HNUTODAY

A M A G A Z I N E F O R A L U M N I A N D F R I E N D S O F H O LY N A M E S U N I V E R S I T Y
FALL I 2018

years of HNU history

 Contents HNUTODAY
A MAGA ZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS
FALL I 2018
President’s Message

1 28 HNU Today is published by the Office of

DEAR HOLY NAMES UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY,

GIVING NEWS Marketing and Communications at Holy Names University. As our sesquicentennial year unfolds, we have the occasion to celebrate—and
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
­ L ois Akers Johnson ’53 leaves a even to uncover—many notable moments in our 150-year history. What we’ve
­­ Ushering in our sesquicentennial EDITORS
library legacy Monique Beeler, interim communications manager found has both surprised us (did you know that students in our orchestra visited
2 30
Sonia Caltvedt, director of marketing and communications
Stephanie Silva, communications manager
with then-Governor, and later Supreme Court Chief Justice, Earl Warren in
1947?) and reaffirmed what we know about HNU: We have been called and
CAMPUS NEWS DESIGN
CLASS NOTES compelled to make society better from the day we were founded in 1868.
Maria Theren, graphic designer
­­ B
 ravo to a trio of anniversaries—
­ A
 lumni are teaching and I hope you enjoy perusing the pages of this special anniversary edition of HNU
for the University, Kodály and
volunteering globally, dancing at CONTRIBUTORS
Prep Music Sonia Caltvedt, director of marketing and communications
Today. Many hours were spent exploring our archives in the Cushing Library and
SF Pride, honoring Black Panthers
speaking with community members who have helped shape our University’s story
4 era art—and taking the odd Kelsey Lindquist, director of annual giving
Carol Nicklas, SNJM ’64, alumni relations volunteer
elephant ride and keep it alive. You’ll find highlights of our remarkable history, as well as an
Natalyia Valencia, student assistant, research and
FACULTY & STAFF WATCH in-depth look at how social justice and the core values of the Sisters of the Holy
­ W WII "good luck" flags, first-of-
34 digital content

its-kind childrens' book, a music
scholar for life, and hashtag power
6 36
FEATURES
­ Agents of activism: then and now 
­ The Sisters shape our mission
12
TIMELINE
­ Survey course: an HNU history tour
22
The opinions expressed in HNU Today do not necessarily Names have been critical to our mission and identity over the years.
IN MEMORIAM represent the views of the editors nor policies of
Holy Names University. Comments for the editors
We thank our alumni for sharing some of their favorite things about Holy Names
­ Remembering Sister Chris may be sent to: media@hnu.edu or Editors, HNU Today, in these pages, and for the myriad ways they support our work and make us
Marketing and Communications
proud. We honor the achievements of our students, some of whom have faced
Holy Names University, 3500 Mountain Blvd.
Oakland, CA 94619 significant obstacles on their journeys to HNU. And we remember all of our dear We have been called
HAWK NEWS Sisters of the Holy Names who have died this year and whose legacy is very much
­ B
 reakout season for men's golf
UNIVERSITY CABINET
alive in our hearts and evident on campus.
and compelled to make
Michael Groener, MBA, interim president
A major league HNU first Kevin Gin, PhD, chief of staff to the president
The Sisters chose “Remember, Rejoice, Renew” as the theme for our society better from the
37
Luis Guerra ’02, MBA ’04, vice president for facilities and events
Rob Kinnard, vice president for finance and administration
Alan Liebrecht, vice president for enrollment management
sesquicentennial year. Their quiet but bold vision and adaptability have allowed day we were founded
Laura Lyndon, MA, vice president for student affairs HNU to evolve and remain standing strong as the world changes around us. We
GOOD SPORTS John Muccigrosso, PhD, interim provost and vice president
for academic affairs
are forever indebted to the Sisters’ courage and strength of spirit. This anniversary in 1868."
 rchery, horseback riding, and
A
Alison Mundy, director of advancement year is a time of reflection and gratitude for all they have done.
fencing? Snapshots reveal HNU's
sporting past
Carol Sellman, SNJM ’69, MM ’78, EdD, vice president for
mission integration Please join us at our sesquicentennial festivities throughout the coming school
Michael Groener
Interim President, Holy Names University

LOVE NOTES ALUMNI EXECUTIVE BOARD PRESIDENT year, and be a part of this important milestone for Holy Names University. Visit
Our favorite (HNU) things Ana Raphael-Scott ’89 hnu150.org for event information and for more highlights from our history—
including captivating, little-seen images from early days at “the Lake” and hill
24 HNU BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Steven Borg ’86, MA, chairperson of the board I The
campus sites—that didn’t make it into the print pages of this magazine. There is
ALUMNA PROFILE Honorable Carol A. Corrigan ’70, JD, vice chairperson of so much to celebrate, and much more good work to do in the 150 years ahead.
the board I Barbara A. Bray, SNJM ’68, MA ’89, MEd I Miguel
 damaka Ajaelo, MBA ’10 builds
A Bustos ’93, MBA, MA I Cynthia Canning, SNJM ’68, MA I
self-esteem through STEM Rachel O’Dwyer Flynn, MPA I Barbara Hood ’70, MPA I Alan
Hyman I Mary Pat LeRoy, SNJM ’68, MEd ’75 I Elizabeth Sincerely,
26 Liebert, SNJM, PhD I Maureen (Nikki) Maziasz ’01 I Martha
E. Rolley, SNJM ’72, EdD I Kathleen Ross, SNJM, PhD I Nicki
STUDENT PROFILE Jean Thomas, SNJM ’71, MA

­ It's all in the family for third- Holy Names University is a private, co-ed university located
generation Hawk Ray Mangrobang on 60 acres in the hills of Oakland, California. An academic
community committed to the full development of each
student, HNU offers a liberal arts education rooted in the
Catholic tradition, empowering a diverse student body for MICHAEL GROENER I INTERIM PRESIDENT
leadership and service.

