Student volunteers reveal the new name of Tommie North, Schoenecker Hall North, at a ceremony Thursday. The hall was renamed due to a scholarship donation from the Schoenecker family. (Dom Tritchler/The Crest) 
Vice President for Mission the Rev. Chris Collins and Lisa Anderson bless the newly-named residence hall. (Dom Tritchler/The Crest) 
St. Thomas mascot Tommie sports a T-shirt featuring the new name. (Dom Tritchler/The Crest) 
Students sing “On Eagle’s Wings” by former St. Thomas professor Michael Joncas. The hymn was Guy Schoenecker’s favorite song. (Dom Tritchler/The Crest) 
A crowd of students and guests gathers outside Schoenecker Hall North after the reveal of the building’s new name. (Dom Tritchler/The Crest)
Tommie North Residence Hall was renamed Schoenecker Hall North during an outdoor ceremony held Thursday.
The name ‘Tommie North’ held a four-year reign after the building was built in 2020. The renaming was due to a donation from the family of Guy Schoenecker to start a new scholarship.
“This gift will make a St. Thomas education possible for 250 students across our undergraduate student body every year, forever,” University President Rob Vischer said.
Although Vischer did not say the amount of the gift, he said that it is the largest scholarship gift any Minnesota university has ever received. The biggest scholarship to the university was previously a $50 million donation by Gerald and Henrietta Rauenhorst in 2018.
“This is a monumental day for our university, and this is a monumental day in the lives of many future St. Thomas students, including those who have not even been born yet,” Vischer said.
Lisa Anderson, Guy Schoenecker’s daughter, also spoke at the ceremony. She said she hopes that the scholarship donation will help make attending St. Thomas more accessible.
“Catholic ethos is what set this place apart for my dad. He would be very happy to know that very soon, more students will be able to access a St. Thomas education and begin their young lives with a sense of purpose and optimism that this education provides,” Anderson said.
Student speaker junior Jennifer Mata said she wouldn’t be able to attend St. Thomas without donor-funded scholarships.
“Attending St Thomas is a choice, and unfortunately, it’s a difficult one to make for many students, but with growing donor-funded scholarships, we can make St. Thomas an undeniable choice and possibility for all students,” Mata said.
Tommie North originally opened for student use in Fall 2020. The project was paired with the construction of Frey Hall (originally known as Tommie East). The university announced the $85 million project in 2018.
The construction of Tommie North called for the destruction of the John Paul II residence hall, which was built in 1978.
As for the dorm’s new name, first-year student Meredith Sundby said that her roommate saw staff setting up free T-shirts with the new name.
“(The shirts) said something like Schoenecker Hall North … that name sounds kind of clunky,” Sundby said.
St. Thomas mascot Tommie was at the event to model a purple shirt with the new name of the dorm.
The event ended with a choral performance of “On Eagle’s Wings” by former St. Thomas professor Michael Joncas. Vice President for Mission the Rev. Chris Collins said that it was Guy Schoenecker’s favorite song.
“We hope that many others will join us in making the special experience of a St. Thomas education accessible to more students. Whether it’s a small gift or a large gift, the use of your money in this way will make a difference that will last generations,” Anderson said.
Livy Dunlap can be reached at dunl3109@stthomas.edu.
Anya Capistrant-Kinney can be reached at capi2087@stthomas.edu.