St. Norbert College (SNC) is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

Norbertine The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular in the Catholic Church ...

liberal arts college A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on Undergraduate education, undergraduate study in the Liberal arts education, liberal arts of humanities and science. Such colleges aim to impart ...

De Pere, Wisconsin De Pere ( ) is a city in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 25,410 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is part of the Green Bay metropolitan area. History When the first European, Jean Nicolet, visited the p ...

, United States. Founded in October 1898 by Abbot Bernard Pennings, a

priest and educator, the school was named after Saint

Norbert of Xanten Norbert of Xanten, O. Praem (c. 1080 – 6 June 1134), also known as Norbert Gennep, was a German Catholic bishop who was the Archbishopric of Magdeburg, Archbishop of Magdeburg, founder of the Premonstratensian order of canons regular, and is ...

. In 1952, the college became coeducational. As of April 2023, the school's enrollment is 2,009 students.

History

St. Norbert College was established when Abbot Bernard Pennings, a Dutch immigrant priest from the

Premonstratensian The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular in the Catholic Chur ...

Berne Abbey of Heeswijk, the Netherlands, founded the college to train young men for the priesthood. Francis Ignatius Van Dyke, a seminarian, was the first and, at the time, only student. St. Norbert is the world's first and only institution of higher learning, sponsored by the Premonstratensian order. Pennings later started a commerce program at the college for lay students before retiring in 1955. St. Norbert's second president, Dennis Burke, expanded the college, anticipating the student population would eventually reach 2,000. Robert Christin, who became president in 1968, implemented the current course system and the academic divisional structure. In 1973, Neil Webb, a former faculty member and vice president, became president. Webb established the first permanent endowment for the school. Serving as the college's president from 1983 to 2000, Thomas Manion led the expansion of facilities and the development of additional academic programs. Enrollment topped 2,000. Thomas Kunkel, former dean of the

Philip Merrill College of Journalism The Philip Merrill College of Journalism is a journalism school located at the University of Maryland, College Park. The college was founded in 1947 and was named after newspaper editor Philip Merrill in 2001. The school has about 550 undergra ...

at the

University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1856, UMD i ...

, became the college's seventh president in 2008. Since then, the college has constructed the Mulva Family Fitness & Sports Center, the Gehl-Mulva Science Center, the Cassandra Voss Center, Michels Commons, Schneider Stadium, the Mulva Library, Gries Hall, Ariens Family Welcome Center and Todd Wehr Hall. Brian J. Bruess, a 1990 graduate of St. Norbert College and former executive vice president and chief operating officer of

St. Catherine University St. Catherine University (St. Kate's) is a private Catholic university in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was established as one of the first institutions of higher learning specifically for women in the Midwest and was known as the College of St. C ...

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 311,527, making it Minnesota's second-most populous city a ...

, became president in 2017. Although he announced on November 1, 2019, that he would not continue as president after the end of the 2019–20 academic year, uproar from the college community led to further discussion between Bruess and the SNC Board of Trustees that resulted in a multiyear contract. Four members of the board, including the chair, resigned shortly thereafter. In March 2022, Bruess announced his appointment as the inaugural president of the

College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University are two closely related private, Benedictine liberal arts colleges in Minnesota. The College of Saint Benedict is a college for women in St. Joseph and Saint John's University is a u ...

, beginning in July 2022. Kunkel returned to serve as interim president for the 2022-23 academic year. Laurie Joyner became St. Norbert College's ninth president, and the college's first female president, in July 2023.

Campus

The campus consists of , much of which borders the Fox River. As a residential campus, students typically walk to classes year-round. The many trees and statues on campus provide a scenic view, especially in fall, when the foliage changes colors. Directly behind the Campus Center is a pavilion and marina where St. Norbert hosts a picnic for students to kick off the school year. This shoreline area is also the venue for "Knights on the Fox" – a free summer concert series open to the community. Important social buildings include the Ray Van Den Heuvel Family Campus Center (Campus Center), which includes a fitness center, gymnasium, and diner (Phil's Diner) and a reading lounge with a picturesque view overlooking the Fox River. There is also an events hall for movies and public speakers. Special events put on by student groups are also held there, such as comedian appearances and awareness speeches. Old St. Joseph Church, which is still an active church, was built in 1890 and renovated in 1998. It is located on the site of a former mission chapel that was erected for early settlers by the French-born Jesuit priest Rev. Charles Albane in 1676. The chapel stood for nearly 200 years. An all-wood structure was built in 1870, but it burned to the ground after a lightning strike in 1889. It was rebuilt in its current form as a brick structure in 1890. The church contains a statue/shrine of Saint Joseph that was crowned by

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...

in 1891.

