Heritage Celebrations
During the spring meeting in May 2023, a Heritage Committee was formed to explore our history and create ways to recognize our 90th anniversary. Ninety years is an impressive milestone, especially when you consider the changes to women’s roles over this time period. As roles have evolved, so too has our organization, and yet we continue to thrive as a group for women who support our motto of Friendship, Community and Service.
Heritage Holiday Tea
Our first big event of the year was the Heritage Holiday Tea in December. It was magnificent! Our beautiful polished silver and glassware collection were the stars of the event, elegantly serving punch and cookies. High tea was catered by SugarElla’s, and we were entertained by one of the area’s premier harpists, Meg Rogers, in the Stapleton Lounge at Saint Mary’s College. We were especially honored to have this lovely event underwritten by a most gracious anonymous donor.
Felicia Caponigri, a third generation member and chair of the Heritage Committee, moderated a panel of members who shared memories from their years in the organization. Joan Hofman, Marge Marley, Kate Murphy and Elaine Nicgorski all shared stories of how they initially joined the group and how its place within the tri-campus community has evolved. They fondly recalled the efforts to welcome newcomers and help them settle in South Bend. They celebrated how, even during challenging times or when members disagree (such as about the organization’s name), the group has always stayed true to its mission of building bridges and supporting one another. The friendships formed within The Ladies become family ties, and having enjoyed the benefits of such close friendships, the women continue to reach out to others with a welcome that is distinctly their own.
A Return to Favorite Spaces
The next event was equally special. In February, we were able to tour the upper floors of the library and the space that became Father Hesburgh’s office upon his retirement in 1987. Marty Ogren, Fr. Hesburgh’s longtime personal driver, shared a few of his favorite Fr. Ted stories and guided us through this living museum of history, art, and memorabilia ranging from photos with presidents and popes to an Olympic Torch and Presidential Medal of Freedom.
President Emeritus Father “Monk” Malloy joined us for a lovely catered lunch on the 14th floor where we took in unsurpassed views of Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and the city of South Bend. The 14th floor penthouse was the site of the Ladies Opening Receptions from 1969-2012 and is now rarely open to the public. The President’s Office graciously opened this space for the Ladies in tribute to our 90-year history and in honor of our legacy as University hostesses. Newer members enjoyed learning some history from the archivists and hearing Father Malloy’s reflections about his involvement with the Ladies during his tenure as University President.
The Runway Through Time Fashion Show
We closed out our 90th year celebrations by traveling through time to revive one of our most popular and enduring programs: the Fashion Show. The Runway Through Time was held at Morris Park Country Club on April 28th and showcased vintage fashions from the Casaday Costume Collection and present day fashions from Judee’s Boutique in Granger. Our stellar line up of models were all LND/SMC/HCC members. Notre Dame professor Linda Przybyszewski, Ph.D. provided the fashion commentary. Professor “Pski” is an entertaining and informative
speaker, a master dressmaker and hat maker, a collector of vintage pattern books, an expert on the history of fashion and author of The Lost Art of Dress:The Women Who Once Made America Stylish. The eighty guests enjoyed appetizers, cocktails and a beautiful sheet cake featuring a picture of Mrs. Laurence Stauder, Mrs. A. Robert Caponigri, and Mrs. William O. Shanahan, members of the planning party for the Ladies’ 1953 St Nicholas party as part of our organization’s Christmas celebrations.
Stay tuned as we update this page with more celebrations as we look forward to the 100th anniversary of our organization!
Also, for those interested in our history, we have added a digital copy of the history booklet written by Jo D’Alelio and Elaine Nicgorski in 1974 to our website. It’s a fascinating tour through our first 40 years and includes many surprises: Ladies of Notre Dame 1934 – 1974 Booklet