Cover photo: Students competing in a spring 1949 Field Day sack

race included, from left: Diane Mento ’52, Patricia A. Fauria ’53,
Gladys Keller ’52, and Dolores Diamantopoulos
HNUTODAY HNUTODAY I 1
CAMPUS NEWS
to a trio of anniversaries
AS HNU MARKS ITS 150TH YEAR, TWO MUSIC PROGRAMS TURN 50
IT’S A YEAR for landmark celebrations across the Holy
Names University campus as we applaud not only the HNU
community’s founding 150 years ago, but also golden
anniversaries for the Kodály Center and for the Preparatory
Music program.
Read on for highlights and details—please save the
dates!—for celebratory events and occasions, from
Homecoming tailgating to family karaoke, that we look
forward to sharing with you throughout 2018-19.
FETING OUR 150TH
Earlier events on the University sesquicentennial calendar
included: the mid-September Convocation welcoming
the Class of 2022 for the official start of the academic year;
followed a few weeks later by a joint Lake Merritt clean-
up day in early October by HNU and Holy Names High
School; and an observance of the feast day of Blessed
Marie Rose Durocher, SNJM foundress, at The Cathedral
of Christ the Light in Oakland.
Next up was Homecoming Weekend, October 18–21,
with 150th Celebrations on campus. Beloved Holy
Names traditions, like strawberries and champagne,
were accompanied by new attractions such as an
HNU flashlight tour and scavenger hunt, and a
“Hawktoberfest” beer garden.
“The spirit of the HNU community is never stronger than
when we join together,” Interim President Michael Groener
said. “We’re excited to welcome alumni and friends back
to campus for a joyful mix of anniversary festivities.”
Inspired by the sesquicentennial, Steve Hofer, associate
professor of music and music director of the HNU
Orchestra, will debut a 20-minute piece written for
orchestra, chorus, and soloist on November 11. The
Sesquicentennial Concert and reception on campus are
scheduled from 3 to 4:30 p.m.
Additional celebratory activities planned include: a
sesquicentennial Mass with Holy Names High School
from 1 to 2 p.m., March 14, in McLean Chapel, Father Sal
Ragusa, SDS, presiding; and a Founder’s Day Celebration
geared to the campus community April 24, including the
annual re-enactment of the founding Sisters’ trek from
Canada to the Bay Area. The year’s 150th anniversary
observance concludes May 10 and 11, respectively,
with Graduate and Undergraduate Commencement
ceremonies.
For further details, check hnu150.org.
2 I HNUTODAY
The spirit of the HNU community
is never stronger than when we join
together. We’re excited to welcome
alumni and friends back to campus for
a joyful mix of anniversary festivities.”
Interim President Michael Groener
Graduate
students in a
spring Kodály
class
Student
Amy He
designed
the winning
logo, right, in
a Prep Music
contest
Sister Mary Alice Hein founded HNU’s Kodály Center
50 years ago based on a vision of music for all. Placing
singing at the foundation of musical development, the
Kodály approach to music education—paired with a
firsthand encounter with the Hungarian composer behind
the method—sparked in Sister Mary Alice a lifetime
commitment to quality music education, one that endures
at the Center today.
ENDURING VISION
“This vision is as relevant now as it was 50 years ago,”
says Kodály Center Director Maree Hennessy, noting that
continual reflection and collaboration has allowed Center
offerings to remain responsive and innovative. The Center
provides training for musicians and teachers in Master of
Music (MM) and certificate programs. A recent initiative
focuses on developing community music programs, from
those geared toward children to choir sight reading.
The 2018 Kodály Summer Institute and Seminar—
encompassing an academic summer program, mini
conference, alumni choir, and more—kick-started the
Center’s year of celebration. Additional 50th anniversary
events are expected to include concerts, guest lectures,
and other events culminating in a 2019 summer reunion,
July 11 through 13.
A short documentary about the program is in the
making, and commissioned choral works honoring the
50th anniversary celebration are also underway.
FORWARD FOCUS
As the Preparatory Music
Program revels in its past, it
also has an eye trained on the
future of educating young
musicians in voice and 10
instruments from oboe to
drums.
“To help ensure our sustained
growth and presence as an
exemplary center for music education in Oakland, we
are creating a 50th Anniversary Endowment Fund, which
will provide a strong financial base and the security to
continue offering the best to our future—our children,”
Director Katherine Baird said.
Sister Therese-Cecile Murphy, an HNU music professor
and early advocate of Suzuki music education, founded
Preparatory Music in 1968 as one of the first Suzuki
centers on the West Coast. Today, the program is
recognized for providing both Suzuki and traditional
music instruction.
ANNIVERSARY EVENTS
A slate of concerts featuring the talented students learning from the
37-member Preparatory Music staff debuted with a Faculty and Friends
Recital held in late September. The upcoming anniversary season
includes: 
Pops Concert — 3:00 p.m. November 18 in Regents’ Theatre,
Valley Center for the Performing Arts (VCPA)
Concerto Festival Concert — 3:00 p.m. February
24 in Regents’ Theatre
Family Music and Art Day — 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
May 5, 2019 in Kennedy Courtyard. Entertainment
and activities planned include live music
by Preparatory Music students, family
karaoke, and a fundraising tile design
party. The finished tiles will be
embedded in the design of two benches
commemorating the program’s 50-year
history. They will be housed in the
Kennedy Center and
the VCPA.
HNUTODAY I 3
 Faculty and Staff Watch
Where few dare to tread
CHILD GRIEF EXPERT GWENN SILVA’S BOOK
EMBRACED BY FAMILIES
A circle of four grinning kids clasping hands illustrates the
cover of counseling psychology lecturer Gwenn Silva’s first
book, An Extraordinary Gift.
Released in April, the book’s target audience is families
with children 5 to 8. A closer look, however, at the subtitle
along the cover’s bottom edge, Stories of Organ and
Tissue Donation, quickly signals that no standard children’s
story lies ahead.
A long-time instructor in HNU’s graduate counseling
psychology program, Silva also serves as manager of
Family Services for Donor Network West, a nonprofit that
facilitates organ and tissue donation and procurement
in Northern California and Nevada. Silva, a former child
therapist, heads family grief support programs for the
organization. Hunting for age-appropriate books several
years ago she discovered no children’s literature on the
subject existed. But the need was strong.
“It’s a difficult topic for children to get,” says Silva, who
was 11 years old when she lost her own mother to breast
cancer. “We’d be in touch with parents who would say: I
don’t know how to talk with my child about the fact that his
father died, and his heart is now living in somebody else.”
Of seven short fictional stories contained in the book,
only the first, “Tommy’s Parents,” is about a child’s death
and organ donation. Others focus on the loss of a parent
or grandparent. In one, a grandmother with fading vision
receives a cornea transplant that allows her to see her
newborn granddaughter.
Gwenn Silva’s first book, above, was co-authored with
Clea Vannet.
4 I HNUTODAY
An Extraordinary Gift is meant to be read with an adult
who can answer children’s questions. Activity pages help
children further externalize complicated feelings.
In June, Silva presented the publication at the Association
of Organ Procurement Organizations Annual Meeting in
Washington, D.C.
She also has used it as a discussion aid in a “Trauma, Grief
and Loss” course she instructs at HNU, where the issue
often arises.
The response has been “overwhelming” and positive,
especially from the intended audience. “I know what we
did was the right thing,” Silva says. “Families are saying, I
wish I’d had this before.”
Music to our ears
GAIL NEEDLEMAN EARNS LIFETIME
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
For her work as a folk
song researcher and
translator, a gifted
creator of undergraduate
curriculum, and an
inspiring educator,
HNU Lecturer in Music
Gail Needlemam,
MM '98 received the
Organization of American
Kodály Educators’
Lifetime Achievement
Award, presented in spring
2018. A faculty member for
20 years, Needleman has taught graduate courses at
the Kodály Center and undergraduate musicianship
and theory classes.
In granting the award, OAKE acknowledged: “Her
influence has left an indelible mark upon the state
of American Kodály music education.” The award
also recognized Needleman’s accomplishments in
areas including: undergraduate music curriculum
development, notably her internationally-recognized
Great Works program that integrated history, theory,
and aural skills in teaching musical studies; primary
research and transcription of songs for HNU’s
acclaimed American Folk Song Collection website;
and translation of Hungarian choral works by Lajos
Bárdos into English.
Flags of our great-grandfathers
CHIHO SAWADA RECONSIDERS WWII
SOUVENIRS AND THEIR MEANING  
The Battle of Okinawa
ended 73 years ago, but
belongings left behind by
some 100,000 Japanese
troops who perished on
the blood-soaked island
took on a life of their own
following World War II,
says Chiho Sawada, HNU
associate professor of
history and peace studies.
During the war, it was
common for family, friends,
and co-workers to write
their names, good luck
messages, and prayers for a safe return on yosegaki
hinomaru, or “good luck flags,” presented to Imperial
Japanese soldiers heading off to fight.
Carried into war zones the flags filled many uses, from
serving as a tourniquet in a pinch to a banner when
tied to a rifle barrel, Sawada explains. Usually worn on
the upper body, close to the heart, the flags often took
on spiritual qualities for their owners.
Following battles, U.S. soldiers avidly collected war
booty, including good luck flags, from their fallen
Japanese foes. Back in the U.S., veterans often
“proudly displayed the flags—like a championship
banner—in homes and family businesses,” says
Sawada, who has made the flags and their changing
meaning the focus of his fall research. In the decades
since WWII, the social meanings and functions of
war mementos such as the flags have evolved, he
observes, noting that some U.S. families have worked
to repatriate the flags back to Japan and their rightful
inheritors.
For his study he is analyzing the flags’ “journey from
Japan to Pacific theaters of war to the United States,
then back to Japan, transformed along the way from
talismans of community ties and protection to symbols
of death, domination, and plunder to, most recently, a
tool for intercultural understanding and reconciliation.”
His work is taking him to libraries, WWII museums and
memorials, and memorabilia trade shows across the
U.S. and, ultimately, to Tokyo and Okinawa.
One Bay Area
veteran’s family asked
Sawada to help return
a good luck flag in
their possession.
Sawada describes
the banner as a
“rare, nearly pristine
yosegaki hinomaru
from the Battle of
Okinawa. “(They)
asked me to conduct
research on this flag
and find its proper
home.”
“Good luck” flag from Battle of Okinawa
Hashtag power
FOR STUDENT SUCCESS, HARNESS WEB 2.0,
WRITES KEVIN GIN
For insight into smoothing the path for
students unfamiliar with university culture
and helping them graduate, see Kevin
Gin’s contributions to Technology and
Engagement: Making Technology Work
for First-Generation College Students
(2018: Rutgers University Press).
In two chapters, Gin, HNU Chief of Staff
to the President, taps his expertise in
racialized hostility on social media and
assessment in higher education.
Turning to Web 2.0 technologies is among strategies
recommended for remedying disparities in graduation
rates for first-generation college students. For students
who encounter injustices on campus, social media presents
hashtag activism opportunities. Academically, they can find
allies in online class conversations “safe from a hostile face to
face setting.” Administrators, too, should be present on social
media to understand racial hostilities there and better interact
with students.
Gin advises: technology can be an equalizer for first-generation
college students that helps them “acquire college capital
necessary for successful social and academic transitions.”
HNUTODAY I 5
 A LOOK BACK AT
FEATURES

HNU CAMPUS
ACTIVISM
Hoisting hand- It was a model that disadvantaged. In fall 1968, Sr. Ethel Mary penned an open committed. Also, she organized a stream of speakers here
painted picket suited countless HNU letter in the HNU magazine, College of the Holy Names that were really terrific, and the gym was packed.”
signs and alumni, including Alumnae View, calling on the University community to Speakers Sr. Ethel Mary brought to HNU included civil
chanting protest Cynthia LeBlanc ’70, lend support to “resolve our racial crisis.” She directed rights advocate Ethel Kennedy, widow of slain 1968
slogans in the EdD. As an HNU readers’ attention to a need for more teachers and money presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, and hospice
street for causes student leader and one in Oakland schools to serve children from “minority pioneer Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, author of On Death and
she believes in of the few women of groups who already make up over 60 percent of the school Dying.
was never Sister color on campus in the population.”
Maureen Hester’s late 1960s, LeBlanc also Walking house-to-house in 1968, Sr. Ethel Mary asked
And she urged them to act, writing: “Some alumnae might Oakland residents to vote for an anti-Vietnam presidential
’64, PhD way of saw unmet needs that
aid the tutorial effort, others who teach in city schools could candidate; for elections in the 1980s and 1990s, she served
living the core prompted her to act.
help by raising the academic sights of minority students.
SNJM value She arrived at HNU as Above all, you can help by letting us know of students who
“dedication to a freshman in fall 1967, might profit from attendance at the College of the Holy
justice.” a politically turbulent Names but who lack money or the necessary preparation.”
Like many Sisters period nationwide.
Sr. Ethel Mary was the ultimate “do-er” when it came
over the 150- While tensions roiled
to walking the social justice talk, part of what makes her
year history of college campuses
stand out among the Sisters who have served HNU for 150
the Holy Names elsewhere, LeBlanc
years, Sr. Maureen says.
University recalls a tamer climate
community, her at HNU. “She worked off-campus more,” observes Sr. Maureen. “She
contributions fall dedicated Saturdays to registering voters. She was absolutely
But that doesn’t mean the then-all female student body
into the hands-on, person-to-person category. They are was apathetic.
often quiet, yet nonetheless significant in the lives of HNU
students and others. And it’s not uncommon for individuals “A few of us advocated for and initiated a new program
inspired by the Sisters to catch up the softly burning torch at Holy Names (called) THRUST, which was formed in
and carry it through a lifetime. Many of HNU’s more than partnership with the Oakland community to share HNU
11,500 graduates have committed to creating a more resources which included facilities and services,” she
equitable society, from serving refugee needs through says. With administrators’ blessings, THRUST activities
Oakland Catholic Worker to lobbying in Sacramento on emphasized reading improvement in selected area
behalf of developmentally disabled individuals. schools; training in science for elementary school teachers;
and cultural and informative presentations on campus.
Focus on the need
“I learned from this experience, and over the years, the
“I feel I have helped people in the area of social justice,” says importance and power of advocacy,” says LeBlanc, who
Sister Maureen, who defines social justice as working for the went on to a 36-year career in education administration. “It
poor and disadvantaged in pursuit of equity. “I’ve helped is through advocacy that change can occur.”
students get internships, I’ve encouraged them in teaching or
working in social justice areas; I’ve worked in parishes.” A vigorous advocate
But overtly promoting social justice causes was not the No single figure in modern HNU history embodied this
impetus behind her actions, says Sister Maureen, an HNU belief more vigorously than Sister Ethel Mary Tinnemann,
professor emerita in psychology who first joined the faculty PhD, a bespectacled, straight-talking lover of gardening, 7
 lockwise from top: Students voting on campus in the 1980s;
C
in 1965. “We focused on what was in front of us,” she says a.m. swims, and getting out the vote.
students display protest sign against the School of the Americas
of her SNJM colleagues. “It was a need, and it was a social Generations of HNU students recall Sr. Ethel Mary, a (SOA); Sister Ethel Mary Tinnemann, PhD in 1973
justice need; but I don’t think we focused on the social Department of History and Government stalwart for 37 Opposite: THRUST team members, including driver Cynthia LeBlanc
justice, just on the need.” years, as a vocal champion of the disenfranchised and ’70, with Sister Rose Eleanor and Sister Christina Maria during 1969-
1970 academic year