Novena A novena (from , "nine") is an ancient tradition of devotional praying in Christianity, consisting of private or public prayers repeated for nine successive days or weeks. The nine days between the Feast of the Ascension and Pentecost, when the ...

devotions are held on Wednesday. The old St. Boniface Church (built in 1883) is owned by St. Norbert College. In 2013, it was renamed Dudley Birder Hall in honor of longtime St. Norbert College music professor, Dudley Birder. It was also converted into a performance arts center following a $1.7 million renovation. It is now used for recitals, chamber concerts, Dudley Birder Chorale rehearsals, and public lectures. Much of the campus is in what is now the St. Norbert College Historic District. file:St. Norbert College Main Hall.jpg, The Main Hall was built in 1903 File:Old Main Hall St Norbert College.jpg, The entrance arch to Baer Mall and Main Hall File:Cassandra Voss Center.jpg, Cassandra Voss Center File:Old St. Joseph Church (2022).jpg, Old St. Joseph Church file:Van Den Heuvel Campus Center at St Norbert College.jpg, Van Den Heuvel Campus center file:St. Norbert College campus.jpg, Aerial view of St. Norbert College

Academics

St. Norbert College offers undergraduate programs in more than 80 areas of study, leading to a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

Bachelor of Music A Bachelor of Music (BMus; sometimes conferred as Bachelor of Musical Arts) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. The degree may be awarded for performance, music ed ...

, or

Bachelor of Business Administration A Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) is an undergraduate degree in business administration awarded by colleges and universities after completion of four years and typically 120 credits of undergraduate study in the fundamentals of busine ...

degree. A

Bachelor of Science in Nursing The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN, BScN) also known in some countries as a Bachelor of Nursing (BN) or Bachelor of Science (BS) with a Major in Nursing is an academic degree in the science and principles of nursing, granted by an accredited ...

degree is also offered through a joint effort with the Bellin College of Nursing. The most popular undergraduate majors are business administration, biology, and education. In addition to its undergraduate offerings, St. Norbert College offers three master's-level graduate programs in business administration, theological studies and liberal studies. The Master of Theological Studies department hosts a branch program in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where program studies take place at the Norbertine Abbey of Santa Maria de la Vid. Students on that campus can earn the full M.T.S. degree. In 2015, the college began offering an MBA program through its new Donald J. Schneider School of Business & Economics. The Medical College of Wisconsin's Green Bay campus, which serves the northeast Wisconsin region, is in the new Gehl-Mulva Science Center at St. Norbert. In the 2025 '' U.S. News & World Report'' college rankings, St. Norbert was ranked 90th (tied) of 211 liberal arts colleges nationwide. The college is also ranked 118th among "Liberal Arts Universities" in

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

's 2019 list of America's Best Colleges. The Mulva Library provides digital and in-person reference services; hosts the Digital Commons, an institutional repository of documents, media, and other materials online; and provides a makerspace with technologies for the academic community. It is the home of the Center for Norbertine Studies, the international center of research on the

Premonstratensians The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in United Kingdom, Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their religious habit, habit), is a religious order of cano ...

and

Norbertines The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular in the Catholic Chur ...

. The library also holds the college archives and the college's café (Ed's Café).

Student life

Student housing

About 86% of students live on campus in residence halls, apartments and townhouses. St. Norbert requires all traditional undergraduate students not registered as commuters to live on campus. Freshman housing includes three traditional residence hall options: Madelaine-Lorraine Hall (co-ed), Sensenbrenner Hall (Co-ed), and Bergstrom Hall (co-ed Honors students). Campus housing options for sophomores include Mary Minahan McCormick Hall, Michels Hall, and Victor McCormick Hall. Upperclassmen enjoy single-person dorm rooms such as Burke Hall, the Townhouses and Carriage House (apartment-like housing), college-owned houses and college-owned apartments, including Gries, Xanten and Prémontré Halls.

Student involvement

There are more than 100 registered student clubs and organizations on campus. St. Norbert encourages its students to become involved in their community through community service and by participating in one of the 15 fraternities, sororities, and independent social groups. The school also has eight National Honor Society chapters, two student publications, and eight musical and performance ensembles. A major activity that St. Norbert students participate in is the annual "Into The Streets" community service project that provides service to organizations in De Pere and neighboring communities. This event is staffed by first-year students, staff and faculty, and is part of the First-Year Experience program. In 2013, the old St. John's Lutheran Church (originally built in 1932) was reopened as the Cassandra Voss Center following a $2.7 million renovation. It was named after former St. Norbert College student Cassandra Voss, who died in a car accident at age 21. Before her death, she was on track to become St. Norbert College's first student to graduate with a major in women's and gender studies. The building now features offices, study space, performance space, a kitchen, a classroom, and a library. The Cassandra Voss Center offers a variety of programs "exploring intersectional issues of identity and inclusion" and "fostering dialogue on topics related to justice and identity including racism, sexism, homophobia, and classism".

Greek life

Greek life at St. Norbert includes four sororities and three fraternities, as well as two Greek governing groups. Greek groups sponsor fund-raising activities, food drives, and benefits to support charities. Greek groups collectively completed a total of 2,117 hours of service and raised $9,638 for their respective philanthropies during the 2015–16 school year. There are three fraternities and four sororities on the St. Norbert campus.

