Trinity Receives a Bequest from the Estate of Dr. Alice M. Fox

Dr. Alice M. Fox was a lifelong learner and a staunch advocate for women’s education. Growing up in Chicago, Fox attended the all-girls Immaculata High School. After graduating she studied science at Clarke College and then went on to earn a Ph.D. in philosophy. She became a Sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM) and taught at the all-women’s Clarke College (now Clarke University), receiving numerous research grants from institutions such as the American Heart Association. In the early 1960s, Sr. Alice Marie led research teams of female science majors investigating the causes and treatment of heart disease. Later in life, Dr. Fox left the BVMs and returned home to Chicago where she continued to teach biology and received a nursing degree from the University of Illinois-Chicago.

While educated in single-gender environments, Dr. Fox developed a love of learning and passion for science that she carried throughout her life. After Immaculata High School closed, she searched for another all-girls high school to support. With its mission of empowerment and long history of academic success, Dr. Fox was immediately drawn to Trinity High School.

“Although Dr. Fox did not attend Trinity, she understood the benefits of an all-girls education,” notes Vice President of Institutional Advancement Shena McNamera Keith. “Trinity is blessed with many alumnae and friends who, like Dr. Fox, share our mission and have generously included Trinity in their estate planning.”

In addition to funding the renovation of Trinity’s newly minted Dr. Alice M. Fox Auditorium, a scholarship for a Trinity student who has scientific curiosity coupled with the tenacity and drive to pursue a future in the sciences was made possible through the generous $2 million bequest of Dr. Fox. By naming Trinity in her will, Dr. Fox has helped to ensure that future young women will have the opportunity to flourish, both academically and spiritually, at Trinity High School.