center for catholic intellectual heritage renamed for loyola benefactors
Bill and Joan (BSEd ‘54) Hank
In honor of two of Loyola’s most generous friends and benefactors, Loyola recently renamed one of its centers of excellence.
The Joan and Bill Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage will be a venue for faculty and students to learn about and investigate Roman Catholic thought and its link to all academic disciplines. With its strong emphasis on scholarly research and discussion, the center, directed by Michael Schuck, PhD, will be a productive space where the fruits of that research can be engaged, debated, and shared.
The center has been renamed for the Hanks in honor of a $10 million personal gift made by the couple in 2005. The gift was part of a combined $20 million gift, the largest in Loyola’s history, from the Hanks and The Arthur Foundation. The gift was the Hanks’ way of thanking Loyola for having admitted Mrs. Hank in 1950 when she was unable to afford tuition due to a recent family tragedy.
Bill Hank is a prominent Chicagoland banker and financier; Joan Hank is a retired Chicago public school teacher.
The Hanks are actively involved with Loyola, generously offering their time, guidance, and financial support. Mrs. Hank (BSEd ’54) is a member of the President’s Advisory Council for the College of Arts and Sciences and a 2002 recipient of the Damen Award. Mr. Hank is a University trustee and has served on a number of board committees. The Hanks are members of Loyola’s Damen Society and Society of the Shield.
"The Hanks have exhibited unwavering loyalty to Loyola, its mission, and its students, and for that we are eternally grateful."
–President Michael J. Garanzini, S.J.
“The Hanks have exhibited unwavering loyalty to Loyola, its mission, and its students, and for that we are eternally grateful,” says President Michael J. Garanzini, S.J. “We are proud to have their names associated with the center that preserves and shares our Catholic intellectual heritage.”