SMU Magazine Winter 2001 - Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Campus News
Cascio family
honored with
courtyard
dedication
The Saint Mary’s community honored Dr. Samuel J.
Cascio ’48, his wife Rosemarie, and their family with
the dedication of a new court, located between the Memorial
Plaza and the Oscar and Mary Jane Straub Millennium
Clock Tower on the Winona campus.
The Cascio Family Court honors the Cascios for
their commitment to the De La Salle Christian Brothers,
to the Lasallian mission of education, and to Saint
Mary’s University.
The centerpiece of the court is a statue of Saint John
Baptist de La Salle, founder of the Christian Brothers. The
draped figure is portrayed kneeling, holding an open book,
which reads: “Let us remember we are in the Holy presence
of God.”The statue was designed by Bruce Wolfe.The
court features attractive landscaping and benches and is a
place for student and staff reflection.
The Cascios’ three sons followed their father’s Saint
Mary’s educational tradition. Joseph graduated in 1974,
Daniel in 1980 and Michael in 1983.
Dr. Cascio has served Saint Mary’s board of trustees
in a number of different capacities as a trustee and committee
member. He has also been recognized with the
Saint La Salle Award in 1984, and with the Alumni Appreciation
Award in 1998. ≠
Rosemarie and Dr. Samuel Cascio ’48 were presented with a plaque
commemorating the Cascio Family Court, which was dedicated Sept. 29.
Bush Foundation makes $1 million matching grant
Saint Mary’s has been awarded a $1 million matching
grant from the Bush Foundation of St. Paul. The
grant is designated for SMU’s $30 million capital campaign,
“Legacy for Learning: A Campaign for Students.”
Brother Louis DeThomasis, president of Saint Mary’s
University, expressed gratitude “for this most-generous
award and for the confidence shown by the Bush Foundation
in our institution.” The Bush Foundation has been
an important, long-time supporter of private higher education,
he noted, and the matching grant to Saint Mary’s
is “a powerful motivator to our potential benefactors.”
Bush Foundation representatives performed an
intensive site visit and evaluation just before the start of
fall semester. Mary Catherine Fox, Ph.D., vice president
for university relations, thanked faculty and staff from
both campuses for their “invaluable help” with the site
visit. “This grant would absolutely not be possible without
their tremendous assistance — over a short time
frame and during a hectic time of the year,” Dr. Fox said.
The Bush Foundation’s matching grant program
helps private colleges in Minnesota and the Dakotas
complete comprehensive capital fund drives. Eligible
institutions must show evidence of comprehensive planning
for campaigns that will enhance their long-term
educational program and financial independence.
With the Saint Mary’s award, the Bush Foundation
will match, dollar-for-dollar, unrestricted individual gifts
to the campaign that fall in the $1,000 to $100,000
range, up to a total of $1 million. Gifts and grants from
corporations, governments, foundations or other organizations
are not eligible for matching. The matching grant
program runs until July 1, 2002. ≠
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