A Thousand Forests

By Shelley Little

Legacy families are not new to St. Ambrose University. There are many family trees whose branches are laden with proud Ambrosians, but the limbs of the Henkhaus and Gannaway trees are especially ripe with St. Ambrose history.

Anne Gannaway, vice president for Institutional Advancement, has a deep-rooted St. Ambrose heritage. Anne's father, the beloved Ed Henkhaus '64, is a proud alumnus who worked in the university's business office for 29 years, starting as the chief financial officer and swiftly moving up to vice president for finance.

"My dad is happily retired now, but it seems there is not a day that goes by when someone on campus doesn't stop me to ask how he is," Anne said with a smile.

Anne's family personifies the meaning of being Ambrosian, and it's not just because the branches of her family tree are filled with St. Ambrose staff, faculty, students, alumni, and overall Ambrose enthusiasts. It is more so because her family embodies the traditions and values of St. Ambrose; they reflect what it means to be Ambrosian and emulate how we strive to learn, live, and work in and for the community. Hers is a family that has helped guide our mission and vision-her family is our family.

Anne and her husband, Ethan Gannaway, PhD, associate professor and co-director of the Academy for the Study of Saint Ambrose of Milan, continue to build their family legacy at St. Ambrose. They were married on campus in the Christ the King Chapel, where their three boys-Owen, Henry, and Charlie-were also baptized. Their oldest boy, