Establish new Heritage and Legacy Fund

              A program to assist women in pursuit of an advance degree has been established to perpetuate the heritage and legacy of Barat College in memory of two women whose lives exemplified the goals of St. Madeleine Sophie:  Sr. Janet Erskine Stuart and Anna May Hawekotte Smith.  The family and friends of Anna May Smith, a 1938 Barat graduate and professor, has established the Heritage and Legacy Fund to support the Stuart Internship.

              The Stuart Internship Program affords women the opportunity to pursue higher education through a work-study program within the structure of the Barat Education Foundation.  Mary Ellen Swee is the first beneficiary of this program and is working at the Foundation offices while pursuing her graduate degree at the University of Chicago.

              Named in honor of the Sixth Superior General of the Society of the Sacred Heart Janet Erskine Stuart (1857-1914), the primary role of the Stuart Intern is to carry on the heritage and legacy of Barat through a varied communications program, consisting of publications, multi-media, and digital technology.  Janet Stuart’s influence extends throughout the world primarily through her writings.

              In 1882, she entered the Society of the Sacred Heart at Roe Hampton, outside of London, where she spent 30 years of her religious life.  Named Mistress of Novices soon after her profession, she became Superior in 1894, and 17 years later was elected Superior General. 

              Religious of the Sacred Heart, as well as many other congregations and individuals committed to spiritual growth and educational excellence have been inspired by her conferences, essays and poetry. 

              Anna May Hawekotte Smith died July 5, 2006, at the age of 90.  The mother of Foundation Chair Sheila Smith, her connection to Barat covers more than 70 years.  She graduated from Barat in 1938 and earned a Master’s Degree from Columbia University in speech education.  She continued her graduate work in speech at Northwestern University and did an internship with doctors at the University of Illinois Neuropsychiatric Clinic.

              Anna May began her professional career as a Professor at Barat, and was soon promoted to Chairman of the Speech and Drama Department.  During her tenure at Barat, she broadcast the first live women’s radio talk show to spotlight issues related to social justice and the advancement of women.  In 1966, she helped develop Upward Bound, a program at Barat that assisted hundreds of high school girls from low-income families in Chicago and Lake County prepare for college. 

              Anna May Hawekotte Smith let nothing keep her down.  At the age of 35, she suffered a crippling stroke that left her paralyzed and forcing her to relearn the basic functions of walking and talking.  Through perseverance, she recovered, with only a limp and leg brace as a result.  The experience left a lasting impression and for the next 55 years, she used her extraordinary empathy, skills and determination to help others and to advance many worthy causes.

              United States Senator Richard Durbin honored Anna Mae Hawekotte Smith by entering his tribute to her into the Congressional Record.  A portion of the preceding account was contained in his narrative before the US Senate.

              An important part of the Stuart Internship Program is the evaluation and categorizing of Barat’s vast archival materials and to conduct historical research for additional Barat archival materials.  In addition, the program calls for setting up a series of Podcasts – 15-minute presentations – related to Barat history and current topics that can be downloaded from the Barat Foundation Website for alums and friends of Barat.