Historical September–October 2024 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
UMSL Scholar-in-Residence Tom Hoerr and his, wife Karleen, a fellow UMSL alum, are making a donation to support the College of Education and the Transform UMSL initiative. (Photo courtesy of University Advancement) From an article by Melissa Landy, UMSL University Advancement Tom and Karleen Hoerr’s generous donation to transform UMSL is helping create state-of-the-art spaces for students, faculty and staff of the College of Education and the Pierre Laclede Honors College as they prepare to relocate to North Campus. Both Tom and Karleen received their master’s degrees from UMSL – Tom in school administration and Karleen in special education. Karleen taught for over a decade before becoming a real estate agent, promoting city living. Tom pursued advanced degrees with the hopes that he could progress in his career as a teacher to make a larger impact.
He went on to earn a doctorate from Washington University in St. Louis, becoming principal at Pershing School in the School District of University City in the process.
He then led the New City School for 34 years, during which time he also founded the Non-Profit Management Program at Washington University and led the ISACS New Heads Network. “I’ve done a lot of things hopefully that helped people, and none of them would have been possible, really, without UMSL,” he said. “Karleen and I both recognize and appreciate the role that UMSL plays in the St. Louis community,” Tom said. “At the same time, we recognize the important role that education plays for the future of our society.
When the two come together, our thinking was, by helping the College of Education, we were certainly helping UMSL, but we’re also helping the St. Louis community and, in a larger sense, we’re helping the world.” “Our gift is an investment in the future of St. Louis society, in the future of all the young people who are fortunate enough to attend UMSL,” Karleen said. “I would encourage other people who are considering making a gift to view it, again, not just as a philanthropic exercise but as an investment in the future.”
Original photograph caption
Tom and Karleen Hoerr.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, September–October 2024.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2024_09.pdf, printed page(s) 3; PDF page(s) 3.
