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SLU Legend Mary Bruemmer Celebrates Centennial Birthday

02/13/2020

SLU legend, Dame Mary Bruemmer, will celebrate mark another milestone as her extraordinary life reaches 100 years on Wednesday, Feb. 26. And the entire SLU community and Billiken family are invited to wish her well and to honor her remarkable century.

Dame Mary Bruemmer sits near a SLU fountain at the corner of Grand and Lindell Boulevards. DuBourg Hall is in the background.

SLU's favorite  Billiken, Dame Mary Bruemmer, will add 100 trips around the sun to her incredible life story on Wednesday, Feb. 26. Photo by Steve Dolan

An alumna, dean and longtime SLU leader, Bruemmer has received numerous honors including a Vatican knighthood in her 100 years.

Learn Mary’s Remarkable Story

Join the Party

The SLU community is invited to celebrate Bruemmer’s 100th birthday on Wednesday, Feb. 26, a campus celebration from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Saint Louis Room, Busch Student Center.

The party will feature light hors d’oeuvres and cake. Current Billiken staff, faculty members, students, alumni and friends of the University are encouraged to stop by any time to wish Mary well.

A brief formal program will take place at 3 p.m.

University employees may attend the celebration without using personal leave time (vacation or banked holidays). However, an employee must obtain prior approval from his, her or their department leadership, and attendance must not impact patient care responsibilities or student services.

RSVP for the Party and Learn More Here

Share Your Best Birthday Wishes

SLU is collecting birthday messages for Mary that will be shared with her at the celebration.

Whether you are able to attend or not, visit the registration site to submit a message to Mary by Friday, Feb. 21, to have your message included.

Cards will also be available at the celebration to write a note.

Send Mary Your Best

Support Mary’s Legacy

In honor of Mary’s 100th birthday, the University has launched a campaign to reach 100 donors to the Women’s Council Mary Bruemmer Endowed Scholarship by the end of February.

Gifts of any size count toward the goal, but gifts of $100 or more will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Go Further, SLU’s scholarship matching program.

Visit Billiken Backers to learn more or contribute


Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers nearly 13,000 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University’s diverse community of scholars is SLU’s service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place.

Story by Amelia Flood, University Marketing and Communications