. I am constantly meeting people, acquaintances and strangers, and servicing their requests.”

Smyczek would receive a couple of promotions before eventually being named vice president in 2013. Today, he lives a 24-7 job, which involves servicing various national and international media outlets—radio, television, print and digital. He coaches Bucks’ players and personnel who are eager to enhance their interview skills. If you ask him, Smyczek summarizes his job as “trying to setup each person in the organization—from the owners to the ball boy or girl—for success.”

And his talents and dedication haven’t gone unnoticed. Smyczek’s career has been characterized by an unwavering work ethic. “Not a day goes by where his goodness and work ethic aren’t both on full display,” Senator Kohl says.

Smyczek discusses media strategy with Milwaukee Bucks General Manager Jon Horst (center) and Senior Vice President of Communications Barry Baum (left) during the NBA Draft.

Photo by Nick Monroe/Milwaukee Bucks.

Out of high school, Smyczek got sidetracked from sports for a while. He attended UW–La Crosse and somehow squeezed in running election campaigns for candidates for Waukesha County Sheriff and the state assembly. He would go on to graduate in 1993 with a double major in political science and public administration.

From 1993 to 1997 he worked for United States Senator Herb Kohl on Capitol Hill and then in 1997, the tide turned back to sports when Kohl hired him as a publicity assistant and staff writer for the Milwaukee Bucks, the team Kohl owned at the time.

Kohl had been impressed by Smyczek’s work. “From his days in my Senate office in Washington, D.C., I knew Dan was an excellent communicator and writer,” says Senator Kohl today. “So, of course you hire someone like that, with those skills, to represent you, and then do your best to keep them around—and happy, motivated and growing. It was easy to help him transfer over to the Milwaukee Bucks.”

“The skills I learned in my role in politics transferred well to professional sports,” Smyczek says of his move from politics to professional sports.

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One of Smyczek’s mentors, Cheri Hanson, who worked alongside Smyczek for eight seasons at the Bucks and is now vice president of team relations for the Portland Trail Blazers, also praises that drive—and his knack for finding fairness in the world of public relations. “Dan has an incredible work ethic and is a tirelessly hard worker. Traveling can drain a person, but there were nights when, after games and working with the press until 1 a.m., he might be working on company responsibilities until 8 in the morning.

Dan showed a gift for balancing the needs of the company with the needs of the individual he was trying to accommodate.”

Charles Gardner, former Bucks’ beat writer and Milwaukee JournalSentinel journalist, echoes some of Hanson’s insights. “Dan is super-professional. When he moved up in 2003, I had just been assigned to cover the Bucks, so our terms coincided and we forged a mutual respect. It’s tricky to represent the team and give the press relevant information regarding what it wants to know.

There is give and take on both sides. It’s a balancing act, and not all PR guys are friendly, but Dan always treated me well and fairly.

He has to coordinate access time for every news outlet from the New York Times to the small hometown papers, and he does it with respect for everyone.” Gardner points out that under the direction of Smyczek, the Bucks PR department won the Brian McIntyre award presented by the Professional Basketball Writers Association.

“That kind of respect is earned,” Gardner says.

With today’s 24-hour news cycle, Smyczek admits the demands of his position can be daunting. “Social media has changed the job,”

Smyczek runs into MUHS alumni all over the country. Her he meets up with with Paul Mudlaff ’89 and his family, Charlie, Jack and Chelle, in San Antonio.

he says. “There’s no downtime and it’s getting harder to break news because of it. The story is out sometimes even before we can tell it.” Even in the unrelenting news cycle of professional sports, Smyczek tries to find balance. “Every day I read both for work and pleasure,” he says. “I love being exposed to great writers. Going forward, as journalism changes, I hope there is always room for them.”

Despite the demands of his career, “Smeech” has worked to maintain the friendships forged at Marquette High. His frequent travels allow him to reconnect with MUHS friends around the country, including Charlie Kersten ’89 in Boston, Pete Krahn ’89 in Denver, and Paul Mudlaff ’89 in San Antonio, and Tom Mudlaff ’87 in Washington D.C. At Bucks’ home games, he will often run into the likes of ’89 classmates, Keith Bruett, Steve Heimerl, Mark King and Jeff Jarecki.

Smyczek hasn’t been completely gone from Marquette High. Nearly a decade after graduating, he and Joel Brennan ’88 returned to

co-coach the freshman B basketball team, and still refer to each other as the “best assistant coach ever.” There were also years of pick-up Monday night basketball games at the school and alumni basketball tournaments. He also served on the school’s 150th Anniversary planning committee, working alongside chairs Mary and John ’69 Cary and Jon Greenberg ’85, using his relationships in the media to gain positive coverage in both television and newspaper for MUHS. Today, he is still a member of school’s Marketing Committee.

Smyczek, who so thoroughly enjoyed his high school experience, considers today’s young man who wonders about attending MUHS. “If I were to advise a prospective student, I would tell him that Marquette High gives you the roadmap,” he says. “You might have detours and bumps, shortcuts and flat tires along the way, but it will be the people in your life that will make the difference— friends, colleagues, contacts—and Marquette High opens you to that understanding.”

www.MUHS.edu 29

Jake Moreland ’95 Never say never Julie Felser

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FEATURES

Jake Moreland ’95 entered MUHS with great basketball aspirations. “In my eyes, I was the next Michael Jordan,” he says. Completely devoted to basketball, Moreland decided to join freshman football as a way to get into shape for basketball. But during his sophomore year, Moreland felt his focus being pulled toward football. “I loved both sports, but I felt pretty at home on the football field,” he says. “And I noticed that I probably wasn’t the best basketball player around.” He began to see a more promising future in football.

Two years later, Moreland, a star tight end, would help lead his teammates to an undefeated season and the 1994 state championship title, trouncing Catholic Memorial 31–0 in the WISAA final.

By the time he graduated, he’d earned full-ride football scholarships to multiple colleges. He chose to play for the Western Michigan Broncos, where he started four years as a tight end. After an NFL stint with the New York Jets, Moreland returned to his alma mater, first in 2004 through 2012 and then again in 2017, to coach.

Today, as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for Western Michigan, Moreland remembers the impact of his first football coaches at MUHS.

“The freshman coaches were so positive with us.

They were true leaders, they taught us the right way to practice and the right way to approach a game,” Moreland says. “They brought us together as a team.”

difficult time. Helped me when I was struggling, helped me to figure out why this was all happening and helped me take care of my mom.” Just weeks after his mom’s medical crisis, Rev. Frank Majka, SJ, suggested to Moreland he be a leader on the next Kairos retreat. “He thought it might help me during that time, and he was absolutely right.”

Clare Moreland was able to see her son walk across the stage on graduation day. “It was a great memory to have her there and see my friends stop and give her a hug,” Moreland remembers.

Nathaniel Gillon, Moreland’s advisor at MUHS, fondly remembers Clare as “a genuine individual and passionately devoted to her family.” Clare outlived her prognosis by 20 years, passing away in 2016.

