On Saturday, December 2, 2023, Marist High School celebrated 60 years of excellence in Catholic education with A Night of Honor, Glory and Fame. The event took place at the newest Marist facility, the 75,000 square foot Marist SportsPlex. With over 750 people in attendance, the evening included silent and live auctions, a paddle raise, dinner and live music from the Ron Burgundy’s. The successful, inaugural event raised $575,000!
The Larry Tucker Marist SportsPlex was transformed into a winter wonderland of string lights and Christmas trees. Guests arrived and were welcomed with a champagne toast from the beautiful champagne wall appropriately decorated with “Cheers to 60 Years!” while a brass section of the Marist band played Christmas carols. During cocktail hour, guests mingled and checked out the silent auction tables where there were more than 95 items up for silent auction. After cocktail hour, guests found their seats for an opening prayer from Fr. Tom Hurley ’85 followed by a welcome from President Larry Tucker ’79.
While the evening was focused on raising the necessary funds for Marist financial assistance, there were also a few more reasons to celebrate. As the evening was a celebration of 60 years of Marist High School, it’s fitting that the recipients of the two inaugural awards have made their undeniable mark on Marist. Gerald Beeson ’90 was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award. Brother Hank Hammer, FMS was honored with the Heart of Marist Award.
Following the conclusion of the Paddle Drop, Gerald and Hank took the stage once again with a very special announcement. The men announced that going forward, the Marist SportsPlex would be known as the Larry Tucker Marist SportsPlex. Click here to read more about that incredible moment.
Attendees danced the night away thanks to live music from the Ron Burgundy’s, with Marist alum and Director of Building and Maintenance, Dave Waterman ’01.
Distinguished Alumni Award – Gerald Beeson ’90
“Catholic education is the greatest form of evangelization that the Church can offer to young people today,” Gerald Beeson ‘90 said. “Whether it is Marist or schools across the Archdiocese of Chicago, Catholic education opens the hearts and minds of Catholics and non-Catholics to meet the broader challenges of the world.” Gerald and his wife Jennifer, a former Catholic school teacher, have made access to Catholic education the primary focus of their philanthropic work.
A beneficiary of Catholic education himself, Gerald attended St. Gall School before coming to Marist. “At Marist, I really felt that the teachers cared about us as students and our outcomes; they pushed us in the classroom to maximize our potential, especially Owen Glennon,” Gerald recalled. “Looking back over the years, he was the most impactful teacher that I ever had.” Gerald also noted the impact of Tom Seputis, Randy Coe, and Denis Kazelas, among others, in preparing students for the next stage.
In 2004, the Beeson’s launched the Gregory Beeson Endowed Scholarship at Marist High School in loving memory of Gerald’s father, a 35-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department. Over nearly two decades, hundreds of scholarships have been awarded to the children of City of Chicago employees through this endowment. In 2007, the Beeson’s created the first of two endowed scholarship programs at DePaul University, where Gerald earned his undergraduate degree and is currently the Chair of the Board of Trustees. The largest program, the Gerald & Jennifer Beeson Endowed Scholarship, provides financial assistance to high-potential graduates of high schools from the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Gerald and Jennifer also help lead Big Shoulders Fund which supports a network of 92 Catholic schools in Chicago and Northwest Indiana with annual investments in scholarships, operational support, professional development, and enrichment programs for students. Their work with Big Shoulders Fund includes the Beeson Scholars Program which they founded 15 years ago to provide scholarships, mentoring, and other supports to help hundreds of students at more than ten Big Shoulders Fund schools as well as Marist High School. In addition, the Beesons are patrons to St. Gall School. Gerald and Jennifer also serve in leadership roles within Big Shoulders Fund. Gerald is a Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and Jennifer is an active volunteer at a number of Big Shoulders Fund schools and serves on the Board of Directors.
A member of Marist High School’s board for more than 20 years and a previous board chair, Gerald partnered with former presidents Br. Patrick McNamara and Br Hank Hammer and current President Larry Tucker ‘79. “The opportunity to work with each of them in shaping the future of Marist has been rewarding beyond measure,” Gerald said. During his time on the board, he helped create strategic plans for the school including a master campus plan. He and Jennifer have invested in the transformation of Marist’s campus, most notably in The Gregory and Mary Beeson Science Center, the ten-lab science wing that opened in 2019 in the former monastery and is complimented by the 30-seat Our Lady Queen of the Heavens Planetarium.
