Distinguished Alumna Award — M. Justille McDonald, FSPA ’1946

Sister M. Justille McDonald was born in Spokane, Wash. She attended St. Xavier Elementary School and Marycliff High School for her freshman and sophomore years and St. Rose High School in La Crosse for her junior and senior years. She made her first profession as a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration in 1937.

She graduated from Viterbo College with a major in history in 1946. Before coming to Viterbo College, she taught in the parochial schools at Athens, Eau Galle, Plum City, and Halder in Wisconsin and Halbur, Iowa. She was principal of two of these schools.

Sister McDonald was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award for her service as a college faculty member and president. Here are some of the highlights:

• She taught history from 1952 until she became president. (Director of Residence, 1952-1958)
• In 1960, Sister McDonald was the predominant choice of the college faculty for college president when Sister Joan Cramer, president of the Board of Directors, asked for a consultative vote.
• As president of Viterbo College, Sister McDonald inaugurated a development program and a long-range program for the college. To date, part of this plan has materialized:
  • The construction of the north wing of Marian Hall
  • The acquisition of considerable property in the college area
  • The beginning of the construction of the Fine Arts Building
  • The acquisition of the St. Wenceslaus property
  • The introduction of majors in nursing, mathematics, and French
  • The addition of 18 full-time lay faculty and administrators to the college staff
  • A slow but steady and solid growth in student enrollment.
• Sister McDonald has gained the esteem of the members of her religious order. Her sisters elected her as a member of the general council of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.
• Sister McDonald has gained distinction as a student and a scholar.
  • She earned her doctor of philosophy degree with a mjaor in history from Catholic University in 1954.
  • She was elected to the National Honor Society, Pi Gamma Mu.
  • She wrote a scholarly doctoral dissertation, The Irish Immigration in Wisconsin, 1840-1860, which has the distinction of being one of the relatively few doctoral dissertations that continues to be read.
  • She is on the book review staff of the Catholic Historical Review and the Wisconsin Historical Society, annually reviewing one or two books for these journals.
  • She is called upon to address groups within the community. The addresses she gives on these occasions and to the college community are marked for their depth of thought and scholarly development.
• Sister McDonald has served with distinction in professional and civic areas.
  • She was vice president and president of the Wisconsin Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities from 1962-1966.
  • She is on the board of directors of the Wisconsin Foundation of Independent Colleges.
  • She has served as a committee member to study problems for the state associations.
  • Locally, she is on the board of directors of the La Crosse Citizens Planning Corporation and is a member of the La Crosse Chamber of Commerce.
  • She has been a member of the board of directors for the La Crosse County Historical Society and the local chapter of the American Association of University Women.