After graduating and unsure about his mom’s health, Moreland was satisfied with his choice to go to Western Michigan. “It was close enough that I could get home if I needed to, but far enough away that I could become my own person,” he says. The school

That sense of togetherness with his teammates and classmates would help Moreland through a very difficult time the last semester of his Marquette High experience. During Senior Shared Life, his mother, Clare, suffered two brain aneurisms and was hospitalized at what was then St. Mary’s Hospital on Milwaukee’s Lower East Side. “My new routine became go to school, go to the hospital, go home to do homework,” he says.

Close friend and classmate David Meuler ’95 drove Moreland to the hospital each day. “I tried to do for Jake what Jake always did for his friends—I tried to be there for him.” Meuler says he remembers the serious moments of this situation with Moreland as much as their exciting victories on the field and fun social excursions. “That was and always will be a special time in my life, those moments that I shared with a true friend.”

As Moreland reflects back, he says, “It was the friends I made, the community of Marquette High that really helped me through that

Jake Moreland ’95 is the offensive coordinator for Western Michigan University.

Photo by VIP Photography.

Jake Moreland ’95, offensive coordinator, coaching at his alma mater, Western Michigan University. Photo by Western Michigan University.

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FEATURES JAKE MORELAND ’95

He’s still the same guy I knew 20-plus years ago.” Jake Josetti ’95, an attorney at Conway & Josetti, says, “He has always been well grounded. Even when he was in the NFL, he would answer questions about it, but being a football player was never only who he was.

He always made sure to talk about his family, ask questions about how other people were doing and genuinely cared about what was going on in other people’s lives.”

While Moreland was playing in the NFL, his position coach was constantly insinuating Moreland would become a coach himself.

Moreland was baffled. “I kept telling him, ‘I am not going to coach.

I don’t know why you keep telling me I’m going to coach. When football is done, I’m done with football.’” But he says his coach would nod, smirk and say “Yep, okay . . . but when you’re coach . . . ” After his second season with the Jets, Moreland was released and didn’t land any other opportunities, either in the NFL or the European Football League. “Honestly, I was mad at football because I felt like I could still play,” Moreland says. “But I was done with it and I was ready to transition into business.”

He moved to Chicago and started selling insurance. Soon afterward, he received a panicked phone call from his college teammate and quarterback Tim Lester, then offensive coordinator at Elmhurst College. Lester said his tight-end coach just took another job, training camp started in a week and he really needed Moreland’s help. Moreland wasn’t really enjoying selling insurance, and thought, “Why not?”

Moreland with MUHS alumni director and football coach, Jeff Mazurczak ’82 at the Marquette University High School Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony last February.

Moreland, along with 19 other athletes, teams and coaches, was inducted and recognized for his athletic accomplishments at MUHS. Photo by VIP Photography.

offered the two degrees that were of interest to him, business and education. And, he adds, “I knew I would have a chance to play football early. I just knew it was the place for me.”

He was right. He lettered four years at Western Michigan, catching 143 passes as a tight end—a school record—and 13 touchdowns, tying for second on the Western Michigan record charts. He earned All-MAC (Mid-American Conference) 1st-team honors in 1998 and All-MAC 2nd-team honors and WMU’s offensive MVP in 1999.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in marketing, he signed a free agent deal to play with the New York Jets.

Even with all the accolades and achievements, Moreland’s friends will tell you his athletic success didn’t go to his head. David Roloff ’95, operations director at Czukas, McCall & Associates, explains, “He’d call me with some stories about life in the NFL, but he never acted like an pro athlete. That holds true today.

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That phone call would help bring Moreland’s calling into focus.

“From the second I stepped on the field I knew this was what I was supposed to be doing. I fell in love with [coaching] right away,” he says. “I also realized there were a lot of things I had to figure out.”

He applied the same determination and hard work from his playing days to his new coaching career. And, it’s paid off, with his steady ascent in promotions and job offers catching the attention of others in the collegiate coaching world. During his 16-year coaching career, Moreland has coached at St. Joseph’s College in Indiana, Western Michigan, United States Air Force Academy, Syracuse and now again at Western Michigan.

Paul Conradson ’95, a State Farm insurance agent and assistant MUHS football coach who visited Western Michigan’s spring football camps last year, saw Moreland in action as a coach.

“He is an outstanding coach in many ways. First, he knows the game of football and the position he coaches inside and out. More important, you can tell he really cares deeply for his players as people,” Conradson says. “I think that likely stems from his roots at MUHS and our training to be men for others.”

Steve Huhn ’95, a stay-at-home father who has seen Moreland play in and coach a few dozen games around the country, says he has seen firsthand the love and respect for Moreland. “I was talking to a player’s dad, who was absolutely gushing about Jake— how great he was, and how much his son respected and looked up to him.”

But Moreland’s success hasn’t come without sacrifices. “There is so much more to being a coach then what you see on Saturdays,” he says. “The life of a football coach is never-ending. Recruiting is 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. You are always recruiting.” He credits his wife, Anne, for making it work for their family. “We have three little girls. Moving around and doing what I do, it couldn’t be done if it weren’t for Anne,” he says. “There hasn’t been a move made without her a part of the decision.”

Despite the demanding time commitment, Moreland says he loves what he does and the relationships he has developed with his players.

“I’m proud that my players have always played for me regardless of the situation,” he says.

“I’m really proud my guys have felt confident enough to come in and talk to me, whether it was about playing time or a situation off the field.”

He still stays in touch with former players throughout his coaching career.

So what’s the next step for Moreland? “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have aspirations of being a head coach someday,” he says. Right now his priority is stability for his family. “If I’m able to stay in Kalamazoo and be around great people and give my family some stability, I’d be very happy with that. We have great friends here, it’s a great community with great schools. That’s what’s important now.”

Regardless of where he ends up, Moreland is grateful for his journey— even if he didn’t end up being the next Jordan. And even after discovering football was the true fit for him, he couldn’t see himself beyond his place on the field. “I just didn’t know how it would look when I was done being a player,” he says. But with a little coaxing from others who saw his leadership talents before he did himself, he found the spot where he was always meant to be for the long haul—not a gridiron great, but a sensation on the sidelines, supporting others in their own pursuits of their passions.

The Moreland family: Jake with his wife, Anne, and their daughters (left to right) Courtney, Emma and Grace.

www.MUHS.edu 33

Jeff Bridich ’96 Iron Sharpens Iron Terry Kelly

34 MUHS Magazine

FEATURES

How does a 37-year-old rise through the ranks to become one of the youngest-ever general managers of a Major League Baseball team? As Jeff Bridich ’96, made his way to the GM position with the Colorado Rockies (and leading the team to its fourth play-off appearance), his talents were honed by his passion for the game, a strong foundation of character forged through family and education, and his personal life philosophy, which is shaped by one of his favorite quotes from the Old Testament: “Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17).

The single driving force for Bridich is a love for baseball that began early in the Bridich household. His father Rick Bridich ’69 played ball at Harvard University and coached at Marquette High for 26 years. Some of Jeff’s earliest memories are of his dad playing catch with him and teaching him the fine points of the game. “My dad loved pitching to me, but if the truth be told my mother Mardi was probably a much better pitcher,” Jeff jokes.