While Gerald has held many roles and experiences at Marist, his favorite has been as a parent to Francis ’20, Jack ’21, Abigail ’23, and Henry ’26. “I’ve loved watching our four children as they progressed through Marist,” Gerald explained. “While it may have been the same building – their Marist experiences were different than mine as well as unique for each of them given their differing interests.” Gerald wanted his children to attend Marist not only for the academic rigor but for the exposure to the Marist charism. “My Marist experience was critical to my development not only as a student but as a person, they’ve experienced it with a new generation of Marist faculty and staff who brought the same passion and impact to them as students as I experienced,” he said.
As Marist turns 60, Gerald recognizes the opportunities and challenges ahead. Gerald defines Marist’s strength as its well-rounded educational experience that is supplemented by strong offerings in sports, activities, and community involvement. “Respectfully, I think that our offering is more complete than any of the surrounding schools that we compete with,” he noted. The challenge ahead, he explained, is in ensuring the continued ability of students across a wide degree of socio-economic situations to have the opportunity to access Marist. “Like anything else, costs continue to increase and we while we need to continue investing to further Marist’s strengths, we absolutely need to preserve the ability for students of all backgrounds to access it,” Gerald said.
For 60 years Marist has helped form young people in the Brothers’ tradition and Gerald believes it is just as valuable today as it was in 1963. “In today’s more secular-focused world, demonstrating and living a faith commitment is often ridiculed as an out-of-vogue choice,” Gerald noted. “Marist’s mission to make Jesus Christ known and loved will carry forward with our students throughout their lives.”
Today, Gerald is the Chief Operating Officer for Citadel LLC, one of the world’s leading alternative asset management firms. He joined Citadel as an intern in 1993 and was among the company’s first employees.
Watch a snippet of Gerald’s speech at the event:
Heart of Marist Award – Brother Hank Hammer, FMS
It should surprise no one that the current role Br. Hank Hammer, FMS holds is as co-director of the Office of Marist Ministries for the U.S. Province. After serving in a multitude of positions throughout the province, Br. Hank truly embodies the Marist charism, values the wide breadth of people who make up the Marist family, and works tirelessly to make faith is guiding light of every effort in the Marist world.
In this role, he works with Marist schools and ministries across the country to ensure the Marist pillars continue to be the foundation of students’ experiences. Br. Hank believes it is the ultimate test for any Marist school that when people leave the school they can continue to “be Marist.” He puts that responsibility squarely on the faculty and staff of each school to believe that the primary purpose of a Marist education is to form young people in a faith relationship with Jesus and Mary that will serve them for the rest of their lives. “The faith formation of our students goes beyond the religion classroom,” Br. Hank said. “Retreats, mission trips, and service experiences should help our students experience their faith in addition to learning any pertinent information.” It is his hope that graduates will continue to develop their faith and that parents, faculty, and friends are touched by the living experience of faith in a Marist school to the point that they too want to continue to develop their relationship with Jesus and Mary.
As the school turns 60, Br. Hank believes the Marist Catholic experience is as vital as ever. Br. Hank points to the timeless words of the Marist Brothers Founder St. Marcellin Champagnat who, in 1822, wrote, “I believe more than ever that God desires this work in this age when unbelief is making such frightful progress.” Br. Hank believes those words ring true today. “Catholic schools in the U.S. were founded as a means of passing on the faith and educating young people to take their rightful place in society,” he said. Br. Hank points out that while the academic experience is important for students’ futures, there is a greater purpose. “We must understand and accept the fact that our mission is to give them spiritual values that will help them navigate their lives,” he said. “No degree can guarantee successful handling of the challenges of life. Spiritual values, on the other hand, can ground our young people in an understanding that God will walk with them throughout the good times and the challenging times.”
After graduating from high school, Br. Hank attended Marist College in Poughkeepsie and was moved by the Brothers on campus who “practiced what they preached.” He arrived in Chicago with fellow lay person Patrick McNamara (who went on to serve as president of Marist Chicago), joining former Chicago teachers Brothers Dominick Pijia and Frank Kelly to begin their formation and discernment about their call to Marist life. He taught at Marist and then Mount St. Michael Academy in New York. He was also principal at Marist Chicago from 1993 to 1996. In addition, he served the Marist Brothers Province as vocation director, director of evangelization, and assistant provincial. In 2009, he returned to Chicago and served as academic dean before being named president of the school in 2014. In that role, he crafted strategic goals for long term planning and financial stability. He oversaw the transformation of the Brothers’ Monastery into the The Gregory C. and Mary Beeson Science Center and Our Lady Queen of the Heavens Planetarium–the school’s largest capital improvement project to date. In 2021, Br. Hank joined the Office of Marist Ministries, a role that speaks to the heart of his vocation–making Jesus known and loved among young people in the Marist Brothers’ tradition.
