1967

Historian Ellen Skerrett ’67, recipient of a 2009 Alumni Award of Distinction from Rockford College (1971), recently curated an exhibit for St. Ignatius College Prep that includes rare photos and documents from the Chicago SSND Heritage office about Holy Guardian Angel parish. The first Italian parish on Chicago’s West Side (f. 1898) was demolished in 1959 to make way for the Dan Ryan Expressway. Parishioners contributed generously to the construction of new quarters at Cabrini Street and Blue Island Avenue, only to learn in 1961 that Mayor Richard J. Daley had offered the site for the new campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago.

With the help of Sister Gail Johnson ’53, coordinator of the SSND Heritage Office, Ellen was able to tell the story of Sister Filibert Spirrizzi, SSND, principal of Holy Guardian Angel School from 1947 to 1963. Despite her tireless protests and those of other community activists, the city’s proposed location of the U. of I. campus prevailed.

Maureen Collins shared the good news with friends that she recently received 2009-2010 “Distinguished Adult Educator” recognition (and a sizable stipend) for her instruction in English as a Second Language at Richard J. Daley College in Chicago. Maureen has taught the classes part-time for six years. This award “means a lot to me,” Maureen said, “because the primary influence in my selection were the students themselves. They voted for me from a pool of over 100 teachers”. Maureen also works full
time as an image specialist/art buyer for McGraw-Hill Companies’ School Education Group.

Joan Bernhardt Radtke, treasurer of the A.O.L. Alumnae Board, was inducted last fall as a member of Alpha Mu Tau fraternity, a clinical laboratory science honor society. Joan is an assistant professor at Rush University in Chicago. Alpha Mu Tau’s primary purpose is to honor clinical laboratory scientists who have made outstanding contributions to clinical laboratory science and to assist clinical laboratory scientists’ educational endeavors with scholarships. Joan has held several leadership positions in her regional, state and local professional societies and served on numerous committees. She has been nominated twice as Member of the Year of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science.