Jeff’s younger brother Nick ’98 also played college ball and is currently the head baseball coach at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Ill. As he moved from playing Little League to high school ball and eventually on to college at Harvard University, he found himself fascinated by the game. At Harvard, Jeff played catcher, his father’s position there, and hit a homerun over the Green Monster at Fenway at almost the same spot where his father sailed one over in 1973.

However, Jeff’s rise to such a prominent role is due to more than just his love for the game. Jeff is quick to point to a number of other factors that have helped to propel him upward in his career path.

“My family has been so supportive of everything that I have attempted and they set the bar high for what I should try to accomplish in my life whether it was academics or athletics,” he states emphatically.

“My mom and dad, a nurse and a teacher, respectively, always stressed the need to do well in school and my brother Nick and my sister Liza also encouraged me and supported me in every-

If dreams could become reality Jeff would have loved to play professionally, but as he says, “I quickly realized that my career would end in college and that perhaps I should follow in my father’s footsteps, return to Milwaukee, and maybe teach and coach,” he says. But as college graduation loomed in 2000, he thought about staying connected to baseball in an administrative role, so he contacted all 30 major league teams as well as the commissioner’s office seeking a job. When the commissioner’s office offered him an internship, he jumped at the opportunity becoming another one of the Ivy Leaguers who have become so involved in baseball in the major leagues.

The internship eventually evolved into a full-time job, which led Jeff to join the Rockies organization in 2004. With the Rockies his responsibilities initially centered on working with minor league operations, then to helping negotiate player contracts, and next to becoming farm team director. This extensive background with all facets of the team’s operations led to his being named general manager in 2014, one of the youngest persons ever to ascend to this position in major league history.

Jeff Bridich ’96 is senior vice president and general manager of the Colorado Rockies.

Photo by Matt Dirksen/Colorado Rockies.

www.MUHS.edu 35

FEATURES JEFF BRIDICH ’96

thing with which I was involved.” Not surprisingly, Jeff and his wife Sarah, the daughter of two educators and herself a former educator and school administrator, have worked hard to emulate the same type of family structure and environment for their son Ben and daughter Maya.

Jeff is firmly convinced that the concept of a loving and nurturing family can be applied to how to run a baseball franchise.

He points out, “To be successful on the field, a team needs to know that they must pull the rope together and push one another to maximize their potential.”

Jeff also looks to his educational background as being instrumental to what he has been able to accomplish. Because of his father’s position at Marquette High, he felt that the school was his second

36 MUHS Magazine

home. “I can remember playing in the gym as a youngster, being a ball boy and bat boy for Marquette’s football and baseball teams, and riding to school with my dad and brother when we were students there,” he recalls fondly.

Like his dad, Jeff was the captain of the football team as a senior and a catcher on the baseball team as well as an excellent student.

He thrived in the environment where teachers and coaches stressed a commitment to excellence and taught him how to react positively to challenges, and showed him that being a man for others was rooted in having a global awareness and being willing to move out of one’s comfort zone.

“The Kairos retreat was truly a capstone for my Marquette High experience and really helped me get ready to take the next step in my life’s journey,” Jeff says. “Matter of fact, when at the end of my first semester at Harvard, I found myself not doing as well as I wanted, I was able to call on my Marquette High experiences and training to get back on track.”

Bridich with Rockies head coach, Bud Black. Photo by Matt Dirksen/Colorado Rockies.

What is Jeff’s reaction to this acclaim? Humbly, he tries to deflect the praise. He credits his mentor Dan O’Dowd, former general manager of the Rockies, as an example of the tenet “iron sharpens iron,” and credits O’Dowd with teaching him the intricacies of how to coordinate all the details of running a major league organization. “Mr. O’Dowd, just like my family and my background at Marquette High and Harvard, prepared me for meeting challenges and working with people” Jeff says.

Bridich with his wife, Sarah, and their children, Ben and Maya.

Jeff also believes that his undergraduate degree in psychology helps him to understand how to work with and motivate people. These factors plus his love for the game and his ultra-competitive spirit are seen by Jeff as contributing factors to his success. He adds,

The concept of people helping to positively mold an individual and sharpening a person’s abilities are keys to understanding the philosophy that Jeff says guides his everyday decisions as both a person and as a baseball executive. “If you are going to be a leader, you have to make decisions for the well-being of people with whom you work and you have to enable people and allow them to do their jobs utilizing their skills,” Jeff says.

“As a competitive person, I love seeing hard work pay off and seeing people succeed, but the most frustrating part of my job is seeing people waste their talent and having things spin out of control.”

This philosophy has earned Jeff quite a bit of positive press.

Under the headline: “Credit GM Jeff Bridich for Rockies’ return to contention,” Patrick Saunders, the Rockies beat writer for the Denver Post, wrote in September: “It’s time to tip our collective baseball caps to Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich.” Saunders credits Jeff for hiring Bud Black as manager, signing a number of key players in the off-season, and making some key trades right before the trade deadline this summer. Saunders also stated, “Bridich doesn’t have to cozy up to the public and be the everyday face of the franchise. He just has to work behind the scenes and build a winner. So far, in his third season, he’s doing just that.”

‘Shaped and sharpened’ by life-long support from his family, and by the inspiration and motivation provided by his educational communities, Jeff has developed a personal philosophy that serves him well in both life and in baseball. Jeff’s approach softens the Old Testament’s iron metaphor, updating it to the contemporary concept of paying it forward as he continues to shape and sharpen those with whom he works. His approach has had a tremendous impact on the Rockies organization and has helped propel them to their recent success. Jeff Bridich loves baseball and the Colorado Rockies are the beneficiaries of his passion for the game and his dedication to the people in it.

www.MUHS.edu 37

Jake Loos ’04 Beating the odds Julie Felser

38 MUHS Magazine

FEATURES

After four years as a financial risk-management consultant in Chicago, Jake Loos ’04 was feeling restless in his job. “I loved the people I worked with, but not necessarily the work,” he says. “I felt the urge to do something different, to make a change.” As he talked with friends about his situation, many would ask, “Jake, why aren’t you working in sports—it’s all you talk about.”

Then a friend suggested he read the book, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, by Michael Lewis. Based on the true story, the novel outlines how Oakland A’s general manager, Billy Beane, used data analysis to inform player and game decisions to achieve success, despite having one of the lowest payrolls in Major League Baseball. A self-described math nerd who earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics from Northwestern University, Loos remembers finishing the book and thinking, “I didn’t realize this was a thing, applying data analysis to sports.”

He started doing more online research and found the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, sponsored through MIT’s business school, Sloan School of Management. He began watching SSAC videos and heard Daryl Morey, general manager of the Houston Rockets and co-founder of SSAC, speak about the growing prominence of analytic methods in professional sports, and more specifically basketball. “Basketball has always been my favorite sport. I never knew you could apply data to it,” Loos says. “At that moment, I knew this was something I needed to pursue.”

But making a career change into professional sports presented some challenges. First, Loos had no relevant work experience in professional sports. Second, he didn’t know anyone who worked for an NBA team. However, what he lacked in experience and connections, he more than made up for in passion.

The benefits still outweighed the costs. And the financial costs were great, by the way,” he says.

