Rosemary E. Donohue
Profile -- (Winter 1998-1999 Newsletter)
[interview below]
Rosemary E. Donohue was born the oldest of three children
to her father, a prominent New York/New Jersey physician,
and her mother, the daughter of the famed jeweler, Adolph
Walter. Ms. Donohue thus came from third generation Irish
Catholics on her father's side and fourth generation German
Catholics on her mother's side. But her mother died when she
was four years old, leaving her father to raise the three
young children alone. He saw to it that his children (Rosemary,
Eugene, and Daniel) received the best Catholic education available
in New York and New Jersey.
On graduating from high school, Ms. Donohue entered the world
of fashion, attending the famed Parson's Fashion School of
Design in New York City. She thereafter worked at Hahne &
Co. in New Jersey, where she advanced in merchandizing and
ascended to the position of Buyer in various departments of
high-end fashion clothing.
In 1954, she traveled to California to attend the wedding
of her younger brother, Daniel, to Ms. Bernardine Murphy,
the daughter of Antoinette and Dan Murphy, a prominent California
philanthropist and industrialist. Rosemary, Daniel, and Bernardine
formed a deep bond. At Bernardine's suggestion, Rosemary decided
to leave her fast-paced New York life behind her and move
West to be near them. Her other brother, Eugene, had since
relocated to Illinois, where he followed in his father's footsteps
in the practice of medicine.
But she didn't quite slow down. Instead, she befriended Sister
Fidelis, the administrator of St. Vincent's Hospital in Los
Angeles, who asked her to head up the hospital's Personnel
Department during a critical period of reorganization. Thus
began Ms. Donohue's involvement with the Daughters of Charity
(who ran St. Vincent's), and which would continue throughout
her life. Ms. Donohue thereafter moved to San Francisco to
work with the Daughters' outreach program for unwed mothers
in the early 1960s. She got involved in Republican politics
and took over as head of the San Francisco headquarters for
the Goldwater presidential campaign in 1964. But she missed
Daniel and Bernardine and decided to return to Los Angeles
after the campaign and devote her life to philanthropic activity.
By then, Daniel and Bernardine were busy managing The Dan
Murphy Foundation, which they had established in 1957 in memory
of Bernardine's father to promote important Roman Catholic
and other philanthropic causes. So helpful to the Church was
The Dan Murphy Foundation that His Holiness Pope John XXIII
conferred on Bernardine the title of "Papal Countess,"
the only title given to an American during his pontificate.
Several years later, His Holiness Pope Paul VI conferred on
Daniel the title, "Gentleman of His Holiness," the
highest award bestowed on a layman in the Church, and the
first such Award ever given to an American.
But in 1968, Countess Bernardine died unexpectedly and left
Sir Daniel to carry on the work of their Foundation. Sir Daniel
thus invited his sister, Rosemary, to serve on the Foundation's
Board with him.
In 1984, Ms. Donohue was honored as a Lady of the Equestrian
Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and was promoted
to Lady Commander in 1997. His Holiness Pope John Paul II
also conferred on her the honorary Cross Pro-Ecclesia et Pontifice
medal. In 1993, at the request of His Eminence Roger Cardinal
Mahoney, the Cardinal Archbishop of Los Angeles, Ms. Donohue
became one of 13 women in the world, and one of the first
Americans, to be honored as a Dame of the Pontifical Order
of St. Gregory the Great.
Among its philanthropic activities over the years, The Daniel
Murphy Foundation has been particularly generous to Thomas
Aquinas College, having helped build St. Bernardine Library
and having launched the Endowed Scholarship Fund. Active with
the College since the 1970s, Ms. Donohue has served on the
College's Board of Governors since 1986, and in 1997, became
Chairman of the Board's Trusteeship Committee.
-- Qtrly Newsletter, Winter 1998-99
Interview with Rosemary Donohue:
Q. You have been blessed with the opportunity to meet
many Cardinals and bishops in the Catholic hierarchy over
the years, including three popes (Their Holinesses Pope Pius
XII, Pope Paul VI, and Pope John Paul II). How have those
experiences influenced your own faith?
