Our
brother Dennis Burke was born in
Casco,
Wisconsin
in 1905. After graduating from
St.
Norbert High and the college, where he was salutatorian, he joined the Order in
1924.
Selected
to study at the Gregorian in
Rome
in 1926, he earned his licentiate in theology in 1928, and was solemnly
professed at Tongerlo in 1929 by Bishop Thomas Heylen, O. Praem., that same
year. He spent from 1930 until 1932
at the Angelicum, earning a doctorate in Canon Law and working in the
Vatican
Library, where he received a certificate in library science and archivistics.
“Pin”,
as he was called, was a professor of philosophy at the college from 1932 until
1948, and of canon law at the abbey until 1949.
During that time he was also a notary for the
Green Bay
diocesan marriage tribunal. In 1934
he was also prior under Abbot Pennings. He
was young enough to be referred to as “The Boy Prior.”
In
1947 Dennis was appointed pastor of St. Willibrord in
Green Bay
, where he remained until he was appointed the second president of
St.
Norbert
College
in 1955; a post he held until 1968. During
that same period of time he was: President of the Wisconsin Association of
Independent Colleges and Universities, President of the Wisconsin Association of
Presidents and Deans of Instruction of Higher Learning, President of the
Wisconsin Foundation of Independent Colleges and President of the Wisconsin
Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.
He
was also on the Executive Committee of the American Association for Higher
Education, a member of the Wisconsin Governor’s Commission on Education, the
North Central Association of Accreditation, and a charter member of the Canon
Law Society of America.
The
college granted him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1968, and from that
year until 1977, he held the title of chancellor of the college.
In 1979 the original residence hall on campus was re-named in his honor.
After
retiring to the abbey, Dennis died on Saturday,
December
19, 1998 at the age of 93.