High school friend Kevin Joseph ’04, who was also living in Chicago at the time attending medical school, remembers driving to Milwaukee with Loos to attend a Milwaukee Brewers playoff game. On the car ride north Loos shared with his friend his desire to work in a NBA front office and his plan to attend graduate school. “I thought to myself, this is one of the most competitive fields,” says Joseph, who is now a pediatrician in the Chicago area.

“He might be nuts for leaving his job, but I couldn’t help but admire his boldness for chasing his dream. I still remember how motivated Jake was in that conversation.”

Loos applied for admission and was accepted to MIT’s Sloan School of Management. He attended the school’s AdMIT Weekend, a three-day event for incoming students. He says it was an amazing weekend with his future and very impressive classmates, but admits, “It was the first time in my life I felt below average, dumb— and that was a good thing for me. It drove me to work harder.”

In his first year of graduate school, Loos started pursuing internship opportunities for the following summer hoping to gain any type of experience with an NBA team. “I applied to everything I saw.

“I knew a professional basketball team wasn’t going to hire me coming from a financial firm even though I really believed I could do a really good job,” he says. “Math is my passion, sports is my passion. Combine the two, I knew I could really do a good job at it.”

Loos decided to quit his job and pursue an MBA in hopes of networking with the right people to get a break into the professional sports world. “I thought even if this sports analytics thing doesn’t work out, I would still expand my professional network.

Jake Loos ’04, director of basketball analytics and technology, in the front office of the Phoenix Suns. Photo by Mike Arndt.

Loos ’04 (middle row, second from left) on the Freshman B basketball team, coached by Dan Smyczek ’89 (back row, far left) and Joel Brennan ’88 (back row, far right).

www.MUHS.edu 39

FEATURES JAKE LOOS ’04

Loos in Boston with his parents, Joy and Tom, celebrating his graduation from MIT.

I reached out to every team,” he says. He eventually connected with Zaheer Benjamin, vice president of business planning and basketball analytics, who informed Loos that the Suns would be hiring a basketball analytics intern for the first time. Loos was one of more than 400 applicants for the position and was offered the internship.

He also got involved with the SSAC, which is completely organized and run by students. His first year, he was responsible for running two panels. His second year, he was chair of content of the conference, curating topics for the various panels.

“It was an amazing experience,” he says.

“Working with classmates, running around the conference with a headset making sure everything was running smoothly, it was an adrenaline rush.”

Loos would go on to earn his MBA from MIT in June 2014 and return to the Suns as the team’s manager of basketball analytics.

If you ask Loos how he was able to land his dream job, he’ll tell you it was luck and that he got in at the right time, just as NBA teams were recognizing the value of analytics to basketball operations.

40 MUHS Magazine

However, Trevor Bukstein, assistant general manager of the Suns, has a different take. “Jake is extremely intelligent and self-aware.

He has the ability to take complex concepts and succinctly explain them both verbally and visually with charts so that our coaching staff can understand them.” These weighty topics, all backed by numbers, might include how a player’s gravity impacts a team’s offensive efficiency, how to define a player’s ability to make the right pass, or which qualities make a player undervalued by the market.

Wisconsin native Bukstein adds, “He’s a terrific front-end data developer. He brings value as a data scientist who is also good at evaluating and scouting players. He has been a leading voice in several trades and free-agent signings.”

This explains why in his short time with the Suns, Loos has received two promotions within three years and now serves as the director of basketball analytics and technology. Loos, who generally works 60 to 80 hours a week, is always challenging himself to grow in his role with the Suns. “I’m just trying to learn every day from everyone here.”

MUHS math teacher Joe Griesbach ’75 isn’t surprised by Loos’s drive to learn. “I remember Jake as an exceptionally bright and curious student with a friendly personality,” he says. “In BC Calc he was a leader in writing clear and concise solutions on the

board. He also enjoyed unraveling math club contest problems from the Wisconsin Math League, Continental Math League and American Mathematics Competitions.”

Joseph concurs. “He’s extremely intelligent, talented, motivated, competitive and confident,” he says. But there is a lighter side to this numbers guy who Joseph says has a great sense of humor.

“Whenever we had downtime during [AP Chemistry] labs we would discuss extremely important topics like who had the best name in NBA history—Tree Rollins, obviously—or which MUHS teacher would be a great NBA teammate—Mr. “Jumpin Joe” Griesbach, obviously.”

Loos, who played Griesbach in Senior Follies, reflects fondly about his BC Calc teacher. “He empowered me, challenged me. He never

Loos (front left) with his MIT classmates running the 2014 Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, for which Loos served as chair of content.

let me settle. I’ll never forget that,” he says. “He always made time to talk. Sometimes it was math related, sometimes it was life related.”

Now, 14 years later, Loos has turned his passion for numbers and sports into an exhilarating career. He describes the NBA draft as “the most thrilling, adrenaline-filled days you can imagine.

Your heart is pounding all day,” he says. “It’s those days that are so rewarding. I think we have had some really successful drafts, being a part of that has been a dream come true.”

In 10 years, he sees himself in the Phoenix front office “wearing a championship ring on my finger.” But he isn’t ruling out leading a team someday. “One day I think it would be a fun challenge to be a general manager, but today I’m just trying to learn as much as I can.”

For now, Loos is enjoying the journey. “I found the perfect job for me. Sometimes it’s super stressful. My gray-hair count has increased exponentially since I started, but it doesn’t feel like work,” he says. “If you had told me in high school that I would be sitting in an NBA draft room and helping influence who is being drafted to an NBA team—that’s a dream for me. I’m very blessed to be able to do that.”

Loos with his girlfriend, Lauren Fessler.

www.MUHS.edu 41

MUHS Brotherhood During World War II Chris Lese ’92

Bill Wambach ’43 learned of William Holleran’s ’43 passing when a letter he sent to Holleran was returned and stamped “DECEASED .”

William Holleran ’43 and Bill Wambach ’43 wrote letters back and forth to one another during their military service. Wambach would later give these correspondences to MUHS where they are now housed in the school’s archives.

William Holleran ’43

Top: Richard Casper ’34 (left) and Johnny Drew ’34 Bottom: Bill Wambach ’43

42 MUHS Magazine

FEATURES

Throughout Marquette High’s 161-year history, thousands of students have said goodbye to one another at graduation. But, perhaps the most uncertain of those farewells belonged to the World War II generation. Hundreds of Hilltoppers fought in all U.S. military branches, in both the European and Pacific theaters of war. These examples here show how war drew two pairs of friends closer—and ultimately ripped them apart.

Lost at sea Richard “Dick” Casper ’34 considered his best friend, Johnny Drew ’34, to be his blood brother. Their friendship flourished at Marquette High as they hung out together at and outside of school.

They served as Flambeau co-editors and Casper joined his classmates to cheer on Drew, a well-regarded basketball player from the Hilltopper days in the old City Conference.

By the time they both graduated from Marquette University in 1939, the U.S. was ramping up its military preparedness and when Casper thought about which branch he’d join, Drew told him, “You have to join the Navy,” which he did. After a quick 90-day officer training program at Northwestern University, Casper requested service on the aircraft carrier, USS Lexington, based in San Diego, because Drew was already stationed there.

