Tom Manning shares a moment with his children and their families.
Tom Manning '71 first walked the halls of Jesuit High School in the fall of 1962 when he was only nine years old and his brother, John '66, was a freshman. His family was attending Jesuit's main fundraising event, the annual Spaghetti Dinner. "I recall Fr. Ed McTighe, S.J., my future English teacher, entertained the crowd by playing the piano on a stage overlooking the dining area," says Tom. "It was a wonderful community building event."
Tom enrolled in Jesuit in the fall of 1967, when the school was all-male and some 30 Jesuits taught most of his classes. He graduated in 1971 and attended Oregon State University, where he earned a degree in marketing in 1975.
The summer after graduation, Tom and Jesuit classmate Joe Culhane traveled through Europe and the Holy Land. "My visit to the holy sites of Israel began a lifelong interest in biblical studies and Theology," says Tom.
"We joined (Legacy Club) because we wanted to do our part to ensure Jesuit's future financial stability."
—Tom Manning
Tom subsequently joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and served the Yupic Eskimos of western Alaska. This led him to the Jesuit Novitiate where he spent two years discerning the call to religious life while earning a master's degree in religious education from the University of Portland and a master's in theology from the University of Notre Dame.
After Tom left the Jesuits, he married Sheila Fogarty, whom he had met as a Jesuit Volunteer. His first teaching position was at Central Catholic High School, where he taught theology for 13 years. In 1994, he was hired at Jesuit High School and taught there for the next 25 years.
Tom's four children, Tommy '01, Maggie '02, Patrick '05 and Brian '08, all attended Jesuit. "One of the most enjoyable parts of my time at Jesuit was the opportunity to teach and coach my own kids. It was fun to be with them during the most important years of their life," says Tom.
In 2006, Sheila and Tom decided to make a long-term commitment to Jesuit education by becoming members of the Fr. William Hayes S.J. Legacy Club, "We joined because we wanted to do our part to ensure Jesuit's future financial stability," says Tom.
Upon retirement from teaching this past June, Tom wanted to stay close to Jesuit and find a meaningful way to give back. “My new job as the Donor Engagement Officer allows me to stay connected with alumni, parents and the Jesuit community.”
Tom invites you to contact him or stop by Jesuit to discuss the variety of ways you can include Jesuit in your estate plan. "It would be fun to reminisce about the past and plan for the future," says Tom.