Married for 48 years, Norm and Marabeth have been involved with, and supporters of, Clarke University for nearly as long. Marabeth earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Clarke and worked in Financial Aid before starting her teaching career. Norm joined the faculty in 1981 as a professor of philosophy, a position he enjoyed for the next 41 years.

“I always hoped to have a career at a Catholic college based in the liberal arts with a focus on teaching,” Norm says. “Clarke was my dream job and career, and I would not have wanted to serve anywhere else on earth!”

By establishing their bequest, Norm and Marabeth will be helping future Clarke students pursue their dreams while fostering Clarke’s core values of freedom, education, charity, and justice.

“We hope to further social justice via this scholarship created in the name of Catholic Social Teaching,” the Freunds say. “It allows us to focus on providing our own retirement needs first while carving out a portion of our estate for this important gift.”

Norm and Marabeth urge others to join them in supporting Clarke’s mission through a planned gift. As they explain: “A legacy gift through one’s will is a great way of paying forward what you most value about Clarke University.”