Planting Seeds of Generosity
Inspired by Scholarship Donor, Bernie Mack ‘64 Pays It Forward
During retirement, Bernie Mack ‘64 volunteered for 10 years at Chicago’s Morton Arboretum, where he worked in the Root Lab for his last assignment. “This is a critical area of study with the earth’s climate changing,” says Mack, who notes that “the study of tree roots is far less evolved than the study of trees above ground.”
In addition to caring for our Common Home, Mack returned to school to study photography during retirement, nearly earning an associate’s degree. His portfolio features stunning natural scenery and sundry wildlife.
Intellectual curiosity. Creative endeavor. The pursuit of truth. These have been core pillars throughout Mack’s life – and he built the foundation for them at Backer Memorial.
Bernie '64 and Janice Mack
“SLUH taught me to reason through answers and not to accept everything on face value,” says Mack. “You must do the work to get the results you want, and you can’t always take the first answer.”
Mack grew up in North St. Louis and attended SLUH on scholarship. He played football and was in the school band (tuba) all four years. Among his favorite teachers, he recalls Fr. John Doyle, SJ, who “had a wicked arm that would hit me with chalk when I got smart.”
After high school, he earned a BSC in accounting/finance at Saint Louis University. He worked 40 hours per week to pay for all of his college expenses, holding jobs at a travel agency and the Automobile Club of Missouri.
Mack left St. Louis after he was drafted in 1969. Following a three-year stint in the U.S. Army, he embarked on a successful career, which culminated in his position as Vice President of Finance at Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Chicago. In this role from 1989-2001, he helped to grow the company significantly.
Always grateful for his SLUH experience, Mack and his wife Janice established the Bernie Mack ‘64 Family Scholarship, a fully endowed scholarship that provides need-based financial assistance for students.
The Macks enjoy the sound of the SLUH band, led by Mr. Jeff Pottinger.
“When I learned that an alumnus from the Class of 1939 funded the scholarship I benefited from as a student,” says Mack, “I was motivated to establish a scholarship, to pay back what was done for me in the 1960s.” He adds that he and Janice aim to establish a presidential scholarship as a long-term goal.
In addition to their scholarship support, the Macks funded the remodeling and soundproofing of the band studio rooms, now called Studio B (for Bernie) and Studio J (for Janice).
“When we visit campus,” says Mack, “there’s something visceral about being in the band room that brings back great memories.”
Jeff Pottinger, the school band director, stays in touch with Mack, who is undergoing cancer treatment. “Before I went in for chemo treatment recently, he sent me the band’s rendition of the Rocky theme song, which was very uplifting.”
In addition to photography, Mack thoroughly enjoys studying history these days. “The more I learn about early U.S. history, the more I realize how smart our founding fathers were.
“Our society exists and thrives because of thoughtful leaders. Supporting the young men at SLUH can help make our country as successful going forward as it has been in the past.”
Enjoy a selection of Mack's wildlife photography below.