Fight You Johnnies!
Below you will find interesting statistics about our SJU Class of 1979.
Below that you can find past recipients of the Alumni Achievment Award given every five years to someone in our class
Did You Know this About Our SJU79 Class?
1) There were 522 SJU Freshman in our 1975 class.
2) Four years later in 1979 we had 349 SJU graduates
-There were 161BAs and 188BS's conferred.
​ -Business Administration was the most popular major followed by Government, Psychology and English
-Commencement address was from Thomas F. Roeser '50, B.A. Director of Public Affairs,
Quaker Oats Company of Chicago
3) Most popular home state for our class was Minnesota followed by Illinois, Wisconsin,
Iowa, and North Dakota
4) In 1975 our tuition and board (not food) was $2800 and by 1979 it skyrocketed to $3600 (now around $50,000)
5) 81% of our 1975 freshman class received financial aid with average award being $1785
6) At least 42% of our incoming freshman class' family income was under $20,000
7) In 1975, the Saint John's faculty decided to replace the existing distribution system of general education
with a radically different approach, which became known as the Liberal Studies Program.
The new curriculum had three components:
1. A year-long seminar for freshman (the Freshman Colloquium)
2. Specifically designated "perspective courses" in the Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Fine Arts
3. An upper-division course in the analysis of ethical values.
8) St. Johns was started in 1857, exactly a century before most of us were born (1957)
9) Our 1978-79 SJU Basketball Team lost their first two games to Jamestown State and Morris,
then won 27 games in a row.
10) In 1975 CSB had 476 Freshman most from Minnesota then ND, Iowa, WI and Ill.
11) CSB 1979 had 323 Graduates. Most Degrees were in Elementary Ed (81), then Nursing, Social Work,
and Business Administration
12) For the recent Give to SJU Day (Nov. 2023) a record $840,000 was raised. Our 1979 class was 2nd amongst all SJU classes with 48 classmates donating to the fund.
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Thanks to Peggy Roske at CSB for helping gather this and other SJU/CSB data
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Launched in 1983, the Alumni Achievement Awards recognize alumni who have been successful in their careers and/or active in church and community service. The awards are presented annually by the SJU Alumni Association Board of Directors and the university.
Tom Schnettler '79, business executive
Tom Schnettler is president and chief operating officer at Piper Jaffray, an international middle market investment firm based in Minneapolis. Over his 20 years with Piper, Schnettler co-founded and led the healthcare investment banking group; headed the investment banking and the corporate and institutional services business; and served as vice chairman and chief financial officer. He has a law degree from Harvard. Schnettler is active in leadership roles with the board of directors at Catholic Charities in the Twin Cities and on the SJU Board of Regents.
Alumni Achievement
Awards
Tim Marx '79
Tim Marx has worn many hats in his career: practicing attorney, public official, nonprofit leader and civic volunteer. He served as both deputy mayor and city attorney for St. Paul before becoming executive director of New York City Common Ground, a nonprofit agency, in 2008. In 2011, he became CEO of Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the largest regional social service agency, which has a $40 million operating budget and serves 35,000 annually
John Phelps '79
John Phelps ’79 epitomizes a life of intellectual inquiry and work toward the common good. Phelps’s extraordinary career in public service includes positions as chief of staff for the United States General Services Administration under President George W. Bush, chief operating officer for the American Red Cross in Phoenix and Homeland Security deputy director for the Office of the Governor in Arizona. He culminated his 25 years in the military as chief operating officer and chief of staff for the United States Army Legal Services Agency, the Defense Department’s largest legal organization, and retired a colonel. Phelps does consulting for nonprofits and government organizations after his recent retirement as CEO of the State Bar of Arizona. He also contributes to his community by fundraising for his church parish, working with the Wills for Heroes program and providing pro bono legal counsel to veterans and people with low income.
Wayne Liebhard '79
Wayne Liebhard is an American physician. He is also an award-winning author, musician/recording artist, and composer/producer.
Wayne is the author of 6 books, starting with “Elephants in the Exam Room: The Seven Things You Need to Know About Today’s Health Care ‘Crisis’” (published 2007) and “Elephants in the Exam Room: The Big-Picture Solution to Today’s Health Care ‘Crisis’” (published 2009). In 2012, he wrote and produced Here – In Flyover Country, an eclectic album of rock, country, blues, and Christmas music recorded and released by his musical group, The Solid Gold Band. (It was later remastered and rereleased with an added track). He has also written and produced music videos for the band – one of the longest continually-active rock bands in Minnesota, and a nominee to the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame.
Wayne was born the middle of nine children outside of Belle Plaine, Minnesota, where the family ran a cash crop and dairy farm. Music has been central to his life since the beginning. He later also sang and acted in summer stock theatre, and was pleased to study under and perform for Axel Theimer (formerly of the Vienna Boys Choir) at St. John’s University. There, he also played trombone with several instrumental groups and sang with several vocal groups, including the international touring SJU Men’s Choir.
Liebhard attended St. John’s University (Collegeville, MN) and graduated Summa Cum Laude after five semesters with degrees in natural and social sciences, a minor in economics, and a heavy concentration in music. After considering a law degree, a master’s degree in biology, or furthering his musical education, he decided to attend the University of Minnesota Medical School, where he was named to the Phi Kappa Phi Academic Honor Society. While there, he also held various national officer positions in the Phi Beta Pi-Theta Kappa Psi Medical Fraternity.
Wayne maintains a long-standing love affair with St. John’s University. He and his wife Joy have never missed a Homecoming celebration since his graduation. He also has (with his band) had the honor of providing Homecoming entertainment and has done a number of book/CD signings at the celebration.
Liebhard spent 20 years practicing family medicine in and near Shakopee, Minnesota before switching to practice in an emergency clinic.
His work in the community won him the Minnesota Medical Association’s Community Service Award in 1997, an award given annually to a single physician in the state.
Liebhard and his wife Joy have two adult children. They enjoy cooking, gardening, and exhibiting their award-winning creations at county fairs. Joy and Wayne were also avid 4-H supporters, running their local club and chaperoning 4-Hers at the Minnesota State Fair, as well as chaperoning high schoolers on international band trips. Wayne is a long-time Ford Mustang fanatic who has written for Mustang Monthly Magazine and has been said by them to possess the “world’s best collection” of early Mustang accessories.