Endowment Established for Catholic Studies

In September 1992 Margaret Petzold, widow of the late Thomas Thompson Petzold, C'23, created a generous endowment fund at Lauinger Library in his memory. This fund will ensure the maintenance and expansion of Catholic studies resource materials at the library, as well as access to such materials held by other libraries.

Thomas and Margaret Petzold and their family were close friends and admirers of former University President Edward Bunn, S.J., and Mr. Petzold filled a leadership role in the university's Progress Fund during Father Bunn's presidency. Thomas Petzold maintained his strong support and love for the university until his death in 1989. His son William, C'62, is a Library Associate and has continued his father's tradition of support for Georgetown. Three grandchildren are likewise Georgetown alumni.

Margaret Petzold, in concert with her children and grandchildren, made the decision to support Catholic Studies at Georgetown. This is a new program in which undergraduates may minor, taking a concentration of courses with distinctly Catholic approaches to various disciplines within the curriculum. It features such courses as "Catholicism and Society" and "Catholicism and the Scientific Mind," among others. These courses strengthen the conviction that Catholic colleges and universities can be catalysts for intellectual and social improvement.

The entire university community is most grateful to Mrs. Petzold and the Petzold family for this enduring support of Georgetown's leadership role in Catholic education.