6 I HNUTODAY HNUTODAY I 7
 as a precinct captain; she registered so many voters that
in 1999 the secretary of state inducted her into a California
Voters Hall of Fame.
Student walkouts
Students who, like Sr. Ethel Mary, supported the civil
rights movement were drawn to her work. “They were
against the Vietnam War,” says Sr. Maureen about the
HNU student activists she worked with. “They (organized)
a walkout. They were very active. They held all-student
body meetings about that.”
Activism in later decades evolved with the times.
HNU students have always “reached out to make a
difference in our world,” Sister Carol Sellman ’69, MM ’78,
EdD noted in delivering the commencement address to
the Class of 2018 in June.
“You have carried on that tradition,” she continued. “You
are part of the digital generation, and you have used your
voices through movements like Black Lives Matter, #metoo,
#timesup, and #ENOUGH! National School Walkout. One
of my proudest moments this year was standing with you as
you and your classmates walked out of class on March 14 as
part of the #ENOUGH! Movement.”
The mission is to connect the
HNU community with the local
community through opportunities
for service to enrich the learning
that’s going on in the classroom—
and really get students thinking
about their social responsibility.”
Freddy Gutierrez, coordinator, Center for Social Justice and Civic
Engagement and assistant dean for Student Affairs
Community engagement
Beyond speaking out digitally, opportunities for making
“a difference in our world” present themselves to today’s
HNU students through Community Based Learning, or
CBL, courses that introduce them firsthand to real world
issues and through joining co-curricular organizations
such as the Center for Social Justice and Civic
Engagement.
8 I HNUTODAY
In CBL courses, students perform at least 15 hours of
community service with Bay Area partner organizations
and then link what they experience in the field to concepts
and theories studied in class, explains Charlie Sarno, dean
of the School of Business and Applied Social Sciences and
teacher of HNU classes such as Power and Powerlessness.
 ynthia M. LeBlanc '70, accepts the American Cancer
C
Society's St. George National Award from Society executive
David F. Veneziano
For students awakening to injustices and eager to Staying committed
participate in rectifying them, the Center for Social Justice HNU students with the most unswerving passion often find up an HNU diploma. Following her retirement as a public
and Civic Engagement stands ready to focus and shape their way onto the Center staff. Team members participate school district administrator, she continues contributing
their interests and talents. in frequent outings to meet directly with community to her lifelong parish and in leadership roles with the
Established in 2008, the Center is well aligned with the
Sisters’ mission to serve others, says Freddy Gutierrez,
partners who span the
socio-economic ladder.
American Cancer Society.
Center coordinator and assistant dean for Student Ultimately, Center staff
I learned from this experience ... it is Reflecting on how she might
counsel her younger self,
Affairs: “The mission in a nutshell is to connect the
HNU community with the local community through
members put into action through advocacy that change can occur.” LeBlanc shares guidance that’s
what Gutierrez calls also apt for today’s social
opportunities for service to enrich the learning that’s “transformative values,” Cynthia LeBlanc ’70, EdD, former student activist justice-minded students—and
going on in the classroom — and really get students
including critical thinking tomorrow’s. “Stay committed
thinking about their social responsibility.” and critical self-reflection. to your heart and what you
The Center coordinates activities on and off campus Students begin to “think about the world as not something believe in, and fight to make the world better for others,”
such as monthly Social Justice Cafes that address issues that they simply experience, but as something they can she says. “Be involved and engaged and bring somebody
including food justice and domestic violence. The Center actively shape and have impact on,” he explains. else along with you, so when you leave the world there’s
also organizes an annual “alternative spring break” service someone else there to continue the fight.”
For many alumni, including Cynthia LeBlanc, a
trip to Tutwiler, Mississippi. There, participants work with commitment to serving others didn’t end when she picked
Habitat for Humanity to build homes.
HNU students building a Habitat for Humanity home in Tutwiler, Mississippi
HNUTODAY I 9
FEATURES

OVER 150 YEARS, SISTERS SHAPE HNU TO MEET ‘NEEDS OF THE TIMES’
BEFORE PAVED ROADS and automobiles came to Integration Carol Sellman, SNJM ’69, MM ’78, EdD. “In a
Oakland, six determined young Sisters of the Holy Names world dominated by male business leaders, it’s impressive
of Jesus and Mary from Montreal rounded North America what these women were able to accomplish.
by steam ship and a rail jaunt across the Isthmus of
“Our ability to meet the needs of the times is a hallmark of
Panama to open the first Catholic school in the East Bay.
the Sisters,” she reflects from her tidy Durocher Hall office
The school for girls and teacher training they established
where the Chronicles share space in glass front bookcases
lay the foundation for what is now
with a trove of early SNJM
Holy Names University.
writings.
In those early decades, clothed Our ability to meet the needs of the The first Sisters in Oakland
in long veils and woolen tunics,
did not explicitly train girls for
it was the Sisters’ spirits, minds, times is a hallmark of the Sisters.” professions outside the home.
and muscles that propelled most
operations required to run and Sister Carol Sellman ’69, MM ’78, EdD “In that day, of course,
grow a residential school. women did not have all the
opportunities we have today,”
They cooked, swept chapel
Sr. Carol says. “So preparing
floors, bought and sold real estate, and taught subjects “You knew that you were in a Catholic institution when you
them to be young Christian mothers and wives was
from mathematics to music. From French-speaking walked onto this campus, because there were 40 Sisters
probably the emphasis.”
Quebec, five were in their early 20s (the sixth, a 31-year- walking around at the time,” Sr. Carol says. “We didn’t
old, spoke no English); half brought teaching experience Nonetheless, the school earned a reputation for academic need to talk about mission.”
to their new post. rigor, and their studies exposed young learners to a
As the U.S. population of women religious plummeted—
breadth of subjects.
Their original focus was teaching Christian young ladies, by 72 percent from 1965 to 2014—the trend did not
guided always by their SNJM charism—and mission of Leapfrogging ahead to the next century, Sr. Carol plucks undermine HNU’s mission. In the spirit of the founding
education in the faith and full development of the human a 1930s course catalog from her bookcase. Thumbing Sisters, today’s HNU offers a career-focused education
person. Hand-written annual “Chronicles” kept by the through it, she recites subjects on offer, including: botany, based on SNJM core values.
Sisters track their teaching experiences and growing art, economy, Latin, philosophy, and health. From 1916 to
When Sr. Carol became VP for Mission Integration in 1999-
enrollment. An August 1878 entry reports: “The new 1965, Catholic students also took religious studies each
2000, 12 Sisters belonged to the faculty plus a few more
scholars are indeed very nice children. All are good and semester, while non-Catholics enrolled in an ethics course.
on staff. In 2018-2019, Sister Carol and Sister Sophia Park
diligent.” The And who was teaching fill full-time University positions and a few others work part
pages also offer this expansive time or as volunteers.
glimpses into curriculum?
In safeguarding mission integration, Sr. Carol focuses on
spiritual life at the
Until the late 1960s, passing on to faculty and staff the SNJM history, values,
convent school
Sisters comprised and culture. Past activities included prayer sessions with
through events
more than half of the reflective questions linked to an SNJM core value. Each
such as holy
full-time faculty, the spring, she hosts three SNJM Cafe sessions that bring
communions and
administration, and together up to 100 HNU community members to learn
the entrance of
board of trustees. about the Sisters’ corporate stands on access to water,
new postulants
SNJM Sisters also held social justice, and immigration. Employees starting their
and novices.
the presidency until third year are invited to an immersive weekend: Camp
“I have great 1992. In 1902, 74 Sisters HNU in Santa Cruz.
appreciation for served the institution.
“We say to them: We expect you to continue the
all the Sisters have By 1958-59 when From top:
University’s work and promote its mission as there
done over the campus moved to the Faculty procession at 1957 graduation; An SNJM Sister lectures in an Oakland hills
are fewer Sisters on campus,” Sr. Carol says. “I have
years,” says HNU hill site, Sisters still campus classroom; Sister Carol Sellman ’69, MM ’78, EdD at work as VP for Mission
confidence that the HNU community will do what it always Integration
Vice President dominated faculty and
has done well: meet the higher education needs of the Bay
for Mission staff roles. Opposite page: Early alumnae before an altar at the lake campus, from left, are: Dora
Area as we adapt to changing times.” Harrigan, Berenice Macdonald, Anna White, Fannie White, Mabel Reed, and May Keefe

10 I HNUTODAY HNUTODAY I 11
 HNU Historic Timeline

1868 1870s 1880s 1890s

A lot has happened since

six Sisters swung open doors
1880
Empowered by the state of California to grant higher
education degrees (the first year women legally
could become trustees of corporations)
to Oakland’s first Catholic
girls school, from pioneering 1886
a Weekend College for adult While rowing in August with the Sisters, student
Edith Clark dives into Lake Chabot to rescue a
students to graduating alumni drowning classmate who fell overboard. Clark’s
who served U.S. presidents. Join heroism earns her the U.S. Treasury Department
our tour of HNU’s first 150 years. Silver Life-saving Medal.