The two sailors met up in Pearl Harbor, a few weeks after the infamous December 7, 1941, Japanese sneak attack. Drew welcomed Casper aboard the Lexington with a “Hi Tex,” Casper’s nickname in high school. The next year, the Japanese attacked the USS Lexington at the Battle of the Coral Sea, which occurred from May 4 to May 8, 1942.

Casper was about 50 feet above the ship deck in the radar room monitoring the enemy aircraft until they were directly over the ship dropping bombs on the carrier. The Lexington suffered two direct torpedo hits and two bomb hits.

Drew was manning an anti-aircraft gun on the carrier’s rear starboard side. When the fighting stopped, Casper climbed down to the deck and the first thing he did was search for his friend amidst the smoke, flames and carnage. Incredibly, he found Drew and they gave each other an enthusiastic hug. The two then began to fight fires and help remove the wounded for the next five hours. Soon thereafter, the call to abandon ship was given and the Lexington was scuttled by American destroyers to prevent its capture by the Japanese.

Casper recalled in a 2014 interview that Drew removed a ring from a fallen sailor and when he was on leave, flew to Detroit to personally return it to the sailor’s parents. “That’s the kind of guy he was,” Casper said with tears in his eyes.

The Milwaukee Journal published a photo of the two friends when word of their survival on the Lexington spread back home. The

newspaper named them Damon and Pythias, after the best friends in Greek mythology. Casper went on to complete his World War II service in various Naval bases around the United States. Drew served a year on a destroyer before earning his wings in the Naval Air Corps in October 1943. Sadly, his plane went down during a training flight off Rhode Island on December 10, 1944; his body was never recovered. Drew was known to help the inexperienced pilots and many believe he was doing this on his ill-fated flight. Casper stated he mourned the loss of his best friend for the rest of his life.

An unopened letter Bill Wambach ’43, guessed William Holleran ’43 stood no taller than 5'4" or 5'5" as a senior. But Willie’s height didn’t deter him from pursuing his love of basketball. Alongside Wambach, “Hookshot” Holleran was a star on the freshman B team and would go on to serve as a well-respected manager of the varsity team. When Holleran’s mother passed away during his sophomore year, Wambach comforted his close friend. After graduation, they would both join the military during WWII. Holleran enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army on March 30, 1944, at Fort Hood, Texas. Wambach, who had attended Marquette University during the spring semester of his senior year in high school, enlisted in the Navy to become an officer. While he was in aviation school in California, Wambach wrote letters to Holleran at Fort Meade, Maryland.

Walmbach would soon be assigned to the 117th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division and was sent to Germany to help bolster the Allied advance into Germany. Holleran wrote to Wambach, “I got the damn ocean and half a continent between Meade and here.

Boy do I wish I was there.” His unit was in the heart of combat at the Battle of the Bulge, where they fought in frigid temperatures, nearly completely surrounded by Nazi forces. Holleran continued in his letter, “That was funny they told us that we would go overseas and we laughed. Look at me now. Hot shit!”

Soon after reading that two-page update from Holleran, Wambach got another letter—and was devastated to see it was a letter he had written Holleran, and it was returned with the word “DECEASED ” stamped on one side and “KIA 1-23-45” handwritten on the other.

Holleran, inexperienced to combat, was killed with several of his comrades in a vicious battle near Stavelot, Belgium, where they defended a bridge crossing. Wambach stated he felt sick as if “the bottom dropped out” when he realized what had happened to his dear friend. Holleran is buried in the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium.

Johnny Drew, Willie Holleran and 43 other MUHS alumni who died during WWII are commemorated on a bronze plaque near the Marquette High Wisconsin Avenue entrance across from O’Rourke Performing Arts Hall. www.MUHS.edu 43

ALUMNI UPDATE

Class notes Richard Deverey ’20

CLASSMATES CELEBRATE LIFE OF CORNEL PIETRUSZEWSKI ’67

Russ Gonnering ’67 rallied his classmates when he learned the heartbreaking circumstances surrounding the funeral and burial of Cornel Pietruszewski ’67 after he passed away in July. With no friends or family in attendance or prior arrangements for a fu-

John Greenya ’55, a

Dennis Purtell ’58

Washington-based writer

received the Milwaukee

who has authored or

Archdiocese 2017

coauthored more than two

Vatican II Service to the

dozen books, recently

Church Award. He is a

released the biography

parishioner at St. Joseph

Gorsuch: The Judge

Catholic Church in

Who Speaks for Himself.

Wauwatosa, Wis.

Bruno Henke ’55,

James Auer ’59, senior

Thomas Henke ’79 and

lecturer in Asian Studies,

Michael Henke ’88,

emeritus, is director of

owners of Construction

the James E. Auer U.S.–

Supply & Erection, com-

Japan Center at Vander-

pleted the steel work for

bilt University. He is the

the Northwestern Mutual

31st recipient and first

tower and commons

non-Japanese citizen to

building, which is 1.1

receive the prestigious

million square feet, the

Seiron Taisho (Sound

largest office building

Argument) award from

in Wisconsin.

the Sankei Shimbun Japanese newspaper.

Jerry McCloskey ’57 was inducted into

Tom Kieren ’59 and his

neral or burial, John Maher '71 of Brett Funeral Home conducted

the Chieftain’s Circle by

quartet from the Cathedral

the funeral pro bono before Pietruszewski was laid to rest in an

Milwaukee Irish Fest,

of St. John the Baptist

unmarked plot. Gonnering led the effort to raise money to run an

and sits on five boards

in Paterson, N.J., created

obituary listing in the newspaper and purchase a grave marker for

dealing with advocacy

a Christmas CD with

Pietruszewski, who earned a doctoral degree in chemistry from

issues. He is also a 2018

traditional carols to raise

inductee of the MUHS

money for the homeless

Hall of Fame as a member

and disadvantaged.

Stanford University. In December, Deacon Andy Meuler ’67 presided a graveside celebration of life at Good Hope Cemetery, less than one mile from where Pietruszewski grew up.

Above: Members of the Class of 1967 attending a celebration of life service for Cornel Pietruszewski ’67 (left to right): Tom Binder, Tim Cotter, Steve Hargarten, Andy Meuler (presiding), John Fisher, Bill Scallon, Tom Delahunt, Brian O’Toole ’71, Russ Gonnering, Tim O’Brien, John Clougherty and Jim Wilkinson. Photo by Tom Hayes ’67.

of the 1955 state golf championship team.

John Kulczycki ’59 i s professor emeritus at

Patrick Mullarkey ’58

the University of Illinois

received the Mary C.

at Chicago. He authored

Lawton Lifetime Service

Belonging to the Nation:

Award for his contrib-

Inclusion and Exclusion

Left: The gravestone purchased by members

utions and leadership to

in the Polish-German

of the Class of 1967 for the burial site of

the Tax Division of the

Borderlands, 1939–1951,

Cornel Pietruszewski ’67. Photo by Tom Hayes ’67.

U.S. Department of

which was awarded an

Justice and federal tax

honorable mention for

litigation during his

the best book in Polish

50-year career with the

Studies in 2016 by the

department.

Association for Slavic,

44 MUHS Magazine

East European, &

internationally by his

Cheers for Hollywood:

Eurasian Studies.

being elected a fellow of

Joseph McBride on

the American Associa-

Movies, a collection of

Joel Kriofske ’61 authored

tion of the Advancement

short writings from his

Memoirs of a Geezer

of Science and the

50 years as a film critic.

