A striking new addition to the St. Norbert College campus opened its doors to students this fall: the Donald & Patricia Schneider Family Hall, a 45,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art home for the Donald J. Schneider School of Business & Economics.

The new addition stands along the banks of the Fox River at the western end of the Claude Allouez Bridge, a crossing used by thousands of vehicles and pedestrians each day. Designed by Workshop Architects of Milwaukee and brought to life by Miron Construction, the facility is more than an investment in infrastructure; it represents St. Norbert College’s commitment to educating ethical, forward-thinking leaders for northeast Wisconsin and beyond.

“The opening of Donald & Patricia Schneider Family Hall marks a transformative moment for the College. Its design helps actualize our mission of educating business leaders who think critically, act ethically and lead with a commitment to the common good."

Laurie M. Joyner, Ph.D., President of St. Norbert College

When visitors step inside Donald & Patricia Schneider Family Hall, they’ll be immediately welcomed by a striking two-story display of St. Joseph the Worker. The backlit piece, still under production, weaves together the four Norbertine core values and a passage from Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, a landmark text on the dignity of work and the importance of just relationships between employers and employees. Published just a few years before St. Norbert College was founded, the encyclical connects the college’s heritage to its mission. Adding another layer of history, the display also includes pieces of the former Abbot Pennings High School gym floor.

Nearby, a statue of St. Lydia, the first recorded convert to Christianity in Europe and patron saint of businesswomen, will bring a unique spiritual presence to the building. The piece is being crafted in Germany by ALBL Oberammergau, a world-renowned studio for sacred art.

The hall will also feature a donor recognition wall honoring the generosity that brought the new facility to life. Scattered throughout its study areas are exhibits showcasing the Norbertines’ influence on the region’s business and cultural landscape, from their ties to the Green Bay Packers to their role in the growth of local radio.

The new facility features 16 classrooms, three conference rooms, 32 office spaces, along with 17 inviting spaces for both individual and collaborative study. Each space is thoughtfully designed to foster dynamic, engaging learning experiences and enriching learning environments.  

“One of the signature spaces in Schneider Family Hall is the pitch pit. We believe that every student, not only business students, needs to learn how to be entrepreneurial and how to professionally market themselves, their work and their ideas,” emphasized Kevin Quinn, Dean of the Schneider School of Business and Economics. “The pit will be the main location for our excellent entrepreneurship classes and programs, and will be available to all SNC students to help them in polishing themselves for the work world.”

The building is more than a modern academic facility. This new addition is also a return to the college’s roots. St. Norbert College was originally founded in 1898 with a focus on preparing young men for the priesthood, but quickly began offering classes in business and commerce, recognizing the need for ethical, well-rounded leaders in the marketplace.

Before it was home to the Schneider Family Hall, this corner of campus held decades of memories for students at Abbot Pennings High School. Originally built in 1923 as Nicolet High School, the building later became Abbot Pennings High School, named in honor of Abbot Bernard Pennings, O.Praem., the founder of St. Norbert College. The school was a cherished part of the De Pere community until its closing in 1990. Following the high school’s closure, St. Norbert College purchased the building and land. The facility became the Pennings Activity Center, and was utilized in many ways for more than 30 years.

While the structure itself has been removed to make way for a new chapter, the college has intentionally preserved key pieces of the past:

• Two conference tables were built using wood from the Abbot Pennings High School gym floor and also integrated into the St. Joseph the Worker statue.

• Five owls that once overlooked the original Pennings building now watch over the building on the terrace.

The building is not only innovative, it’s also environmentally forward-thinking. 

“Schneider Family Hall has the college’s commitment to sustainability and the environment exhibited throughout,” explained Quinn. “The landscaping is a native plant-based design intentionally meant to be reflective of the unique location on the Fox River. The aesthetics of the location on the banks of the Fox River and the landscaping that reflects that location is a reminder to those studying business that beauty and practicality are partners not rivals.”

In addition, the new building features:

• Solar panels and geothermal wells, significantly reducing the building’s carbon footprint

• Third floor green roof

• Prairie landscaping designed to reduce mowing and promote native species

• On-site pollinator garden and pear orchard, inspired by St. Augustine

• Environmentally conscious housekeeping using only environmentally friendly cleaning products (standard across campus)

Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of the Schneider family, the vision for a new home for business education became reality. Before his death in 2012, Donald J. Schneider was an outstanding leader and visionary in faith, community and business. Don shared his time and talents with a wide range of academic, industry, business and community organizations, including the United Way of Brown County, the Catholic High School Foundation, Notre Dame Academy, St. Norbert College and the Green Bay Packers, among many others.

Don Schneider had a longstanding relationship with St. Norbert, as a student, alumnus and trustee, as well as being a longtime adjunct instructor in finance and business administration at the college. Don graduated from St. Norbert College with a degree in business in 1957.

St. Norbert College proudly opened Donald J. Schneider Stadium, located on De Pere’s near west side, in September of 2010, thanks to a major donation from the Schneider family. The 2,454-seat facility houses the Green Knights in football, men’s and women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field.

In 2014, Pat Schneider, Don’s wife, made a gift of unprecedented generosity to establish the Donald J. Schneider School of Business & Economics, and to found its Master of Business Administration program. It is a fitting tribute to Don’s legacy, and a farsighted investment in the future of northeast Wisconsin business.

In 2017, the Schneider family made a historic gift to the college’s endowment in honor of Donald J. Schneider’s legacy of community service and commitment to Catholic education.

In 2023, Pat Schneider made a generous donation to establish Schneider Family Hall.

“The Schneider family’s extraordinary generosity has shaped St. Norbert College in profound and lasting ways,” according to President Joyner. Joyner expressed her deep gratitude to the family, “Donald and Patricia’s sustained commitment to our Catholic, Norbertine and liberal arts mission will transform the lives of our students, and create lasting opportunities to drive innovation, strengthen local businesses and positively impact communities across northeast Wisconsin for generations to come.”

Classes are already underway in the new space this semester. We invite the community to join us for a special dedication and grand opening on Oct. 16, 2025. The celebration begins at 1:45 p.m. at Schneider Family Hall, with an open house and self-guided tours continuing until 3:30 p.m. Guests may park in Lots P11 and P14. A parking map is available for reference.