1868 1890
Founding of the Convent of Our The Convent “fleet” consists of three rowboats:
Lady of the Sacred Heart at the Marie Rose, Dove, and Aloysius
Lake Merritt campus

1876
The Convent school census: 21
Sisters, 2 novices, 2 postulants, 80
boarders (100 boarders by 1878)

 rom top and left: Convent students of the late 19th century; The Lake, as the original campus was called, occupied the corner of Harrison
F  op to bottom: A pergola designed by a Sister was a landmark feature of the lakeside campus; Page from the "Names of the Boarders of the
T
and 20th streets in Oakland, directly to the west of Lakeside Park, per a 1912 map; From the institution's earliest days, the Sisters taught Convent of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart;" Album containing portraits of the first boarder, Maria Byrne (bottom left), and the third boarder,
students to row Kate Dillon (second page, top left)

12 I HNUTODAY HNUTODAY I 13
 1900-10s 1920s 1930s 1940s

1901 1921 1930 1941

Sister Mary Seraphine, known for her beautiful voice, The College adds a third year to the First teacher candidates are credentialed by the A class of 66 individuals graduates, including 34 lay
trains students to sing "America" and "Three Cheers curriculum (for nurses) state of California and 32 religious
for the Red, White, and Blue" for President William
McKinley, who passed down Webster Street just
outside school grounds
1926 1932 1941-45
First four-year bachelor of arts degree First issue of College of the Holy Names Bulletin, During World War II, Homecoming raffle prize
awarded; HNU’s Education Program is predecessor to HNU Today, is published by students winners often receive a war bond
1906 founded to keep Alumnae Association members “alumnae-
The “great” San Francisco earthquake throws statues minded.” The editors wrote: “It is to be hoped that
and windows to the floor, opens a hole in the roof, 1943
and damages rooms. The chapel “suffered severely.”
1928-29 interesting items will be contributed occasionally by
Graduate study begins at the College of the Holy
Associated Students publish the first those of the long ago, as well as by students of the
nearer past.” Names with the offering of courses required for
yearbook conferring the credential in secondary education
1908
Name changes to Convent and College of the Holy 1935
Names The seal of the college—with its motto virtus, honor,
nobilitas—is in use
1911 The college newspaper, the Merritt Mirror, is first
Becomes an accredited college published, named for the lake and the "mirror of
justice," a descriptive title for Our Lady, mother
1913 of Jesus
A visiting Jesuit lectures on the “new” discipline of
psychology

1916
Sisters open a junior college

1917
First secular students admitted to junior college

 rom top and left: Cheering the end of World War I in 1918; Student thespians Henriette Pagoni and Mary Waldapfel in “Jazz and Minuet,”
F  rom left: Dancing lakeside in spring 1948 are: Helen Gaffney, Mary LaRosa, Jeanree Clisham, Evelyn Hodgson, Jean Williams, and Cathryn
F
1931; Convent room at the Lake; Hijinks on a wheelbarrow Keys; The College of the Holy Names Bulletin debuts in 1932

14 I HNUTODAY HNUTODAY I 15
 1950s 1960s

1955 1960
Coeducation graduate division formally established Raskob Learning Institute opens
(from the outset, men are admitted into the
graduate division) 1961
Peter Grothe, special consultant to the Peace Corps
1956 who brought the concept to President John F.
Groundbreaking for new campus Kennedy, presents “a first-hand report on this new
aspect of American foreign policy” to the campus

1957
College moves from Lake Merritt to the new campus 1963
in Oakland Hills Margaret Mealey ‘33, executive director of the
National Council of Catholic Women, receives one of
18 pens President Kennedy used to sign The Equal
1958 Pay Act that made it illegal to pay men and women
“Energy, zest, and brilliance” is how SF Chronicle’s working in the same place different salaries for
art critic refers to California mission paintings by similar work
Sister Mary Luke that now line the Founders’ Hall
corridor
1965
Fall semester begins on the new campus Organizers of the annual CoHoNa—short for
College of the Holy Names—Ball choose the theme
Under the headline “Campus Living in Modern
“Royalty and Red Velvet” and extend an invitation to
Style,” a local newspaper trumpets the opening
Princess Margaret of England and her husband, Lord
of Durocher Hall in September, noting that it will
Snowden, who “regretfully declines”
accommodate 159 students

1959 1968
Campus activists establish THRUST to bring college
The Associated Collegiate Press awards “First
resources, including literacy expertise, to the
Honors” to the 1959 Excalibur yearbook. Editor
community (see: ”Just Causes,” page 6)
Carol Hubert’s ’59 cover design earns honors as a
Cover of the Month.
1969
Kodály music education program founded

 op to bottom:
T  op to bottom:
T
Actor Raymond Burr serves as 1961 host for an annual scholarship fundraising barbecue on campus; Sisters with moving van as they prepare Margaret Mealey ’33 at the White House signing of the 1963 Equal Pay Act; The California Room in the 1960s; Agnieszka Winkler ’67, winner of
to transition to a new site; Before fresh landscaping takes root, an early view across the hills campus a Bill Raskob Scholarship for summer study in the Soviet Union in 1965, is shown in the Language Lab

16 I HNUTODAY HNUTODAY I 17
 1970s 1980s

1971 1981
Name changes to Holy Names College and all Launches Weekend College (WECO), the
programs become coeducational first educational program for working adults
west of the Rockies (on the graduate side,
An advancement in the class registration its first offering was the MBA)
system calls for students to register by mail—
eliminating “long lines and hours of waiting”
1982
Carol Corrigan ’70 appointed to President
1972 Reagan’s Commission on Organized Crime
Painted scenes from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, (she was then deputy DA for Alameda Co.)
then valued at over $25,000, from the lobby of
San Francisco’s Canterbury Hotel are donated
to the University and displayed in Brennan 1987
Hall (today they hang in Valley Center for the Then San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein
Performing Arts) speaks at the Eighth Annual Symposium for
Business Leaders

1975
The education department enrolls 25 students 1989
in a novel graduate program for training in College faculty ranked No. 1 in the West by
gerontology U.S. News and World Report

Pioneering hospice psychiatrist Dr. Elisabeth

Kübler-Ross, author of On Death and Dying,
speaks on campus

1979
University magazine is known as Holy Names
College Today

 op to bottom:
T  op to bottom:
T
Dianne Feinstein gives a 1987 TV interview while on campus for a popular annual business symposium; Consulting a professor between CORE Festival participants in Renaissance garb in the 1980s; Showing off the school newspaper; In time-honored HNU tradition, students prepare for a
classes in Corrigan Courtyard; Trying out early computers on campus; Students waiting for a ride in a college van row on the lake

18 I HNUTODAY HNUTODAY I 19
 1990s 2000s 2010s 2018

1994 2000 2012 2018

Valley Center for the Performing Arts opens Accelerated business degree program, Newscaster Gwen Ifill, of Washington Week and PBS Holy Names University celebrates its 150th
Excel, is introduced News Hour and the first African-American woman anniversary in Oakland
HNU joins the National Association of Intercollegiate to host a prominent political talk show, delivers the
Athletics (NAIA) and is a founding member of what is Commencement address Prompted by a growing teacher shortage, HNU
now the California Pacific Conference (CAL PAC) 2004 offers 50 percent tuition reductions to new students
Name changes to Holy Names University By the University’s final year as a California Pacific planning to teach in public schools, thanks to
HNU students make first annual visits to: Tutwiler, Conference member, 54 HNU Athletics teams had generous funding from the Estate of R. H. “Rock”
Mississippi, to build homes with Habitat for
Humanity; and to Fort Benning, Georgia, joining
2005 claimed championships and seven had earned and Jane Gilmer Logan
Following Hurricane Katrina in August, HNU Conference All-Sports Awards
protesters who demand the closing of the School For a third consecutive year, an HNU Athletics
welcomes 25 students displaced from their
of the Americas, where Latin American government team makes an NCAA Division II postseason
soldiers train
home institutions in New Orleans; eight 2013 appearance—men’s golf in 2018 and 2017 (see page
choose to remain at HNU U.S. News and World Report recognizes HNU as the 34) and men’s cross country in 2016
most diverse university in the nation
1996 2007 Pitcher Aiden McIntyre ‘18 makes Hawks history
A portion of the AIDS Memorial Quilt goes on as the first HNU student-athlete drafted by Major
display in the VCPA for World AIDS Day
HNU campus celebrates its 50th anniversary 2014 League Baseball (see page 36)
in the Oakland Hills Author and Olympic sprinter John Carlos, renowned
for raising a fist on the medal stand in 1968 in Mexico
1997 2009 City, spoke on campus about his book The John
Master of Science in Nursing program begins Carlos Story
Brennan Hall transformed into a 15,800 Celebrating

square foot, full-service Student Center in Oakland

2016
Holy Names University accepted for full membership
in the NCAA Division II

 eft to right:
L
Building a home with Habitat for Humanity in Tutwiler, Mississippi, during spring break; Students visit a portion of the AIDS Memorial Quilt on L eft to right:
display in the VCPA; Women's basketball team at 2001 NAIA National Championship John Carlos discusses his 1968 Olympic experience during the James Durbin Speaker Series; Entrepreneur George Zimmer, founder of
Generation Tux and Men's Wearhouse, on the green for the 2012 Red Rose Golf tournament benefiting the Mission Scholarship Fund;
Journalist Gwen Ifill visits campus for HNU's 2012 Commencement

20 I HNUTODAY HNUTODAY I 21
 LOVE NOTES FROM OUR ALUMNI
On the occasion of the University’s 150th birthday, we put out a call to alumni and
asked you to share your favorite HNU persons, places, and things. We loved reading
your memories and the words of affection you lavished on your alma mater! Responses
flowed in from alumni spanning nearly 50 years, representing classes from 1966 to 2013.