(Mostly Amusing Tales

Society for Risk Analysis.

Rev. James Kubicki,

and Reflections . . .Hanging onto Life!), a compilation

James Gutmann ’63 is

SJ ’70 is the president

of short stories and

professor emeritus in

of St. Francis Mission

personal adventures.

Endodontics/Restorative

on the Rosebud Indian

Sciences, Texas A&M

Reservation in St.

Jim Pittelkow ’63 has

University College of

Francis, S.D. Previously,

retired from nonprofit

Dentistry in Dallas. Last

he served 14 years

financial management

April he received the

as U.S. director of the

and is now advancing

2017 Edgar D. Coolidge

Pope’s Worldwide

his pastoral activities,

Award, the highest honor

Prayer Network.

which include serving

of the American Associa-

on the pastoral council

tion of Endodontists.

Stephen Baker ’71

at Christ King Parish in

In September, he

is vice president of the

Wauwatosa, Wis.

received an Honorary

Minnesota Chemical

Fellowship in Dental

Company. He recently

Robert Griffin ’64 retired

Surgery in the Royal

celebrated his 50th

in May 2017 as professor

College of Surgeons of

grade-school reunion

emeritus at Marquette

Edinburgh, Scotland.

at St. Mary’s Visitation

University after teaching

where his son, Rev.

there for 39 years. His

Joseph McBride ’65

Paul Baker, concelebrated

research was recognized

authored the book Two

the Mass.

Left: Members of the Class of 1951 gather for lunch. Front row (left to right): Jerry Haig, Bob Kustra, Dick Auelmann, Joe Puccinelli, Chuck Millmann and Bob Markwiese. Back row: Dick Mueller, Ralph Beiermeister, Jim Ziolkowski, Ray Pfarr, Don Kastenholz and George Kersten.

Above, top to bottom: Gorsuch: The Judge Who Speaks for Himself by John Greenya ’55 Jerry McCloskey ’57 being inducted into the Chieftain’s Circle

by Milwaukee Irish Fest

Above, top to bottom: Memoirs of a Geezer (Mostly Amusing Tales and Reflections . . .

Hanging onto Life!) by Joel Kriofske ’61 Two Cheers for Hollywood: Joseph McBride on Movies by Joseph McBride ’65 Rev. Paul Baker, with uncle Dan Baker ’80 (left) and father Stephen Baker ’71, concelebrated his father’s 50th grade school reunion at St. Mary’s Visitation in Elm Grove, Wis.

Belonging to the Nation: Inclusion and Exclusion in the Polish-German Borderlands, 1939–1951 by John Kulczycki ’59

www.MUHS.edu 45

ALUMNI UPDATE

Class Notes continued

Jim Wilkinson ’73 is a

Service, China TV, and

John Quinlan ’82 is a

Spanish teacher at

Sky Arabia.

special education teach-

Divine Savior Holy Angels

er and the head football

and head baseball coach

Daniel Noonan ’80

and wrestling coach at

at Kettle Moraine High

is the digital preservation

Whitnall High School in

School. He was named

librarian and a tenured

Greenfield, Wis. He was

the Classic 8 Conference

associate professor in the

named Green Bay Pack-

Coach of the Year last July.

University Libraries at

ers High School Coach

The Ohio State University.

of the Week and finished

Von Rueden family

the season 9–2.

members John ’76,

Mark Dybul ’81 is a

Jim ’77, Dave ’79,

professor of medicine at

Tim Buggy ’84 launched

Denny ’82, Bobby ’13,

Georgetown University

Lally Gone, a company

Spencer ’14, Jake ’15,

School of Medicine and

that removes support

Lane ’16, Jack ’18 and

has been elected to the

columns and load-bearing

Cal ’20 were featured

National Academy of

walls to open up living

in Referee magazine for

Medicine. He has worked

spaces, basements, and

their family connection

on HIV and public health

garages. He lives in New

and experience in basket-

for more than 25 years

Hope, Minn.

ball officiating.

as a clinician, scientist, teacher and administrator,

Prosper Pfannerstill III ’84

Hugh Dugan ’77 is a

most recently as the

and his spouse, Anastasia,

professor at Seton Hall

executive director of the

announced the birth of

University and commen-

Global Fund to Fight

their fifth child and first

tator on international

AIDS, Tuberculosis

son, Prosper Pfannerstill

affairs for news outlets

and Malaria.

IV. The Pfannerstill family

such as FOX, BBC World

lives in Lisbon, Wis.

Left to right: Dr. Mark Dybul ’81 Photo by Georgetown University MUHS Fathers’ Club presidents, Dave Salter ’82 (left) and Will Johnson with Rev. Michael Marco, SJ, at the 2017 Father/Son Golf Outing Above left, top to bottom: John Quinlan ’82 with retired teacher and coach Terry Kelly The Ballad of Huck & Miguel

by Tim DeRoche ’88 Above right, top to bottom: Prosper Pfannerstill IV Mark Stecklein ’89 with his daughter, Evelyn Ruth

46 MUHS Magazine

Al Sumner ’86 is a

drilling reservist in the

Jane Swentkofske, born

senior counsel to U.S.

Certified Machinery

U.S. Navy Reserve Judge

on May 5, 2017.

Senator Martin Heinrich.

Safety Expert, awarded

Advocate General’s JAG

by TUV NORD, a tech-

Corps, currently serving

Michael Cerminaro ’98

Will Hand ’99 is

nical service provider

his reserve commitment

and his spouse, Gretchen,

the academic vice-chair

in Germany.

as the Deputy Staff

announced the birth

of anesthesiology at

Judge Advocate of the

of their daughter, Naomi

Greenville Health System.

Tim DeRoche ’88 is

Reserve Component

Catherine Cerminaro,

He and his spouse,

author of the book, The

Command Great Lakes.

born on Aug. 3, 2017.

Megan, announced the

Ballad of Huck & Miguel,

birth of their son and

a modern-day retelling

Tony Diaz ’95 won a

Tim Wright ’98 was

fourth child, Rediger.

of Huck Finn set on the

2017 Emmy Award for

awarded 2017 Turnaround

The Hand family lives

Los Angeles River.

Outstanding Picture

of the Year—Pro Bono

in Greenville, S.C.

Editing for an Unstructured

by the Turnaround

Mark Stecklein ’89

Reality Program for his

Management Association.

Brent Bode 00 and

and his spouse, Kristen,

work on the National

He is a senior manager

Steve Bode ’03 traveled

welcomed their first child,

Geographic show Life

with Promontory Point

to Rwanda on a 10-day

Evelyn Ruth Stecklein,

Below Zero. He lives in

Partners, a turnaround

mission trip with the

on July 31, 2017.

Los Angeles with his

consulting firm.

Kefa Project, a sports

wife, Natalie.

Dillon Ambrose ’94

ministry organization Louis Agnello ’99 is

serving at-risk youth. Brent,

is a litigation shareholder

Matthew Swentkofske ’97

an attorney in the health

is a physical therapist

with Davis & Kuelthau,

and his spouse, Nichole,

public law and policy

in Milwaukee and Steve

s.c., in Milwaukee, and

announced the birth

practice of Akin Gump

is a soccer coach at

is a commander in the

of their twin daughters,

Strauss Hauer & Feld

Marquette University.

