Creighton University Magazine Fall 1999

Abstract

FR. MORRISON ANNOUNCES HIS RESIGNATION / FR. MORRISON RESIGNS Creighton’s longest-serving president, the Rev. Michael G. Morrison, S.J., announces his resignation after 18 years as CU’s chief executive. Page 6. NEW DEAN READY TO START COOKING / READY TO DIG IN Creighton welcomes a new College of Arts and Sciences dean who has a passion for cooking and a new-found love in Creighton. Page 9. CREIGHTON’S FIRST GOVERNOR When Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns, a 1974 Creighton law graduate, was elected to serve as the state’s 38th governor on Nov. 3, 1998, it marked a first for Creighton. Johanns, who took office in January, became the first Creighton University alum elected to a state governorship. Executive Editor Steve Kline examines the life of this former mayor of Lincoln: his years growing up on the family farm near Osage, Iowa, his law school struggles, and his new life as one of Nebraska’s highest elected officials. Page 14. STEP UP, SPEAK OUT, STAND FIRM! MORAL COURAGE: LESSONS FROM SOUTH AFRICA / MORAL COURAGE: LESSONS FROM SOUTH AFRICA What prompts people to act in the common good in the face of personal risk or danger? Dr. Ruth Purtilo, Creighton’s Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Professor and the director of the Center for Health Policy and Ethics, examined that question during her time in South Africa. Through in-depth interviews with people who had stood up against the injustices of apartheid rule, Dr. Purtilo discovered some common themes. Page 20. CREIGHTON RESEARCHERS ON ROAD / A NEW CANCER DRUG ON THE HORIZON? Creighton researchers are investigating a new compound that targets breast cancer without damaging other tissues. The drug, which combines a peptide called GnRH-III and a synthetic polymer, has been shown to be effective in killing breast cancer cells in mice. How did Creighton researchers come upon this cancer-killing compound, and what are its possibilities? Writer Lori Elliott-Bartle investigates. Page 26. THE MILLENNIUM, THE MONTHS AND THE MOON With the year 2000 approaching, Creighton’s Fr. John Scott, S.J., examines the creation of our calendar and its ties to the phases of the moon ... and the Jesuits! Page 32. GRATEFUL WILLIAMS TELLS OF HER PERSONAL STRUGGLE / A QUIET TRIUMPH Former anchorwoman and CU alumna Mary Alice Williams talks about coming “face to face with the power of hell” and pulling through. Page 36. MEMORABLE REUNION A chapter in Tom Brokaw’s book, The Greatest Generation, leads to a special reunion for this Creighton alumnus and World War II veteran. Article not included. SPEAKING HIS MIND Creighton alumnus John McGraw, the outspoken chairman of the California Republican Party, talks about his highly publicized election and about politics. Article not included. GLIMPSES OF HAVANA Creighton history professor Richard Super, Ph.D., recently visited the Cuban capital and returned with many images of this complex city. Page 51.