By Karen Dyer
Their Rose-Woods story began on a blind date, and nearly 55 years later, includes two endowed scholarships, a laboratory and an outdoor classroom spanning two campuses and a lifetime of commitment. Their story is one that is written from a place of gratitude for their parents, God and the educations they received from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (RHIT).
“Every time I turn on to the Avenue, I feel such contentment,” said Nancy Butler Bruck ’69, who was fortunate to celebrate her 50th Reunion in 2019. “The Woods is a very special place, as we know, and I can’t imagine what my life would be like without it. The spirituality, beauty and friendships will always be with me.”
So, when the opportunity came up to help bring an outdoor classroom building to fruition, Nancy and husband, Morgan (Morg) Bruck, a 1969 RHIT alumnus, saw this as a way to invest in SMWC and remember Nancy’s parents.
Even a small amount can make a difference. It is not the level of giving, but the support that is important
Nancy Butler Bruck ’69
“I feel very strongly about supporting the College and will continue to do so. Even a small amount can make a difference. It is not the level of giving, but the support that is important,” said Nancy. “My parents were very committed to The Woods, and I wish my father could have been there when I got my ring and when I graduated. We have tried to honor them with the scholarship, and now the classroom.”
Morg saw firsthand how much alumni giving meant as he worked his junior and senior years in the RHIT Alumni Office and also as a class agent after graduation. Morg added that his parents and Nancy’s believed strongly in a college degree, so they made it a priority to honor that commitment by giving to their alma maters.
Nancy and Morg established the Bayless V. Butler and Mary R. Butler Endowed Scholarship at SMWC and the Arthur A. and Jennie M. Bruck Scholarship at RHIT the same year. They also invested in both the I Love Le Fer Hall initiative and provided funding for the construction of a new outdoor classroom at The Woods.
Last year, the couple supported the naming of the Bruck Flow Lab in the new Kramer Innovation Center which opened in 2019 at Morg’s alma mater. They have been committed to supporting both institutions equally.
The Bruck’s gift to build the classroom helped the College fulfill a nearly nine year-long endeavor to restore the Le Fer Lake habitat. The project began with an initial gift from the Hollie and Anna Oakley Foundation and was brought to fruition with gifts from the 181st Intelligence Wing of the Indiana Air National Guard, Duke Energy, Vectren, Indiana Wildlife Federation, Sister Mary Moloney ’61 and the Vigo County Solid Waste Management District.
“The Pentateuch instructs on three tithes and, as God has blessed us, we have tried to follow these. Our church gets the first tithe and the second goes to SMWC and RHIT,” said Morg.
“I am so proud of how far The Woods has come and how it continues to grow. There is a very special place in my heart for Saint Mary-of-the-Woods,” said Nancy.
Nancy retired from the Dayton Metro Library after 30 years of service in 2014. Morg retired from Marathon Oil Company in 2010, after which he started his own company, Hydraulic, Measurement, and Inspection Consulting, LLC which he still runs today. The couple have four daughters and five grandchildren.
Back to that blind date
“It was truly a blind date,” recounted Morg. “We didn’t even share photos, although we talked several times on the phone. I had attended a couple of mixers at The Woods, but only in the Le Fer first floor rec room. I had never seen the Guerin rotunda, which was impressive, and to say the least, eye-opening. Then my friend Dave Crossan and I had to wait for the ladies to be informed that we were awaiting them, which seemed like an eternity. I began to wonder what I’d done.”
“But, there was Nancy in an ‘Alice Blue’ cocktail dress descending the stairs. In my eyes her feet never touched marble all the way down,” said Morg with a catch in his throat and a tear in his eye.
‘Alice blue’ is a pale blue color, favored by its namesake Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, who helped to launch it into pop culture fame as both a fashion sensation and hit song called “Alice Blue Gown.”
Karen Dyer is the vice president for advancement and strategic initiatives at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.