Read more of Our Favorite HNU Things at HNU150.org. We also invite you to submit your own favorite recollections at:
hnu.edu/classnotes

22 I HNUTODAY HNUTODAY I 23
ALUMNA PROFILE
Adamaka Ajaelo, MBA ’10
BUILDING SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH STEM
Adamaka Ajaelo, MBA ’10 has learned to solve many life
challenges by approaching them like she would a math
problem: persistently and step-by-step. One of the most
important challenges she has taken on is making sure
more young women of color have access to careers in
science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics—known as STEM fields.
By early childhood, Ajaelo and her My HNU professors
siblings were encouraged to explore
STEM subjects by their chemical
prepared me to be a
engineer father, who went as far as to
give them math and physics lessons at
consultant in any
home. Ajaelo engaged in activities such type of corporate
as building structures out of Lego blocks,
taking computers apart to understand environment. No
how they worked, and participating in
science camps and math Olympiads. For matter what the
a young Ajaelo, the world of STEM was
never foreign territory. framework, I
Founding Self-eSTEM was prepared to
A proud product of Oakland public
schools, where she says she thrived,
problem solve.”
Ajaelo was surprised to meet resistance Adamaka Ajaelo, MBA ’10
as she transitioned from high school
to college. There, she discovered a
lack of support not only for her pursuit
of a STEM education, but for others with similar
ambitions. Says Ajaelo: “I heard from too
many women that they dreamed of being a
programmer or a scientist but didn’t have the
support to enter and remain in the STEM
career pathway.” This led her to found
Self-eSTEM in 2014. The
Oakland-based organization
promotes STEM
opportunities for young
girls and women from Bay
Area communities she
considers untapped
and underserved.
Its holistic, school-
24 I HNUTODAY
to-career pipeline programs reach over 150
participants annually. Its aim? Demystify STEM
and introduce lessons through a culturally and
gender-inclusive lens. “It’s never a skill and
capability issue,” says Ajaelo about the challenge
many girls face in building STEM
competency. “It’s a lack of
encouragement and access.”
Finding community support
The program has enjoyed
success, in terms of outcomes
and community engagement.
Ajaelo has developed supportive,
strategic partnerships with
organizations that include: Visa,
Salesforce, Facebook, Workday,
Wells Fargo, PG&E, Autodesk,
Kapor Center for Social Impact,
Golden State Warriors, Fam 1st
Family Foundation, and Oakland
Unified School District.
The best measure of
effectiveness? Positive
STEM
Technology Math
Science Engineering
experiences recounted by Self-eSTEM
participants themselves. As one student reports:
“I didn’t think I was good at math. I didn’t think
I was smart enough. I had anxiety with my math
homework. But you exposed me to math from
a different perspective, showing me how it
connects to our everyday world. I have a new
interest. My anxiety went away.”
Leveraging HNU’s MBA program
After completing her bachelor’s degree in
math, Ajaelo considered pursuing a Master’s
of Science in applied mathematics. A mentor
counseled her to get an MBA instead, arguing
it would enhance her versatility and skill at
problem solving from a business perspective.
Ajaelo acted on the advice and happily found
it to be true: “My HNU professors prepared
me to be a consultant in any type of corporate
environment. No matter what the framework,
I was prepared to problem solve.” By the time
she completed the master’s program, she had
gained the confidence and knowledge to launch
Self-eSTEM.
Ajaelo’s past professional experiences have
taken her to top companies such as Kaiser
Permanente, Cisco Systems, Visa, and Workday
in the areas of finance, workforce planning and
analytics, and business continuity.
Today, she works as manager for Insights and
Operations at Facebook, where she focuses on
recruiting analytics. Noting that human capital
is the largest investment most companies
make, Ajaelo describes the role of human
resources analytics as a powerful contribution
to a corporation. When not at her “day job,”
Ajaelo continues thriving on powerfully and
exponentially investing in young human capital:
igniting curiosity, excitement, and inspiration in
untapped communities that she expects will
lead to the next generation of STEM leaders. Top to bottom:
Adamaka Ajaelo, third from left, with Self-eSTEM team
Taking a selfie with Self-eSTEM students
Self-eSTEM STEM Exploration Camp participants
Self-eSTEM crew member tutors a student
HNUTODAY I 25
STUDENT STORIES
Ray Mangrobang
Continuing a family tradition at Holy Names
When asked about their Holy Names University
experience, students and alumni frequently recall climbing
the campus stairs, a Sister’s encouragement, and most
commonly—the feeling of family. For some, like RAY
MANGROBANG, the family connection is a literal one.
Ray, a freshman in the pre-nursing program, is a third-
generation Hawk. His grandmother, Yuri Saito ‘86,
graduated with a degree in nursing. His mother, Janet
(Chung) Mangrobang, and father, Carlos Mangrobang ‘87,
met at Holy Names when they
were introduced in the Public
Market cafeteria. Similarly, his
aunt, Victoria (Mangrobang)
The community here is so close-knit
Schmidt ‘86, MM ‘87, and uncle, that if you don't know someone, it's
Mark Schmidt, MM ‘85, fell in
love while pursuing Kodály music just a matter of time until you do.”
degrees.
Ray Mangrobang, third-generation Hawk
As Ray approached graduation
from high school he had many
choices. He was accepted
into every university he applied to, but with his father’s
encouragement he decided to follow in the footsteps of
family members and became a Hawk. “I liked the small
college feel and wanted to get the dorm experience while
still living close to family,” he says. “I knew I wanted to go
into nursing, so when the nursing program accepted me
and offered me a scholarship, I chose HNU.”
Close-knit community
Ray knew he made the right decision from day one. “After
orientation, my roommate and I left our dorm room open
to encourage visitors and within minutes our room was
packed to capacity. The community here is so close-knit
that if you don’t know someone, it’s just a matter of time
until you do.”
This same close-knit community led to Ray’s parents
meeting. Ray’s father and aunt, Carlos and Victoria
Mangrobang, moved to Oakland together after leaving
their family behind in Guam to pursue their higher
education dreams. Carlos says he “tagged along” with his
older sister, Victoria, who was attracted to the college’s
renowned Kodály music program. Carlos was drawn to the
26 I HNUTODAY
exciting new field of computer engineering. Since HNU Ray’s aunt, Maria Cecilia Mangrobang ‘92, also followed her older
offered a computer science degree, the siblings were able siblings in attending HNU. She earned a degree in biology and
to attend the same college. chemistry and went on to graduate from medical school. Today,
she is a primary care doctor for the Veterans Administration in
When he wasn’t writing code in the computer lab, Carlos
Honolulu, Hawaii, and serves as a home church pastor for friends
recalls climbing the “117” steps from the library to the
and neighbors.
cafeteria, eating “buttery-hot-from-the-oven” communal
bread during Sunday Mass, playing guitar in the church choir Climbing the steps
with Sister Carol Sellman ‘69, MM ‘78, EdD, and, of course,
Ray’s grandmother, Yuri, attended orientation with Ray and his
meeting his wife-to-be Janet.
family this summer. The welcoming spirit of the event impressed
Janet enrolled in HNU’s Yuri, who says she was glad to see her grandson continue the family
pre-engineering program at tradition at HNU. When a staff person offered her a lift to the upper
the recommendation of her
mother, Yuri Saito, who was in
campus so she wouldn't need to climb the stairs, she shook her
head “no.” “These are stairs I know, steps I’ve climbed before and
the process of completing her
nursing degree at HNU. Janet
will take again now,” she says. With that she joined Ray in his first
Rite of Passage up the HNU stairs.
eventually transferred to
study architecture at another
university, but not before
befriending Victoria. Victoria
eventually pointed out her
younger brother Carlos, who
later introduced himself to Janet at Dunn Hall. And the
rest is HNU history. Janet and Carlos, married since 1992,
have four children and live in Fremont.
Janet and Carlos were not the only Mangrobangs to find
love at HNU. Ray’s aunt, Victoria, also met her future
husband, Mark Schmidt, at the college. As music students
they met while singing in the collegiate choir Musicum
Collegium. They married shortly after graduation and
took positions teaching music to children in the Hayward
Unified School District. In her time as an educator,
Victoria says she has mentored many HNU graduates.
The musically gifted couple have two children and live in
Pleasanton.
More family connections
Ray’s great aunt, Noreen Yamaoka ‘03 joined HNU as an
adult learner. She says that beyond continuing her family’s
From top:
legacy it was the school’s commitment to adult education
that inspired her to enroll. “I remember how refreshing it Maria Cecilia Mangrobang ‘92 (left) in Dunn Hall
was to interact with the Sisters on campus,” she says. “I Carlos Mangrobang receives diploma in 1987
adored Sister Margaret Campbell’s original and energetic
Maria Cecilia Mangrobang graduates in 1992
way of teaching. She encouraged in me a lifetime of love
and respect for nature.” Victoria (Mangrobang) Schmidt receives diploma in 1986
Left: Ray Mangrobang
HNUTODAY I 27
GIVING NEWS
FROM A LIFELONG LEARNER
Whether joining a study group for a statistical methods
final or taking a Scrabble break with friends between
classes, business major Megan Cheresse Viray ’19 spends
much of her day in the Cushing Library.
“The library’s a place where I can just be focused and
study,” Viray says. “I usually come in for my text books,
because they do have text books here. For research
papers, I come to the ‘ref desk’ to help me find sources.”
