Westkaemper Society

The Westkaemper Society, in honor of Sister Remberta Westkaemper

The Westkaemper Society recognizes donors who make a cumulative gift of $25,000 to $49,999 during the fiscal year (July 1-June 30).

Sister Remberta Westkaemper, OSB was the fifth president at the College of Saint Benedict from 1957 to 1961. Until S. Remberta's term, the presidency of the college had been a joint position: The Prioress of the Monastery was also the President of the College. S. Remberta was the first non-prioress to be president of CSB, and thus also the first fulltime president of the College. In an opening address for the 1960 academic year, S. Remberta explained what it meant to be a member of a college community:

"What does it mean to be a member of a college community? It means that you are committed to the search for knowledge for its own sake. This is your first duty as a student. I could enumerate many traits of a student, but I will mention only two: desire for knowledge and the will to discipline yourself. Unless you are motivated by a true desire for knowledge you may spend many years in college but you will never be a student. No matter how good the teachers, or how adequate the library, nor how fine the convocation programs, you will not learn. No teacher can learn for her students, for learning goes on within the person of the learner."