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Our Rich History: Hillenmeyer Lecture Series has celebrated intellectual thought at TMU for 50 years


By David E. Schroeder
Special to the NKyTribune

Part 10 of our series, “Retrospect and Vista II”: Thomas More College/University, 1971-2021.

The Hillenmeyer Distinguished Lecture Series has been a part of academic life at Thomas More University since 1975. The endowed series was established by the Hillenmeyer family of Lexington in 1972 to honor their uncle, Msgr. Herbert F. Hillenmeyer, a long-time member of the clergy of the Diocese of Covington. The main purpose of the series, according to a press release issued at that time, was to invite “distinguished Catholic lecturers and scholars to serve both students and the people of the Diocese of Covington.”

Msgr. Herbert Hillenmeyer. (Courtesy of the Kenton County Public Library)

Msgr. Hillenmeyer was born in Fayette County, Kentucky in 1878. He studied for the priesthood at Assumption College in Sandwich, Ontario, and at Mount St. Mary Seminary in Cincinnati. Hillenmeyer was ordained on July 19, 1902 and enjoyed a very long and successful ministry in the Diocese of Covington.

Between 1915 and 1923, Hillenmeyer was secretary to Bishop Ferdinand Brossart and chancellor of the diocese. He was appointed pastor of St. Thomas Parish in Ft. Thomas in 1925. There, he built the current impressive church building in 1938-39 and established St. Thomas High School in 1945. Father Hillenmeyer was named a monsignor in 1936 and vicar general of the Diocese in 1949. He remained pastor of St. Thomas Parish until his retirement in 1968.

Msgr. Hillenmeyer was a strong advocate of Thomas More College, having served on the board of trustees for many years. He was a constant support to the faculty and worked with Thomas More President John F. Murphy to raise funds for the Crestview Hills campus construction project. In 1962, Hillenmeyer was granted Thomas More’s first honorary degree, a Doctor of Humane Letters, and received the first Thomas More Medal in 1971. He passed away four years later, in 1975.

The first Hillenmeyer Lecture was given on January 17, 1975 by Archbishop (later Cardinal) Joseph L. Bernardin of Cincinnati. The topic was “Catholic Higher Education and Moral Values.” Since that time, the series has become a part of the life of the university. Held each year, the series has attracted notable speakers on various topics including racism, social justice, women and the Church, intellectualism, history, science, Catholic spiritual life, papal encyclicals, literature and ethics.

Msgr. Herbert Hillenmeyer surrounded by his family, 1968. (Courtesy of the Kenton County Public Library)

Speakers over the years have included Thomas More University faculty, political leaders, historians, bioethicists, and educational leaders from across the country. Topics are chosen for their relevance to the time and their importance to world and national events. One such example was a 1982 presentation on women in scripture by Sister Joanmarie Smith C.S.J. A member of the faculty at St. Joseph College in Brooklyn, New York, Smith drew a considerable amount of enthusiasm from the women religious and laywomen in the region.

Another notable speaker was Rev. William J. Bryon S.J., President of Catholic University of America. Bryon spoke on the topic of independent colleges and universities and the challenges they faced in the twentieth century. Such high-profile speakers built a solid reputation for the series and increased attendance.

In certain years, the series focused on a specific theme. This was the case in 1986 when lectures were presented on the literary works Walden, Silent Spring, King Lear, Madame Bovary and Ulysses. The presenters were all members of the Thomas More faculty. The theme was very popular and attracted attendees from throughout the region.

The 1987 series took on the theme of civil rights and the history of the region concerning that issue. The first lecture included a panel comprising John Siegenthaler, former assistant to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and a distinguished editor of the Nashville Tennessean; Judy Clabes, editor of the Kentucky Post; and the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, a well-known civil rights leader and co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The remainder of the series included six presentations on the development of the Greater Cincinnati region from an historic perspective.

Msgr. Herbert Hillenmeyer surrounded by his family, 1968. (Courtesy of the Kenton County Public Library)

The 1991 series was based on the theme of social justice. Topics included the 100th anniversary of the Papal Encyclical Rerum Novarum (Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor). The main speaker was the outstanding historian, Dr. Jay P. Dolan of the Cushwa Center of Notre Dame University. He was followed by the renowned Catholic historian, Father James Hennessey S.J,. on the topic of “Catholics in America: Cultures in Conflict.”

The Hillenmeyer Lecture Series continued to tackle important topics in the 2000’s. Ecumenism was featured in 2003 with a panel comprised of noted Kentucky Catholic historian Father Clyde Crews, Thomas More’s own Father Ronald M. Ketteler, and the Rev. William Carpe, pastor of Ludlow, Kentucky’s First Christian Church. The lively discussion reflected the more religiously diverse study body and faculty on the Thomas More campus. Thomas More and Catholic University of America alumnus Edward C. Monahan discussed the role of a public leader as a vocation in 2015. Monahan was appointed Kentucky Public Advocate by Governor Steven L. Beshear in 2008.

The Hillenmeyer Distinguished Lecture Series has fully met its original goal set in 1975. Through the generosity of the Hillenmeyer family, the series continues to inform the public in the Catholic intellectual tradition on important issues of the day.

David E. Schroeder is Director of the Kenton County Public Library. He is the author of Life Along the Ohio: A Sesquicentennial History of Ludlow, Kentucky (2014), coeditor of Gateway City: Covington, Kentucky, 1815-2015 (2015), and coauthor of Lost Northern Kentucky (2018).

We want to learn more about the history of your business, church, school, or organization in our region (Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and along the Ohio River). If you would like to share your rich history with others, please contact the editor of “Our Rich History,” Paul A. Tenkotte, at tenkottep@nku.edu. Paul A. Tenkotte, PhD is Professor of History at Northern Kentucky University (NKU) and the author of many books and articles.


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