And if she needs to borrow digital equipment? The
library’s got her covered with loaners: “I’ve used chargers,
the computer—especially when I forget my laptop—and
iPads.”
A special interest
In short, it’s a learning hub that students like Viray rely
on to make their educational and post-graduation
aspirations—she’s eyeing a nurse practitioner career—
come true. And it was exactly the kind of student resource
that lifelong educator Lois Akers Johnson ’53 was proud to
support.
So much so that when it came time to decide how to
distribute their estate, the Johnsons—Lois and husband
Herbert had no heirs—agreed they would split it equally
between Holy Names University and his alma mater,
Georgia Tech. When she passed away in June 2017, she
left a bequest of $1.14 million to HNU and expressed
a special interest in supporting the library, HNU
Director of Advancement Alison Mundy says.
“She wanted library books and equipment,
and she specified technology,” Mundy
explains. “As we are prioritizing digital
learning, we feel it’s the perfect
complement to fulfill her interests and
the University’s needs.”
Given Johnson’s background, her
planned giving choice was no
surprise.
Her senior year, Johnson took
education courses and belonged
28 I HNUTODAY
to the HNU chapter of the California Student Teachers
Association. After completing a bachelor’s degree in
English, she spent her career as a reading resources
teacher in the Oakland Unified School District.
Beneficial brainstorm
Together, the couple shared a lifelong commitment to
teaching and education.
But dividing the Johnsons’ estate between their two
universities was her brainstorm, points out Fred Sommers,
friend and neighbor to the couple for some 40 years.
“Lois was incredibly generous,” he says. “It was she who
initiated the bequest. As a lifelong teacher, Lois had
always been in favor of supporting education.”
Flip through back issues of Excalibur, as the HNU yearbook
was called, and an image emerges of Lois Johnson as an
energetic young woman engaged with University life and
interested in wide-ranging pursuits
from a young age. She signed
on to the Merritt Mirror student
newspaper staff, hit the slopes
with the ski club, was historian for
the Theresian Club (which paired
volunteer mentors with young
Catholic girls in the community),
and served on the stage crew for
Masquers theatrical productions,
including one called “Victoria
Regina” about the 19th-century
monarch.
She wanted library books and equipment, and she
specified technology. As we are prioritizing digital
learning, we feel it’s the perfect complement to
fulfill her interests and the University’s needs.”
Alison Mundy, Director of Advancement
As an adult, she was actively involved as godmother to
neighbor Sommers’ daughter, raised Kerry blue terriers,
expressed artistry through painting, and pursued
philanthropic impulses.
“Her devout religious beliefs and commitment to
education prompted her to support Holy Names,”
Sommers explains. “She talked Herb into splitting their
estate between their two alma maters.”
In 1998, the Johnsons joined HNU’s Legacy Society and
established the Lois Akers Johnson Fund, an endowed
fund to be used for books, software, and library
equipment—much like the resources benefiting business
student Viray and her classmates.
Alumni—with or without heirs—interested in following in
Johnson’s footsteps might consider exploring planned
giving opportunities, which can satisfy a desire to
support future generations and give back to Holy Names,
Mundy says.
“You don’t have to be rich in order to do something very
beneficial and significant for HNU students,” she says,
noting that benefactors have also gifted assets such as
cars, securities, and property. “Even a small bequest
can benefit others and secure the financial future of the
University, while making it a better-equipped place for
educating students today and tomorrow.”
Top to bottom:
Lois Akers Johnson ‘53 with husband, Herb,
and one of their Kerry blue terrier pups
Colorized portrait of Lois Akers Johnson ’53
Crew member Lois Akers (seated first on
 earn more about ways to give to HNU by contacting Alison Mundy, Director of
L
left) on set of the 1952 production,"Victoria
Advancement mundy@hnu.edu or call (510) 436-1011. Regina"
HNUTODAY I 29
Class Notes
1940s
MIRIAM DANIEL FAHEY, SNJM ’48,
full-time professor of Spanish from 1970-
96, is still driving around the San Jose area
at 91. She moved to Merrill Gardens in
Campbell four years ago and has taught
two Spanish classes and tutored a student
of Spanish in the past year. She says life has
slowed down but is still filled with activities.
She has kept up with Professor Ann
Alderman and Kathy Jordan, graduate of
HNU and member of the foreign language
department, teaching English as a Second
Language. Sister Miriam Daniel has also
seen or spoken to former students from
Mexico (Ramona Convent graduates). She
still has her grade book and loves visits
with past students.
1950s
MARY GILPATRIC RUSSELL ’51 and
husband John celebrated their 65th
wedding anniversary June 27.
1960s
KATHLEEN CUMMINGS JORDAN
’64, a retired English as a Second
Language professor, has traveled with
Clay, her loving husband of 51 years, to
Mexico and Central America, throughout
Europe, China, Japan, and Northern
Africa. Kathy is the proud mother of
Adam, a team leader for Intel in Silicon
Valley, and mother-in-law of Alice, a vice
president at MobiTV in Emeryville. Kathy
describes her two granddaughters,
Kaiya, 12, and Mika, 9, as voracious
readers and excellent students. She
writes: “My son has one great family!”
30 I HNUTODAY
After a career designing and running
district-wide programs for gifted
students on the West Coast, MARY
DAVIDSON VERNON ’66 is enjoying
retirement by taking frequent tours of
North America and Europe with Road
Scholars. Mary’s husband, George, she
reports, continues consultant work and
“holds down the fort” while she meets
interesting fellow travelers. The Vernons
love living outside Seattle and retain
fond memories of their decades in
California.
KATHLEEN REBELLO COLLINS ’68
and husband Daniel celebrated their
golden wedding anniversary in January.
They are blessed with five children,
seven grandchildren, and nine great-
grandchildren. They travel to the village
of Azoia in Portugal every year, where
she owns a great old house that once
belonged to an uncle. Kathleen enjoys
time with good friends, antiquing,
gardening, and her grandchildren. As
she puts it: Life is good!
SUSAN “SUSIE” SCHNIEDERS ’68 has
retired from college counseling after 20
years but continues volunteering at high
schools in her area. She loves visiting her
four children and six grandsons in Los
Angeles, Walnut Creek, and New York.
Susie just celebrated 25 years with Jim
and enjoys traveling the world with him.
She looks forward to joining the Class of
1968 for its 50th reunion in October!
1970s
YONG-LANG KWAN ’70 earned an
MA from California State University,
Northridge in 1994, then taught grades
3 through 6 at her alma mater, Saint
Maur International School in Yokohama,
Japan, the oldest international school in
Asia, until 2003. She was then appointed
elementary school principal and
administrative liaison to the Montessori
preschool and French school. From 2012
to the present, Yong-Lang serves as
director of Alumni Relations and assistant
director for Admissions. She says she
hopes to spend time in the states with
family and friends and do more traveling
in the near future.
KATHY DONOVAN PEREZ ’71 was a
featured presenter at the 2018 Division
of International Special Education and
Services conference in Cape Town, South
Africa in June. In May and September,
she consulted with teachers and schools
in Singapore, and for October she was
invited to train teachers in Nanjing,
China. Kathy and her husband, Robert,
are slated to tour Egypt, Turkey, and
Jordan in November; they’ll take
puppets along to do a puppet show
at the pyramids. For the past seven
years, Kathy has coordinated LIFT UP
(Literacy Innovations for Teachers: Urban
Partnership), a literacy intervention
program for urban schools in the
Oakland Diocese.
After a rewarding career, working with
students from pre-school through adult
transition, MARY BRYNE DAWE ’75
is enjoying retirement. The freedom to
travel off season has been wonderful,
 . Gayle Dickson joined the Black
M
Panther Party newspaper’s volunteer
staff in 1972. Artwork she created for
the newspaper, above, "Let It Shine, Let
It Shine, Let the Power of the People
Shine," was featured at the Oakland
Museum of California’s 2016 Black
Panthers at 50 anniversary event.
she writes, adding she has been lucky
enough to visit Iceland, Sweden, Mexico,
Canada, Hawaii, and Italy this year. Mary
enjoys having her daughters nearby, and
keeps active with dogs, yoga, tennis,
golf, and volunteering with Impact Giving
and Laguna Dance Festival.
After 30 years of retirement, MARY
KARNE ’76 is planning a move to a
retirement community! She has been
widowed for 15 years and treasures
memories of her dear husband and their
travels together to many places and
countries. Mary says she feels unusually
fortunate that her whole family—kids,
grandkids, and great-grandkids—all live
in Oakland, which means lots of get-
togethers, love, and support.
1980s
M. GAYLE DICKSON ’86 observes
that becoming a re-entry student at
HNU was one of the best decisions and
experiences of her life. After HNU, she
worked in the administration field. In
recent years, she participated on the
host committee that planned the Black
Panther Party (BPP) 50th anniversary
event held at the Oakland Museum
of California. At the celebration, two
original drawings she created while
serving on the BPP newspaper staff hung
alongside vintage news clippings of her
work. Gayle, who used the name Asali in
the 1970s, also assisted in planning a 50th
anniversary event for the Seattle Chapter
of the BPP. Now, after retiring from the
workforce, Gayle is again focusing on her
first love: art.
After 46 years in Concord, THOMAS
PAYNE ’86 and his wife, Jacqui, moved
their family to Texas, where he joined an
advisory firm specializing in Catholic
Values Investing. (He says one of many
things he learned at Holy Names was
