Splendor Visited

By the end of his 30 years of incomparable contributions in the preparation of students for the health professions, Brother John Donohoo had received the highest tributes paid by the St. Mary’s Health Sciences Advisory Board, Bexar County Medical Society and Texas Association of Advisers for the Health Professions.

But what I’ll always recall is his glorious smile – and a visit we shared one afternoon in August of 1975. He had just returned from Mexico, where he loved taking our students to study at the Instituto Technologico.

On that particular day, though, he was exuberant with a new challenge. Following a 14-year tenure as biology department chairman – and work directing financial aid and student residences – Brother John had just been appointed vice president of student services. He would tackle the job head-on, as was his way with everything – from radiation research on bacterial viruses to his woodworking. To our dear Notre Dame yell leader, whatever was worth doing, was worth doing with gusto.

Born Feb. 26, 1919 in St. Louis, he taught at Chaminade College Prep and Milwaukee’s Don Bosco High School throughout the 1940s.

Arriving at St. Mary’s in 1950, he led our pre-medical and pre-dental programs to achieve national ranking and the country’s best professional schools to seek out three of every four of our graduates.

Even so, John’s real gift to his students was his being there for them – in lecture hall, lab or cafeteria – whenever they needed to talk, cry or dream.

Looking back now, I’m so glad we took the time to share his moment of splendor at the top of the swing on that summer’s day.

Brother John Donohoo, S.M., died Jan. 11, 1985, at the age of 66. He was a Marianist for 48 years.