United States Navy

Maeve Jennings

LLP in Washington, D.C.

Reserve. He is a

Swentkofske and Stella

Previously, he was

Below, left to right: Natalie and Tony ’95 Diaz, Emmy award winner Future Hilltoppers with the 2017 State Soccer Championship trophy (left to right): Oliver Roethe (son of Kevin Roethe ’99), John Sweeney (son of freshman soccer coach Dan Sweeney), and Matthew Lawrence (son of head soccer coach Steve Lawrence ’99) Above, top to bottom: Brent Bode ’00, Joby Phillip and Steve Bode ’03 Maeve Jennings Swentkofske and Stella Jane Swentkofske Will Hand ’99 with his son, Rediger

www.MUHS.edu 47

ALUMNI UPDATE

Class Notes continued

Jazzmon Hughes ’00 was

Tony Tagliavia ’01

featured on the Cooking

married Meghan Obligato

Channel’s Big Bad BBQ

on July 29, 2017. Rev.

Brawl, representing Ashley’s

Joseph Simmons, SJ, ’00

Bar-B-Que, a Milwaukee-

celebrated the wedding

based family restaurant

Mass at Christ King Church

which he co-owns.

in Wauwatosa, Wis.

Jesse Procknow ’00 is

Daniel Murray ’02

a state trooper with the

is the associate director

Missouri State Highway

of Stanford University’s

Middle row, left to right: Sarah Hirsch and Jesse Procknow ’00 with their dogs, Barkley (golden retriever) and Mimi

Patrol, stationed in

Center for Comparative

Morgan Ann Cosgrove

South St. Louis County.

Studies in Race and

He married Sarah

Ethnicity. He earned his

Hirsch on Oct. 17, 2017.

doctorate in Modern Thought and Literature

Jeff Brubaker ’01

from Stanford University.

married Eve Southworth

He lives in San Leandro,

in Los Olivos, Calif., on

Calif., with his spouse,

June 24, 2017.

Shanna Gong, and his daughters, Simone

Mike Cosgrove ’01

Gong-Murray (4-1/2) and

and his spouse,

Myles Gong-Murray (1-1/2).

Melissa, announced the birth of their daughter,

Brian Perszyk ’03 and his

Morgan Ann Cosgrove,

spouse, Molly, announced

born on July 25, 2017.

the birth of their son,

48 MUHS Magazine

Top row: Jazzmon Hughes ’00 participating in the Cooking Channel’s Big Bad BBQ Brawl

Rev. Joe Simmons, SJ, ’00 with Meghan Obligato and Tony Tagliavia ‘01 Below left: Chris Brophey ’01, Tom Hanley ’99, Eve Southworth, Jeff Brubaker ’01, John Brubaker ’99, Adam Lovinus ’99, Jim Hanley ’01 and flower dog, Ena. Below right: MUHS alumni attending John Scheid ’03 and Meghan Houlihan’s wedding (left to right): Brian Keeling ’03, Reilly Scheid ’63, John Scheid ’73, Jude Werra ’60, Jim Spella ’63, John Thimmesch ’77, John Scheid ’03, Luke Thimmesch ’11, David Thimmesch ’07, Charles Thimmesch ’69, Mike Mejac ’03, Mike Luedke ’03, Billy Baker ’03, Joe Houlihan ’06, and Derek Thiel ’03.

Louis Michael Perszyk,

and light-hearted jabs

Jacquez McKinney ’09

born on June 16, 2017.

at Wisconsin happenings.

is a family services co-

John Scheid ’03 married

Michael Jurken ’05 is

Meghan Houlihan on

president of Majic Produc-

Oct. 14, 2017.

tions and was honored by

John O’Neil '09 is an

BizTimes Media with the

urban planner and deputy

Bravo! Entrepreneur Award.

director for the Depart-

ordinator for Milwaukee

Patrick Pearce ’04 and his spouse, Molly Nelson,

Habitat for Humanity.

ment of Transportation

announced the adoption

Michael Laing ’07 is a patent

of their daughter, Ericka

attorney in the Madison

Lynn Nelson Pearce, on

office of Perkins Coie LLP,

Matthew Cekanor ’12

Dec. 30, 2017. Hon. Chris

an international law firm

teaches AP Language

Foley ’71 was the judge

headquartered in Seattle.

and Composition and

at the adoption hearing.

in New York City.

freshman English at Oak Robert Konkel ’07 is a

Creek High School. He

Michael Shiely ’04 and his

captain in the U.S. Army

graduated magna cum

spouse, Shay, announced

Judge Advocate General’s

laude from Marquette

the birth of their daughter,

JAG Corps at Fort Hood,

University with degrees

Margaret Jane Shiely,

Texas, and lives in Killeen,

in secondary education

born on Oct. 28, 2017.

Texas. He graduated from

and English language arts.

Boston University Law Charlie Berens ’05 is

School in May 2015.

creator and star of "Man-

Joseph DeGuire ’12, now

Above, top to bottom: John O’Neil ’09 and Jon Parsons

Br. Jordan DeGuire, is

Jesuits enjoying time in Waupaca, Wis. Front row (left to right): Rev. Terry Brennan, SJ; Rev. Joe Simmons, SJ, ’00; Rev. Rob Kroll, SJ, ’83; and Rev. Warren Sazama, SJ, ’64. Back row: Rev. Michael Marco, SJ; Rev. Charles Stang, SJ; Rev. Don Doll, SJ, ’55; Liam Brown, SJ; Rev. Dick Hauser, SJ, ’55; Rev. Fred Brenk, SJ, ’47; Rev. Eddie Matthie, SJ, ’55; Matthew Waldoch, SJ, ’10; and Rev. Pat Burns, SJ.

itowoc Minute," a weekly

Tim Griesbach ’08 married

attending the Aquinas

two-minute video series

Maggie Renno on Sept.

Institute of Theology and

featuring satirical news

23, 2017.

is a clerical (priesthood)

Left to right: Shay and Michael ’04 Shiely with their daughter, Margaret Jane.

Patrick Pearce ’04 and his wife, Molly Nelson with Hon. Chris Foley ’71 at the adoption hearing for their daughter, Ericka Lynn Nelson Pearce. Big brother, William, was also present.

Matthew Cekanor ’12 in his classroom at Oak Creek High School

www.MUHS.edu 49

ALUMNI UPDATE

Class Notes continued

candidate. He made his

istration with an emphasis

USA in the 7th World

first profession to the Order

on supply chain and

Dwarf Games held at the

of Preachers (Dominicans)

operations management

University of Guelph,

in August and earned

from UW–Whitewater.

Ontario, Canada in August.

bachelor’s degrees in

Kevin and his team won

mathematics, economics

Jack Felser ’14

the gold medal in basket-

and religious studies from

completed the Good Life

ball along with silver

UW–Madison in 2016.