integrating faith with whatever you do.)
Tom and Jacqui have been married for 19
years, and at press time were expecting
their ninth child. They report feeling so
blessed and thankful.
CARNELLA GORDON BROWN ’89
recently retired after almost a decade
of work with people from many walks
of life who she says had become
disenfranchised, including many who had
lost homes, family, and community. “We
worked together toward establishing a
sense of emotional stability, community
connectedness, and hopefulness,” writes
Carnella, adding she was humbled and
learned a lot through the experience. She
and her husband, Cortez, look forward
to celebrating their 32nd anniversary
in December. Carnella says she hopes
everyone is well and sends the best of
regards to the Class of 1989!
EVELYN M. PORTER, MEd ‘89, a
registered nurse and nursing supervisor,
cares for patients within the San
Francisco VA Health Care System. She
recently joined the International Nurses
Association and will be featured in
Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare, a
collection of biographies of healthcare
professionals. Evelyn maintains
professional memberships in the
American Nurses Association and the
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor
Society of Nursing. She is the recipient
of a Top Educator Award and serves
as president of the California Nurse
Educator Association.
For her master’s degree, VIVIEN WAKE,
MA ’89, wrote a novel in lieu of a thesis.
It sold so well, the publishers (Zebra,
New York) asked her for a sequel. She
went on to earn an MS in management
from Pepperdine University. Obliged to
return to her native New Zealand, she was
employed as a senior lecturer teaching
English, thesis writing, and more, at the
then Wanganui School of Design. Vivien
also completed a PhD in writing at Edith
Cowan University in Perth, Australia. She
is now enjoying living in a retirement
village while writing what she calls “a
really daft novel!” She invites fellow
alums to Google her name to check out
publications she’s penned.
1990s
HENRY GASCON ’98 is director of
program and policy development for
United Ways of California. He recently
co-authored a statewide poverty report,
Struggling to Stay Afloat: The Real Cost
Measure in California 2018. The federal
poverty measure does not accurately
account for local costs of living, Henry
says. The United Way’s “real cost
measure,” on the other hand, factors in
housing, food, healthcare, child care,
transportation, and other basic needs
to determine what it really costs to live
HNUTODAY I 31
 Class Notes continued from previous page
in California. He encourages anyone interested to
review the report: unitedwaysca.org/realcost.
KATHY RAUSCH, MM ’98 reports that, while
attending the 2018 Kodály Summer Institute at
HNU, her son Samuel passed the entrance exam
for the bachelor’s program at the Kodály Institute
in Kecskemét, Hungary. Samuel plans to begin his
studies in fall 2019 in Hungary. Kathy thanks her
HNU teachers, especially Anne Laskey, MM ’85,
Gemma Arguelles, MM ’92, and Judit Hartyanyi,
for their instruction and support over the years.
She also thanks Maree Hennessy, László Norbert
Nemes, and Michele Winter, MM ’87, for supporting
Samuel as he prepared for the exam.
2000s
Post-HNU, ROBERT JOST ’01 earned a master’s
degree in theological studies from the Franciscan
School of Theology. He coached boxers and taught
Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA) as a parish volunteer
for St. Felicitas in San Leandro. He has also tutored
Vietnamese Sisters in English there. Robert returned
to Vietnam in 2010 for the first time since serving as
an infantry soldier there in 1967. He is now traveling
in Vietnam for a year and teaching English as a
volunteer.
PATRICIA A.
BRIDEWELL ’03
is a family nurse
practitioner and
an adjunct nursing
faculty member at
Mount Saint Mary’s
University in Los
Angeles. In April,
she graduated from
a post-master’s
psychiatric and
mental health
nurse practitioner
program at National
University. She is
a member of the
Nu-Xi chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International
Honor Society of Nursing. Patricia also writes
romance novels; her third, Two Steps Past the Altar,
was released in May.
NICOLAS DEFENDIS ’04 teaches in rural
Soledad; he previously taught at Soledad
Correctional Training and Rehabilitation. He now
teaches, mentors, and volunteers with seventh
graders. Nic enjoys giving back to children in
32 I HNUTODAY
difficult situations. By the end of each academic
year, he says: “Their smiles make you smile, too.”
LEILA ABU-HIJLEH ’08, MA ’15, associate
director of HNU’s Upward Bound program, gave
birth to a son, Johnny, April 19 at 12:01 p.m. Johnny
was 19 inches long and weighed 6 lbs., 12 oz.
POLLY MAYER, MEd ’08, ET/P is completing
her eighth year as clinic director at HNU's
Raskob Learning Institute. Polly says her passion
is equipping children and adults with learning
differences discover strategies to help them
succeed in school and life. In her spare time, Polly
enjoys birding, drawing, and playing the piano.
JILL WELTON, MSN ’08 became president
and CEO for Dignity Health-Glendale Memorial
Hospital in June. She previously spent six years with
Saint Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco,
most recently as vice president and chief operating
officer/chief nursing officer.
JOSEPH PEREZ ’09, MA ’11 is director of
facilities and aquatics for the St. Helena Unified
School District. He and his wife live in the Napa
Valley with their 6-year-old daughter.
2010s
CHRISTINA MERLOS-MOSCOSO ’10 is
completing her doctoral internship in clinical
psychology at the nonprofit network, Cancer
Support Community. She recently presented at
the second annual Latinas with Cancer Conference
in Berkeley. Christina completed a master’s in
clinical psychology in 2014 and is on track to earn a
doctorate in psychology in June 2019. She recently
celebrated her seventh wedding anniversary and
is mom to two beautiful children. In her spare time,
Christina dances salsa, swims, and travels the world
with her family.
The Legacies of the Pacific dancers, founded by Nina
Diamzon ’13, at SF Pride
Motivated by her Polynesian performing arts
background and her work with HNU’s Pacific
Islanders Club, NINA DIAMZON ’13 founded
Legacies of the Pacific, which she describes as
“a diverse culture-driven community coalition
that promotes collaboration.” She explains
the company’s goal: to bridge and strengthen
ties between those with Pacific heritage and
other communities. The organization serves its
community through dance and performing arts; in
June, dancers participated in San Francisco’s Pride
parade and celebration. At press time, Nina was
preparing to involve HNU students in the Aloha
Festival, one of the Bay Area’s largest Polynesian
cultural events. She credits the Pacific Islanders
Club and Sister Chris Patrinos ’81† for their
inspiration and support.
BLAZE FARRAR, MA ’13, penned the short story,
“Taking Big Tom Home,” a selection published
in the January 2018 edition of Gravel: A Literary
Journal (gravelmag.com). Farrar’s work has
appeared in the KQED Perspectives series and in
Dual Coast Magazine, and won honorable mention
in the Soul-Making Keats Literary Competition.
Since 2007 she has worked for the University of
California Office of the President, most recently as
a budget analyst.
LORENA RIVERA ’16 is a program coordinator
with the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California
in Oakland. In May, she graduated with a master’s
degree in Tribal Administration and Governance
from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Lorena
has fond memories of attending HNU as a transfer
student. She would like to extend her gratitude
and appreciation to Professor of Philosophy Sheila
Gibson, for her guidance and encouragement.
Keep classmates up-to-date!
Submit a Class Note at
hnu.edu/classnotes
‘An Incredible Reunion’
For those called to a career
as an educator, there are few
rewards greater than knowing
the lessons you shared in the
classroom altered the course of
a student’s life.
DAN BISHOP, who taught
economics at HNU in the 1970s,
recently reunited with former
student MASAYOSHI SON,
founder and CEO of mobile
telecom and investment firm
SoftBank. Bishop was happy to
share his reunion experience
with HNU Today.  oftbank CEO Masa Son, from left, considers his
S
former HNU economics instructor Dan Bishop to
“I had an incredible reunion be the most influential of his college career
with Masa,” Bishop said. “The
meeting was deeply personal and fulfilling, I believe, for both of us.  I was able to
recall a number of incidents from the time we shared at Holy Names, with Masa
responding that he was amazed and honored that I cared enough to have thought
about him. I was greeted by Masa with incredible warmth and friendliness—when
he first saw me his face lit up with one of the happiest smiles I can remember.
The purpose of the meeting was to thank me for being his teacher many years ago
and to share how he still uses what I taught. Masa expressed the view that I was the
best teacher he had ever known—certainly heart-filling to any teacher. He indicated
that a story that I relayed about John D. Rockefeller’s entrepreneurial start as a
young boy, and how he advanced his business in the very early days, was one of the
most important factors in encouraging his personal business development. Masa
explained that he had retold this story numerous times over the years to business
associates and leaders of businesses he was interested in investing in. And each time
he would think of me and say he needed to thank me but never took the time or
effort to make it happen.  A few weeks ago he was using the story, again, in a staff
meeting and as he was thinking of me was reminded that he would be in the Bay
Area during this week and he decided he had been thinking about thanking me for
too long and it was time to make it happen.
The reunion, all these decades later, was one of the most meaningful in my life.
We plan to remain connected and in communication. Sincere thanks to the staff at
Holy Names for helping arrange this meeting.”
HNUTODAY I 33
 Remembering IN MEMOR I A M
IN MEMORIAM

