When John entered St. Louis U. High as a freshman in 1936, he began developing a relationship that would endure throughout his entire life. During his four years at SLUH he became an honors student and a member of the football team and Sodality.
Beyond graduation, John applied a strong work ethic as a government clerk and frequently attended his SLUH class reunions. It was at a reunion mass, listening to a speech given by a student, that the impact of his own experience at SLUH resonated with him in a profound way.
Subsequent to this event, John established an endowed scholarship to demonstrate his appreciation to the school that had furthered his development intellectually, spiritually and morally. Upon completion of scholarship funding, he decided to include SLUH as the sole beneficiary of his estate.
"John was a simple, humble, wonderful man whose outpouring of generosity continues to inspire me," says Fr. Paul Sheridan, S.J., former SLUH President. "He worked hard and consistently his entire life as a single man, and dearly wanted to preserve the heritage of St. Louis U. High because of the incredible and meaningful experience he had here."