Halfsy half-marathon

medals in soccer and

with a time of 1:30:06.

volleyball. He is currently

Nicholas Bryant ’13

He is studying actuarial

studying sports marketing

is the director of hockey

science at University of

and entrepreneurship

operations and equip-

Nebraska–Lincoln.

at Xavier University.

University of Minnesota

Liam Brown, SJ ’15

Alex Klar ’15 is a volunteer

Duluth women’s hockey

is a Jesuit novice and

translator for Catholic

program and is pursuing

professed first vows

Legal Services in Miami

an MBA at College of

at Saint Thomas More

working with Venezuelan

St. Scholastic. He earned

Catholic Church in St.

immigrants. He is majoring

a bachelor’s degree in

Paul, Minn., in August. He

in immigration studies at

business from Minnesota

is studying philosophy at

the University of Miami.

State University, Mankato.

Saint Louis University. He

ment manager for the

also teaches ESL classes

Jake Matkovic ’15 is

Joseph Sliwinski ’13

and trumpet lessons in

majoring in business

is a corporate trainee at

the St. Louis community.

management at the U.S.

Quad Graphics. He grad-

Air Force Academy. He

uated with a bachelor’s

Kevin Cekanor ’15

is a wide receiver on the

degree in business admin-

competed for Team

Air Force football team.

Left to right: Jack Felser ’14 at the Good Life Halfy half-marathon finish line Alex Klar ’15 speaking to MUHS students about his work as a translator for Catholic Legal Services Liam Brown, SJ, ’15 with his parents, Wendy and Chris Jake Matkovic ’15 (white jersey) playing for U.S. Air Force Academy Above, top to bottom: Kevin Cekanor ’15 at the World Dwarf Games with Team USA basketball teammates Teddy Tilkin, Conor Ennis and Blaze Foster Alumni from the classes of 1996 through 2006 participated in the annual Alumni Hockey game, held the day after Thanksgiving.

50 MUHS Magazine

ALUMNI UPDATE

May they rest in peace We extend our sincerest sympathy to the families of the alumni listed here and to any alumni who have lost a loved one.

James J. Redmond, Sr. ’51 Dion W. Maas ’55 Daniel A. Seelman ’66 November 27, 2017 September 26, 2017 January 5, 2018 Jerome C. Schell ’51 September 26, 2017

John J. Celichowski ’57 August 26, 2017

Francis R. Uebelher ’67 September 10, 2017

Robert D. Kutcher ’42 November 19, 2017

Thomas M. Behan ’52 July 23, 2017

Patrick W. Murphy ’57 September 16, 2017

Scott C. Weaver ’67 October 17, 2017

John D. Kelly ’44 October 28, 2017

Myron D. Grabske ’52 August 10, 2017

Robert M. Leonhardt ’58 Richard S. Berres ’72 July 2, 2017 August 9, 2017

John E. Steigerwald ’45 July 28, 2017

Ronald W. Johnstone ’52 Philip F. Gross ’59 John P. Casey ’72 July 4, 2017 August 24, 2017 September 25, 2017

Richard E. Stobbe ’45 September 26, 2017

Leo G. Lavin ’52 August 21, 2017

Robert G. Smith, Jr. ’47 June 29, 2017

D. Dexter Bodenbach ’53 Paul J. Kustermann ’59 October 30, 2017 August 15, 2017

Harvey J. Heinen ’48 December 10, 2017

Paul A. Lukaszewicz ’53 November 1, 2017

Robert E. Hacker ’59 Vincent J. Machi ’72 August 30, 2017 July 5, 2017 Frederick O. Young ’78 August 7, 2017

Paul A. Piaskoski ’60 Scott J. Przybylowski ’86 January 9, 2018 July 13, 2017

Sheridan P. McCabe ’48 Thomas P. Stell ’53 December 16, 2017 November 6, 2017

William J. Willems ’61 July 24, 2017

Thomas M. O'Connor ’48 Donald R. Walkner ’53 October 15, 2017 December 12, 2017

Paul J. Croke ’62 William E. Richards, III ’97 July 17, 2017 July 1, 2017

Norbert P. Waldoch ’48 October 3, 2017

Thomas V. Wambach ’53 Robert J. Beaumier ’63 December 6, 2017 November 29, 2017

Thomas J. Zeiger ’48 July 23, 2017

Paul J. Burbach ’54 July 11, 2017

Larry R. Brumm ’64 July 23, 2017

John A. Balon ’50 July 23, 2017

Richard B. Casper ’54 November 3, 2017

Paul J. Harrison ’64 December 24, 2017

Richard R. Smith ’50 October 15, 2017

Gerald R. Johnson ’55 September 10, 2017

Jack D. Mangi ’64 December 30, 2017

Walter F. Kelpien, Jr. ’51 Robert J. Johnston ’55 October 14, 2017 June 30, 2017

John M. Ramos ’94 August 26, 2017

Collin R. O'Hair ’17 December 12, 2017

Daniel A. Blasinski ’66 December 29, 2017

www.MUHS.edu 51

THEN AND NOW

Footprints—past and present Jon Parsons

When excavation began in the late 1950s to expand the Marquette High footprint to the east, workers discovered the foundation of the home that one stood sentinel at the corner of 33rd Street and Grand Avenue (now Wisconsin Avenue). The school’s new gym and cafeteria, dedicated in 1961, were built upon the remnants of the Victorian home that belonged to the namesake of the school’s neighborhood today, Merrill Park.

In 1868, Sherburn Sanborn Merrill, general manager of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railway system, purchased a square-mile tract of land at the west end of town—the outskirts, really, as Milwaukee hadn’t yet pushed past 27th Street. The stately Cream City brick mansion he built there was an easy commute the rail yards and he sold off lots to many others who worked in the Menomonee River Valley during the manufacturing boom that earned Milwaukee the nickname “Machine Shop of the World” in the early 1900s.

Merrill died in 1885 and in the early 1920s, Marquette Academy bought the Merrill estate (thanks to a major gift from Ellen Story Johnston) and left its spot on the hilltop at 10th and State streets.

By 1925, a new generation of Hilltoppers was passing through a new Gothic doorway on Wisconsin Avenue.

At the 1961 dedication, Milwaukee Archbishop William Cousins blessed the new cafeteria and gym. Over the following six decades, those spaces would become the scene of many social events, including assemblies, services, games and dances, and sporting events marked by raucous crowds, colorful coaches and highly competitive teams. Within those cinderblock and tile walls, Marquette student-athletes have won 26 state championships in basketball (12), volleyball (11), and wrestling (3).

Two years ago, an extensive facelift brought new bleachers, bright lights, and updated iconography to the gym, which along with Cannon Commons, has become the heart of our building outside the classroom. Much like the Merrill estate was the heart of the working-class neighborhood that today bears its name.

52 MUHS Magazine

Top (left to right): Then-MUHS President Rev. John Foley, SJ, Archbishop of Milwaukee William Cousins and Msgr. Edmund Goebel at the dedication of the new gym and cafeteria in September 1961.

Bottom, left: Sherburn Merrill estate in 1885. Photo provided by UWM Libraries.

Bottom, right: New MUHS gymnasium in 1961.

Opposite: The MUHS gym received a much-needed renovation in 2016 after being untouched for nearly six decades. Photo by Mike Arndt.

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