Susan S. Morrison, the woman majorly responsible for the creation of St. Thomas’ health and nursing schools, among other philanthropic contributions, died March 31 at the age of 86, according to an obituary published in the Star Tribune.
Susan and her husband, John, helped fund and inspire many programs, facilities and initiatives at St. Thomas. According to the St. Thomas newsroom, those included:
- The Morrison Family College of Health
- The John M. Morrison Center for Entrepreneurship
- Morrison residence hall
- The Morrison House, home of the university president
- The Morrison Law School Fund
- The Dougherty Family College Morrison Endowment
- The Pio Cardinal Laghi Distinguished Chair in Law
The Morrisons also raised $500 million for academic support and campus development as co-chairs of the Opening Doors campaign from 2007-2012 and can be linked to over $1.5 billion in total donations to the university, according to the newsroom.
In a statement to the newsroom, university president Rob Vischer said Susan “created opportunities for students and strengthened programs that will serve communities for generations to come.”
The Morrisons launched the college of health in 2020 with a $25 million donation. The college’s home on Summit Avenue also bears Susan’s name.
Susan was especially tied to the creation of the Susan S. Morrison School of Nursing in 2022 due to her own background in the field, according to nursing school director Annette Hines.
“One of the things that she talked about was how important it is to maintain your licensure as a nurse, and the idea that once you’re a nurse, you’re always a nurse,” Hines said. “She always saw herself as a nurse, even when she was older and no longer practiced as a nurse.”
In May 2025, the university announced that the couple would be further funding the nursing school’s expansion into the third and fourth floors of the Schoenecker Center. In fact, Hines said the new facilities, which are aimed to open for the fall semester, will be named the Susan S. Morrison Simulation Center.
Hines said Susan’s passion for serving disenfranchised communities shone through in her work with the nursing school.
“She was focusing on health equity many years before that had even become a specific term in nursing,” Hines said. “She always had a heart for the underserved, for the vulnerable populations, for people who sometimes were not getting the care they needed.”
Hines said that one of her favorite memories of Susan took place at the nursing school’s pinning ceremony for its graduating masters students in 2024 when Morrison presented Hines with her own pin on stage. The pins, unique to each nursing school, will continue to bear Susan’s name for future graduates.
The nursing school will also be graduating its first undergraduate class this May — a seminal moment for the school during which Morrison’s presence will be sorely missed, Hines said. The Rev. Chris Collins will hold a memorial during both the bachelor’s and master’s pinning ceremonies to commemorate Susan.
The university will hold a funeral and celebration of life for Susan today at the Chapel of St. Thomas. Visitation will be at noon, with the service following at 1 p.m. The university will livestream the event at this link.
Kevin Lynch can be reached at lync1832@stthomas.edu.
