One person can truly make a difference.
No one personifies this statement more vividly and effectively than one of-if not the-most influential and significant figures at Saint Louis University in the 20th century.
Paul C. Reinert, S.J. served as president of the University for a quarter of a century, more than a quarter of a century ago. But the warmth of his personality and the genuine fondness he exuded for others extended far beyond his duties for and the boundaries of our University; and his impact will be felt for years to come.
Surveying the long list of accomplishments and events that punctuated his life, it’s easy to discern why Reinert stands so tall, so enduring and so prominently in SLU’s history.
He saw the University through many changes and through many perspectives: as an undergraduate, graduate student, dean, vice president, president and chancellor. His intelligence and opinions were sought on a national level, too, as several presidents appointed him to various committees throughout the ’50s and ’60s.
As an author, his experiences serving at the University made him one of SLU’s best “historians,” as he recollected and shared memories of World War II, racial segregation and the fight for women’s rights. As an architect of the future, he accomplished the redevelopment of one of the city’s worst slums, east of Grand Avenue, and the construction of the Busch Memorial Center and the genesis of the sprawling campus that now covers the land east of Grand.
Most important, however, is the impact that Reinert had on individuals. He dined with students and their families. He shared their triumphs and their failures. He attended their activities and events. He was accessible and personable, as those who worked with or near him willingly testify. And few will ever forget that he never forgot their names. It’s easy to understand why his tenure as president-indeed, his tenure here at SLU-was so long; and yet, with his passing in July, so short. We expected him to be here forever.
And in some ways, he will be.
In his tribute to Reinert, John Padberg, S.J., eloquently reminded the throng assembled at Saint Francis Xavier College Church last month of Reinert’s enduring legacy. He mentioned a plaque placed in St. Paul’s Cathedral, in London, by its architect Christopher Wren; the plaque proclaims, in paraphrase: If ye seek evidence of my work, look around you.
Padberg suggested that the same was true of Reinert, but in a slightly different sense. Buildings do, indeed, bear his imprint and serve as testimony to the regard, respect and affection he inspired, but the people gathered in the church that day-that eclectic mix of young and old, students and professors, business leaders and educators, the influential and the smaller voices of little impact-all were there to honor Reinert, their mentor, their confidante, their friend.
Reinert was a strong personality, a rich presence and a guiding force on this campus for half a century. We will miss his quick wit, his generous spirit and his firm faith. We shall not see his like again. But he will continue to be with us, as an architect of our legacy, in spirit, memory and deed. And we hope to see his smiling face, hear his gentle “Hey, how’re you doin'” and remember his confident gait . whenever we stop to pause, consider and look at the world and campus he left.
We are the evidence of his work.