Athletics

150px, St. Norbert athletics logo The St. Norbert College Green Knights participate in

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Third ...

athletics and were members of the

Midwest Conference The Midwest Conference (MWC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in the Midwestern United States in the states of Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin. The Midwest Confe ...

from 1982 through the 2020–21 season. In fall 2021, they joined the Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference. St. Norbert offers 23 varsity sports including: football, men's and women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's golf, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's hockey, men's and women's swimming and diving, softball, baseball, men's and women's track and field, cheerleading, and dance. The Green Knights men's hockey team has appeared in 19 NCAA

Tournaments since 1997. The team has 12 Frozen Four appearances and won the national championship in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2018, while placing as national runner-up in 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2016. The Green Knights football team has won 17

championships since joining the league in 1984. The

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

have conducted training camp on the St. Norbert campus since 1958, making this the

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

's longest training camp relationship between a team and school. In exchange, the Packers donate their used equipment and provide St. Norbert yearly grants.

Notable alumni

* Chris Ayers, Hollywood cartoonist, voice actor * Nicholas J. Bichler, Wisconsin state assemblyman (1935–1942, 1951–52) * Vernon Biever, photographer and author * William W. Brash III, Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge * Spencer Carbery, Washington Capitals head coach (2023) * Robert John Cornell, member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

(1975–1979) * N. Patrick Crooks, Wisconsin Supreme Court justice (1996–2015) * William J. Duffy, Wisconsin jurist and legislator * Tom Durkin, sportscaster *

James H. Flatley Vice Admiral James Henry Flatley Jr. (June 17, 1906 – July 9, 1958) was a World War II naval aviator and tactician for the United States Navy (USN). He became a fighter ace credited with shooting down six enemy aircraft in aerial combat. Early l ...

, U.S. Navy vice admiral * Lawrence J. Fleming,

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its origins to 1 ...

Major General * Ted Fritsch, Jr., football player * Chester A. Gerlach, Wisconsin State Assemblyman (1972) * Herbert J. Grover, educator and politician * John C. Hanley,

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

general * David E. Hutchison, Wisconsin State Assemblyman (1994–2001) * Larry Krause,

player * Joe LaFleur, NFL player *

Jill Lannan Jill Lannan is a brigadier general in the Air National Guard. Career Lannan was commissioned an officer in the United States Army in 1985. She was a Distinguished Graduate of the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps. Afterwards, she underwent tr ...

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia (United States), militia of each U.S. ...

Brigadier General *

Myron P. Lotto Myron P. Lotto (April 7, 1925 – October 31, 2017) was an American politician. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate, representing Wisconsin's 2nd Senate District from 1969 to 1973. He was a member of the Republican Party.''Wiscons ...

, Wisconsin State Senator (1969–1973) * Dale McKenna, Wisconsin State Senator (1969) *

Terry Meeuwsen Terry Anne Meeuwsen Friedrich (born March 2, 1949) is an American television personality, author, and singer. She is best known as the co-host of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN)'s ''The 700 Club'' since 1993. Meeuwsen is the founder of ...

, television host and Miss America 1973 * R.A.P Ferreira, rapper * Michael Monfils, mayor of Green Bay (1975–1979) * William R. Moser, politician and jurist * Mary Mullarkey, Chief Justice of the

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

Supreme Court * Leo P. O'Brien, Wisconsin State Senator (1953–1964) *

Tip O'Neill Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill Jr. (December 9, 1912 – January 5, 1994) was an American Democratic Party politician from Massachusetts who served as the 47th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987, the third-l ...

, NFL player * Paul J. Rogan, Wisconsin State Assemblyman (1948, 1950) and Senator (1952, 1954) * Kristi Ross, entrepreneur * James J. Schmitt, mayor of Green Bay (2003–2019) * Matt Sloan, film director and comedian, co-creator of ''

Chad Vader ''Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager'' is an American fan web sitcom created by Aaron Yonda and Matt Sloan, who wrote, directed, and appeared in the series, which parodies ''Star Wars''. The show's central character is Chad Vader, the day-shift manag ...

'' * Andrew H. Van de Ven Scholar, co-developer of the Nominal Group Technique * Tony Wied, member of the United States House of Representatives (2024–present) *

Tadashi Yamamoto Tadashi Yamamoto CBE (March 11, 1936 – April 15, 2012) was one of Japan's leading internationalists and a pioneering proponent of efforts to strengthen nongovernmental ties between Japan and the United States as well as between Japan and o ...

, founder of the

Japan Center for International Exchange Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) is an "independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization dedicated to strengthening Japan's role in international networks of dialogue and cooperation." Founded in 1970 by Tadashi Yamamoto, their ...

and the Shimoda Conference

References

External links

*
Athletics website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Norbert College Educational institutions established in 1898 Education in Brown County, Wisconsin Buildings and structures in Brown County, Wisconsin Catholic universities and colleges in Wisconsin Premonstratensian Order Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities De Pere, Wisconsin 1898 establishments in Wisconsin Packers Heritage Trail