Notices received before June 30. Dates refer to 2018 unless otherwise noted.

I remember you Say aloha to a new scholarship 1930s Tribute Gifts

Mary K. O’Leary ’38 (March 5) Gifts received January 1 through June 30, 2018
Within hours of receiving the news that Sister Christine Patrinos sharing a story
For nearly 25 years, Holy Names 1940s Honorees listed in bold
’81, PhD, had lost her battle with cancer, the Holy Names University how as a young Dorothy Jean “DJ” Madison Martin ’41 (February 22)
community gathered in McLean Chapel May 14 to remember her University was blessed by the Gifts have been received in honor of:
woman you had a Rita Ann McWalters Schneider Bradley ’44 (March 18)
Katherine Baird ’93
with fondness, tears, and laughter. Soon after, a scholarship in her contributions of faculty and community
name was created to carry on one of her passions: supporting HNU red Camaro that Agnes Vinson Anderson ’46 (June 25) Dorothy Lee ’73
member Sister Christine Patrinos, a Mary Elizabeth “Marybeth” Negro Bent-Rooney ’47 (March 13) Mattea Carveiro (ex. 2020)
students. you loved to drive
proud Hawaiian who considered HNU Anita L. Pongrace Kowalski ’47 (December 10, 2017) Cathy Carveiro
A pre-planned May 14 celebration honoring the 30th anniversary fast. This is how her ohana—her family. Students and Jean Wixson Riggs, attended 1940-42 (May 21) Barbara Hood ’70
of Father Salvatore Ragusa’s ordination transitioned into a Rachel O’Dwyer Flynn
I will remember colleagues described her as a mentor, 1950s
remembrance event honoring Sister Chris, 62, who joined the HNU Lisa Smith
faculty in 1995 and enjoyed 37 years of profession as a Sister of the you. Such a force a confidant, a counselor, a friend, and a Cecilia “Cici” Mary Chow Low ’51 (March 8)
Barbara Wisnewski Smith ’62
Christopher Gerard Cox, son of Helen Bilse Cox ’51 (Feb. 10)
Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. of life and one that true inspiration. Gifts have been received in memory of:
Marilyn E. Carmichael ’52 — mother of Celia Carmichael ’78
For all the tears wiped from mourners’ eyes during the one-hour shared her joy with As expressed by the Alumni Association (April 22) Arnold and Lillian Baranco
mass that drew nearly 60 attendees on short notice, many smiles Joanne Cabitto Sciaroni, MA ’52 — mother of Elisa Sciaroni- Gordon Baranco
everyone.” in a social media post announcing Mary Elizabeth “Marybeth” Negro Bent-Rooney ’47
were exchanged as well. Father Sal encouraged participants to Huebner ’95 (March 30)
Note posted to Sister creation of the Sister Chris Patrinos Mary Dwyer Spellman ’53 (June 18) John Cattalini
share a single word that they associated with Sister Chris, associate
Chris's prayer wall Nancy Mitchell, MEd ’01
professor of political science and advisor to the Model United Scholarship: “We’re overwhelmed by Mary Florence Crowley, MEd ’54 (June 2)
Angela Peatman
Nations and the Pacific Islanders Club. all your love for Sister Chris ... Thank Josephine Anzalone ’56 (April 25) Pamela Tom
Patricia Ann Griffin Scalise, attended 1954-56 (May 1) Tom Branson
“I would definitely say: welcoming,” said Father Sal in kicking off you for the many ways you’ve shown
the one-word tributes. The attributes quickly flowed in from Sister 1960s Margaret Stimmann Branson, MA ’62
your support, from attending Sister’s Margaret Campbell, SNJM ’53
Rosemary Machado ’61 (April 7)
Chris’ friends and colleagues: Wit, loving, caring, strong. The label
memorial service to keeping her loved Judith Ann Cabitto Vinci ’62 (April 13) Luvimin Cuevas, MA ’05
mischievous brought forth a burst of laughter. Others contributed
ones in your prayers.” Marie F. Conroy-Salbi, attended 1961-62 (March 30) Marcia Canning ’70
terms including spunky, authentic, joyful, and honest. Joanne ’71 and Terry Dale
Invited to introduce Sister Chris before she received the Faculty Wish to honor Sister Chris further? 1970s Claire Patricia Croak Cipriano ’40
Therese Marie Morasci Kennealy ’70 — daughter of Hanorah Patricia Cipriano ’68
Alumni Award during Homecoming 2017 festivities, Jason Mosher Please consider donating to the Sister
Matthews Morasci ’48 and cousin of Mary Van Valkenburgh Miriam Josephine Clarke, SNJM ’28
’96 expressed in his remarks sentiments shared by many former Chris Patrinos Scholarship, which McNamara ’53 (April 22) Heidi Ehrman Donner ’71
students. “There is not a single person who was not impacted by
celebrates her deep, enduring love for Judith Reagan, OP ’70 (May 11) Gloria Dati ’56
her love, friendship and sternness, especially if you took her 8 a.m. Virginia A. Noll Kresge ’71 (May 6)
students. Preference for scholarship Dorothy E. Dati †
history class,” said Mosher, who helped Sister Chris in founding the
1980s Rosemary Machado ’61
campus Model UN. awards will go to students of Asian/
Sharan ’63 and Peter Cherbak
Karen Bryan Cassano, MEd ’81 (May 18)
“Upon graduation, our friendship continued, and we remained Pacific Islander descent. Jean Finnegan Mullin ’60
Shirley Lazar VanBourg, MA ’82 (November 15, 2017)
close,” he added. “I was blessed to have Sister Chris conduct a Kathleen Gallagher Dunlap ’60
Gifts may be made online at HNU.edu Anthony R. Kreutzjans, SJ, MA ’89 (August. 13, 2014)
Hawaiian prayer in my wedding and visit Arizona following the birth Christine Nahuanani Patrinos, SNJM ’81, PhD
or call the HNU Advancement Office at 1990s Anonymous
of my children.” Like many others, Mosher credits his former advisor
(510) 436-1014. Nancy Van Nooten, MEd ’91 (October 12, 2015) Kathleen Atwood
with helping him grow as a student and become the first in his family Joan Buchanan
Karen Ann Zapotowski ’94 — wife of David Zapotowski ’94
to earn a college degree. Marci Cassidy
(February 9)
Margaret A. Haupt
Avenues for paying tribute to Sister Chris quickly sprung up on 2000s Kathleen Kane
campus. For instance, a prayer wall created inside the doors to Fr. Terrance W. Smith, MA ’03 (July 3, 2015) Kelsey Lindquist
the chapel became a place to share hand-scrawled thoughts, Gail and Douglas Smith
drawings, and prized memories. Another memorial Mass took Family and Friends Darlene and John Upmeier
William Kelly Fahey — brother of Miriam Daniel Fahey, SNJM Anna Wong
place on September 12 in McLean Chapel so that more of the
’48 and Barbara Fahey Chase ’56 (June 10) Sharon and Jeffrey Wong
HNU community could attend.
Maria Eva Toledo-Gonzalez — grandmother of Sonia Robles, Dorothy Wortham
In keeping with her abiding connection to her Hawaiian HNU staff (March 17) Bill Simon
culture, those attending a May 22 Mass of Resurrection Diana Oates — daughter of Marguerite Smith Oates ’63 (April 22) Joan Simon Spalding ’60
Top to bottom:
at St. Felicitas Church in San Leandro were invited to John Patridge — husband of Carole Wallace Patridge ’66 (May 22) Barbara Slyker, MA ’96
Christine Patrinos dancing as a Robert Slyker
wear island-inspired attire. Her burial was held at Holy student, from the 1974 Moreau Fr. Thomas Paul Chrysostom Raftery, OP — former HNU
Sepulchre Cemetery in Hayward. faculty and chaplain; brother of Ruth Raftery, SNJM ’37 † Kim-Thoa Vu
Catholic High School yearbook
(April 13) Colette Van-Lan Vu Le ’80
Sister Chris, from left, Jason Mosher John Wochnick
Halina Winkler — mother of Agnieszka Winkler ’67 (April 26)
’96 and wife Mindy Joan Simon Spalding ’60
To share a death notice with the University, please contact the
Sister Chris with two HNU students HNU Alumni Association at (510) 436-1105 or alumni@hnu.edu.
34 I HNUTODAY HNUTODAY I 35
 BREAKOUT SEASON
Unprecedented success for men’s golf in 2017-18
Chris Oetinger knew he had a talented squad on his hands
when he took over as head coach of the Holy Names golf
program in fall 2016. He also knew talent takes cultivation.
“We needed to change their approach to the game,” said
Oetinger, 32. “They needed to be more intense in training
and more focused in tournament play.”
Oetinger’s strategy delivered unprecedented results for
Hawks Athletics in 2017-18, including making the team the
first in University history to advance to the NCAA Division
II Championships. The feat was all the more noteworthy
for coming in only the second academic year of NCAA
postseason eligibility for HNU.
Following the May finals of the Division II Men’s Golf
Championships, staged in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Zach
Sims ’18, the top performer for HNU’s squad, scored
another first. He became the first HNU student-athlete
named an honorable mention to the Division II PING All-
America team by the Golf Coaches Association of America.
He also was designated for the Division II PING All-Region
for the West Region, First Team All-PacWest, and voted
HNU Male Student-Athlete of the Year. Calling Sims HNU’s
A history-making
36 I HNUTODAY
number one player
for the season,
Oetinger credited
him for spurring on his
teammates.
“He is a rock in that
he will outwork
everyone,” Oetinger
said. “Everyone wants to beat number one, so he bumped “Athletic life is college life,” reads the introduction to the “Sports”
up everyone’s game.” section of the 1928-1929 volume of Excalibur, the first edition of the
Teammate Kyle McLay ’18, a strong contributor to the University yearbook published annually through 1973. The passage
golf program’s successful season, also got results in the goes on to tout sports as the “center of activities the year ’round”
classroom. Not only was he recognized as co-recipient of and credits athletic pastimes with producing “manifold” benefits
the PacWest Scholar Athlete award, McLay was named to including: cooperation, fellowship, awakening the “impulse to
the 2017-18 Academic All-PacWest Team for the fourth time. conquer,” keeping the body ailment-free and the mind “clear and
clean.” Among organized activities available to early HNU students
The coach who guided Sims, McLay, and teammates Ross
were archery, crew, horseback riding, tennis, and basketball. As
Brownlie ’18, Matthew Thomas ’18, and Chia-Tse Lee also
you’ll note from the images uncovered in the University archives, and
earned laurels for a breakout season. Oetinger, a finalist for
shared on this page, the uniform for female scholar-athletes from the
the Dave Williams National Coach of the Year recognition,
late 1800s through mid-1900s frequently featured skirts.
was named Golf Pride Grips Division II West Region Coach
of the Year.
OAKLAND A’S DRAFT PITCHER
Right-handed pitcher Aiden McIntyre ’18 scored a
post-graduation homerun in June, becoming the first
Hawk drafted by a Major League Baseball team. With
105 strikeouts in 2018, McIntyre led the PacWest in the
category during the regular season. He finished his Hawks
career with 155 strikeouts—the most in HNU Baseball
history.
In the third day of the 2018 MLB Draft, the Oakland
A’s selected McIntyre in the 22nd round. The A’s have
assigned him to their rookie farm team in Arizona.
“From his first day on campus to the last pitch he threw,
nobody has improved as much as Aiden,” said Esteban
Contreras, HNU baseball head coach. “His leadership and
hard work will leave a lasting impression with our program
for years to come. We hope Aiden is the first of many.”
 op: Illustration from a 1920 student scrapbook; Flyer for Field Day, 1941; Clockwise: 1940s volleyball match; HNU students riding horses;
T
Tennis game on old HNC campus, Practicing fencing stances; Trampoline work in Tobin gym, CHN students attend archery classes
HNUTODAY I 37
 Non-Profit
1868–2018 Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Holy Names Univesity Holy Names
3500 Mountain Boulevard University
Oakland, CA 94619-1699
www.hnu.edu
www.hnu150.org

 e ambition we have
Th
expressed to you on
past occasions, to
remain ‘Old enough
to have distinction, to
be modern enough to
accept the challenge of
today, and to become
large enough to meet
the educational needs of
tomorrow’ is still ours.”
President Imelda Maria, SNJM,
Convocation 1958

A hand-inked rendering of the campus in its early Oakland hills days. Look closely at the key above to spot past place names—and uses—for still-familiar buildings.