Paul Boltz '61: Loyola Lessons Last a Lifetime

Making a gift to Loyola Academy was an easy decision for me to make. My decision to establish a scholarship was prompted by the 50th reunion of the Class of '61 which led me to think back to my time at LA. They were great years for me because I learned a lot and had a lot of fun as well. I made friends for a lifetime and laid the foundation for the rest of my education at college and graduate school. From the Jesuits I also learned about self-sacrifice, devotion, and just plain hard work. My teachers were among the most impressive people I have ever met.

One of the things that stands out in my memory is that the Jesuits always demanded that things be done absolutely correctly. I still remember the chill that went down my spine when Father Walter Crane returned the first essay I had written in his freshman English class. Every punctuation error, every grammatical error, every spelling error, every error of syntax and agreement was duly marked in bright red. I can only guess how much time Father Crane put into grading those papers. If memory serves me correctly, my grade was in the vicinity of minus 70 percent. Fearing that my days at Loyola were numbered, I was reduced to memorizing word-for-word such things as the rules for semi-colons; I can still remember them. Running into a brick wall of seemingly unreachable standards is not fun, but meeting the standards is.

When I graduated all those years ago, I joined a confraternity made up of the alumni and now alumnae of Loyola Academy. I am proud to be in the club. My wife Cathy and I want to help in a small way to insure that this club continues to grow and that the happy children of the future can continue to benefit from a superb Jesuit education.

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Loyola Academy

1100 Laramie Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091-1089 | 847-256-1100

Loyola Academy admits students of any race, color and national origin or ethnic origin.