Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago Receives $5 Million Transformational Gift
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CHICAGO – April 28, 2022
Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago has received a $5 million gift from alumni Tom Hund ‘76 and Judy Hund ‘77. Despite living outside of Chicago for nearly three decades, Tom and Judy have remained connected to Loyola and been particularly drawn to Arrupe’s mission.
In 2015, Loyola established Arrupe College, a bold commitment to offer an affordable and accessible path to a college education for students with limited financial resources. Arrupe College brings small cohorts of students together in a program that offers a rigorous academic program distinctive of Jesuit education, counseling, and wraparound services that help ensure success at low or no cost to the students.
“We both grew up in the Chicago area and are Loyola graduates. We love the city and the school and remain close to both,” said Mr. Hund. “About five years ago we learned about Arrupe and were immediately drawn to it. We want to help fellow Chicagoans who have talent and initiative achieve great things.”
As a result of their generosity, two new, permanently endowed funds will be created. The Hund Family Housing Fund will provide on-campus housing for students experiencing housing instability and homelessness – complex challenges that otherwise impede students’ path to graduation.
“Too often, a key barrier to achieving an associate’s degree has nothing to do with academics, but rather external forces,” said Fr. Tom Neitzke, S.J., EdD, Dean of Arrupe College. “Tom and Judy’s commitment to Arrupe students is remarkable and helps break down these barriers. I am thankful for their transformational investment in Arrupe and in Loyola, which will allow us to counter socio-economic and educational impediments, while empowering countless students and families for generations to come.”
The Daniel C. Hund Scholarship Fund honors the memory of their son, Dan, who passed away in April 2020 after an eighteen-month battle with adrenal cancer. It will support Arrupe students striving to pursue and complete their degrees without the burden of debt.
“Our lives were dramatically changed when Dan died of a rare cancer. Dan was a caring and giving person who graduated from Texas Christian University, a private school in Fort Worth with many similarities to Loyola,” Mrs. Hund said. “After Dan passed away, our perspective on many aspects of life changed, including a greater commitment to try and change things that are important to our family. Helping Chicago, Loyola, and Arrupe are at the top of that list. It’s something that Dan would have loved.”
The Hunds have a history of significant philanthropic support for Loyola. In addition to this commitment to Arrupe College, the Hund Family also supports the Quinlan School of Business, the School of Education, and Men’s Basketball.
Tom and Judy Hund met at Loyola while pursuing their bachelor’s degrees. Tom graduated from the Quinlan School of Business with a degree in accounting in 1976, and Judy earned her degree in elementary education from the School of Education in 1977.
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About Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago
Launched in 2015, Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago is a two-year college for motivated students with limited financial resources. It that continues the Jesuit tradition of offering a rigorous liberal arts education to a diverse population, many of whom are the first in their family to pursue higher education.
Using an innovative model that ensures affordability while providing care for the whole person—intellectually, morally, and spiritually—Arrupe prepares its graduates to continue on to a bachelor’s program or move into meaningful employment. Heeding the call of its namesake, renowned Jesuit leader Pedro Arrupe, S.J., the college inspires its students to strive for excellence, work for justice, and become “persons for others.”
About Loyola University Chicago
Founded in 1870, Loyola University Chicago is one of the nation’s largest Jesuit, Catholic universities, with nearly 17,500 students. The University has four campuses: three in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome, Italy, as well as course locations in in Saigon-Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Vernon Hills, Illinois (Cuneo Mansion and Gardens), and a Retreat and Ecology Campus in Woodstock, Illinois. The University features 15 schools, colleges, and institutes. Ranked a top national university by U.S. News & World Report, Loyola is also among a select group of universities recognized for community service and engagement by prestigious national organizations including AmeriCorps and the Carnegie Foundation. To learn more about Loyola, visit LUC.edu or follow us on Twitter via @LoyolaChicago.