October 2008
Question:
Dear Abbot Pennings,
I’ve noticed that the school was referred to as St. Norbert’s College at one time, When was the ‘s’ removed?
Chris Kirwen ’08
Answer:
Chris,
You are correct. Up until 1928, the school was referred to as St. Norbert’s College. You will notice that the lettering on the stonework above the entrance to Main Hall at one time did indeed read St. Norbert’s. That last “s” was removed simply for a grammatical reason. It was felt that the name, St. Norbert’s College, indicated that St. Norbert himself owned the institution. Since this was not a true representation, the ‘s’ was removed.
Responses to “Ask the Abbot” questions are penned by St. Norbert College staff in the name of Abbot Bernard Pennings, O.Praem., who founded St. Norbert College in 1898.