Foundations and the future tied to Father Keefe

Jim Sutton ’68 can trace the foundation of his career directly to the classes he took from The Rev. Anselm Keefe, O.Praem., namesake of the college’s Anselm Keefe Legacy Society.

Jim recalls, “My first class with Father Keefe was General Botany. I was at home there. I ended up taking most of the available courses in biology.”

The rest, as they say, is history. Jim went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from St. Norbert College and a master’s degree from Stanford University, eventually retiring as a senior environmental specialist in the division of water rights with the California State Water Resources Control Board. Jim’s wife Melissa Barbour shares his love for the natural sciences, as she also earned a master’s degree in marine biology.

Father Keefe was such an integral part of Jim’s college experience that the relationship added special meaning to his and Melissa’s membership in the Anselm Keefe Legacy Society. The society honors those who have included SNC in their estate plans. Jim and Melissa have included SNC as a beneficiary and part of their gifting plans.

“I was one of the people who actually was taught by Father Keefe,” Jim says. “There is a connection there that makes it a little more personal. He was a character who did things his own way. He just wanted people to learn and he loved teaching.”

Jim and Melissa have been annual donors to St. Norbert for many years. After his mother (Nina) passed away a few years ago at the age of 103, they were able to make a gift to fund a biology scholarship, with plans to at least match that with a legacy gift upon finalization of their will. He credits the professionals in the Advancement office with providing the information and forms needed to make the process easy.

“People don’t want to think about what happens after they’re gone,” Jim shares. “I would encourage others to think about a legacy gift as a way of continuing your life and your contributions to society, the college, to students, to the world after you’re no longer here.”

He reflects, “St. Norbert gave me my whole foundation for whatever success I’ve had in my professional career, and in a lot of ways my life. The idea of giving something back for someone else is pretty neat.”

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The Rev. Anselm M. Keefe, O. Praem., touched the lives of many and contributed to the beauty of the campus enjoyed today. A Norbertine priest, faculty member, theatre director, coach, botanist and much more, Keefe devoted his life to the college. Many of the magnificent trees that grace the present-day campus were planted by Father Keefe nearly a century ago. They are a testament to his love for the college and his remarkable foresight.

We are grateful that those welcomed into the Anselm Keefe Legacy Society – which means they have included the college as a beneficiary of their will, trust, life insurance policy or retirement account – enhance the college for future generations. Like Father Keefe, these individual have planted seeds for a brighter and more vibrant St. Norbert College.

If you’d like to learn more about the Anselm Keefe Legacy Society and how you can make an impact like Jim and Melissa, contact Kevin LeBeau at 920-403-4059 or kevin.lebeau@snc.edu.