I don't know how I can begin to describe that. We always
try to act as our faith leads us, but there is something very
powerful about being in the company of the representatives
of Christ. You see that our Church is a Church of people,
and it makes you think of how our Lord has used people throughout
time to spread the Gospel to all nations. It is wonderfully
inspiring to see so many great spiritual men trying their
best to lead people to God and carrying out the mission of
Christ on earth. I've been honored beyond words to meet so
many of them.
Q. What do you see happening in the Church in the next
few years?
This is still God's world, and He will be with us until the
end of time. The Church has lived through many forms of persecution,
but we have to remind ourselves of what our Holy Father keeps
saying: "The Church is guided by the Holy Spirit and
Christ the Lord will not fail us." His Holiness Pope
John Paul II, throughout his pontificate, has constantly exhorted
bishops, priests, and the laity to evangelize. It's up to
us then to so evangelize.
We have many trials left to endure, and I just don't know
what's going to happen to our own country. We may not even
have a country in 50 years. We've become like ancient Rome
when it fell. You can't build a country with families that
are being so divided, or when the Ten Commandments are so
seriously neglected. Where are the teachers - where are the
parents - who will teach our children right from wrong? If
they come from anywhere, they will come from the Church. And
if the Church can't produce them, then God help us.
Q. You do see bright spots in the Church today, though,
don't you?
Most certainly. There are many great religious orders and
seminaries, both here and around the world, starting to produce
good holy men and women who are seeking to establish Christ's
will on earth. We're also seeing a great number of conversions
occurring in Africa and in parts of Asia due to the inspiring
work of our missionaries there. Time will tell how all of
this turns out.
Q. You put great stock in education?
Yes. Education - which includes moral training and discipline
- is so critically important, but it has to start in the home.
You have to have it if society is to survive. If you don't
have it, then you get the frightening situation we have today.
This is why our Holy Father speaks so powerfully on the institution
of marriage and the sacredness of the family.
Q. You've been involved in the life of the College for
22 years now. How did you become involved?
Back in 1978, I went to a talk at the Jonathan Club in Los
Angeles given by [founding president] Ron McArthur. I could
see that he had a great idea and that he really was promoting
an authentically Roman Catholic college. I heard what he had
to say, I met with [then Director of Development] Dennis Koller
and talked some more, and I could see that what they were
offering was so desperately needed for our times. And they
were so enthusiastic. Later, as I became more involved, I
could see they were doing a great job with the students. You
could actually see that a genuinely Catholic education was
giving young people a foundation on which to rebuild society.
I have been strongly committed ever since then.
Q. You are Chairman of the Board of Governor's Trusteeship
Committee. How do you see the work of that committee?
Our Board has been blessed with a number of talented mem-bers
over the years who have a great deal of business experience
and the means of seeing that the College becomes fully developed.
More recently, in fact, we've been able to attract still more
accomplished people from the outside world who are bringing
their great business acumen to bear on important business
decisions that the College faces. My goal is to see that we
continue to attract such people. I'm not going to be around
forever, and I am greatly relieved to see these younger members
come on the Board and continue this great work.
Q. What do you see in the future of the College?
The College has a great future. It's graduating well-educated
young men and women and has made great progress in the few
years since it was founded. The students are disciplined and
have been trained to think and reason so well that it's no
surprise they are wanted by the best universities throughout
the world. I certainly hope there will be more Thomas Aquinas
Colleges in the future. As soon as the College reaches capacity,
I think it will be time to start anew someplace else. I wish
to see that happen soon. I feel like all of these students
are my children - my special brood.
Q. Do you have any present projects you are working on
for the College?
I continue to work closely with President Dillon on personnel
matters and in promoting the College in many different areas.
Also, I hope to be able to put my fashion design skills back
to work by designing concert robes for the choir. But we'll
see how that goes (laughing).
-- Qtrly Newsletter, Winter 1998-99
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