Looking back on six decades of Marist Chicago, Br. Hank notes the biggest changes were the transition to coeducation and the decrease in Marist Brothers in the school. “The good news is that there are many lay men and women at Marist High School who have embraced the charism of St. Marcellin Champagnat and see themselves as Marist Educators,” he noted. “The future of the charism in Marist schools is in good hands.” He said that something that has not changed is that parents continue to see the value of the Marist experience and make the “necessary sacrifices to give their children this very special gift.”
Receiving the award is not within his comfort zone, but Br. Hank hopes that it will garner attention for the tremendous need for the financial sustainability of Marist High School and Catholic education in general. Br. Hank is thankful for all who have mentored him and served as companions along his path. “Among the many wonderful people who have shaped and formed me, I never want to forget the best teachers I ever had – my students.”
Watch a snippet of Hank’s speech at the event:
A Special thank you to the evenings Event Chairs:
- Co-Chairs: P. Jay & Jenny Fortner
- Program Co-Chairs: Maura Bruton, Fr. Tom Hurley ’85, Beth O’Neill
- Silent Auction Co-Chairs: Mike ’83 & Rachel McDonnell
- Sponsorship Co-Chairs: Tom ’82 & Patti Skalitzky
- Victory Raffle Co-Chairs: Brian ’76 & Mary Hanigan
Event committee:
- Patrick & Kari Aldrich
- Gerald ‘90 & Jen Beeson
- Dominic & Angela Bertucci
- Mike & Ann Boyle
- Chris & Julie Owens Burns
- Kari Callahan
- Mike & Terri Englehart
- George & Sofia Georgelos
- Dave & Sue Glover
- Kevin ‘85 & Amy Hughes
- Tim & Cindy Kennedy
- Brian & Beth Kohlstedt
- Jim & Anne Eastman Kuziela
- Mike & Patti Lavin
- John & Martha Maka
- Jim ‘85 and Joannie Murray
- Marty ‘92 & Michelle Nitsche
- Tim ‘89 & Colleen Nitsche
- Beth Decavitch Nolan
- Kevin & Bridget Patula
- Patrick ‘94 & Betsy Ready
- Steve & Diane Rowles
- Mike ‘82 & Beth Ryan
- Glen & Nicole Stafford
- John ‘87 & Maria Stefanos
- Joe ‘88 & Janie Vulich
Host Committee:
- Mike Brennan ‘99
- Mike ‘89 & Mary Beth Coogan
- Luke ‘92 & Julie Cosme
- Tom ‘96 & Irene Costello
- Ron ‘93 & Genine Dawczak
- Patrick Dunne ‘98
- Jason ‘93 & Meg Dunneback
- Tim ‘89 & Kellie Enright
- Tim ‘79 & Lynn Evoy
- Michael & Elaine Gaffney
- Mark Gervais
- Owen & Carlin Glennon
- John ‘03 & Maureen ‘08 Mulchrone Griffin
- Matt ‘97 & Kelly Guyette
- Bob ‘81 & Maura Hall
- Matt & Carrie Hansen
- Brian ‘94 & Jen Harmon
- LaToya Hayes
- Matt ‘01 & Kim Heinlen
- Brian ‘86 & Roberta Hynes
- Michael ‘91 & Isabel Hynes
- Joe ‘77 & Barb Inzinga
- Tom ‘84 & Maria Inzinga
- Sean & Kathy Lawlor
- Joy Lewis
- Jim ‘88 & Julie Lundy
- Chris ‘98 & Kerry Lynch
- Frank & Betty Manna
- Maggie McEldowney ‘07
- Pat McGann ‘94
- Dan & Eileen McGuire
- Ted & Julie Meehan
- Tom ‘87 & Patti Murphy
- Jeremy ‘06 & Nikki ‘08 Flores Nash
- Brian ‘89 & Shannon Nolan
- Gene ‘92 & Kelly Nolan
- Tim ‘84 & Nancy O’Connell
- Mike ‘78 & Beth O’Neill
- Don Pirkle ‘77
- Jim ‘87 & Therese Porter
- Vince & Karen Ramirez
- Dean ‘95 & Megan Reidy
- John & Kim Roche
- Rusty ‘96 & Danielle Scheel
- Tim & Kathy Shields
- Steve ‘95 & Allison Sise
- Michael ‘92 & Jenn Skalitzky
- Rob Topps
- Ed ‘82 and Mary Pat Touhy
- Larry ‘79 & Anne Tucker
- Ryan ‘14 & Kelli Tucker
- Nic ‘14 & Danielle ‘13 Weishar
- Marty ‘72 & Maudie Wirtz
- Brendan & Maura Winters
- Eric & Kelly Withers
- Brooke Wyderski ‘14
Thank you to all for celebrating with us. It truly was a night of Honor, Glory, and Fame. We look forward to next year’s event.
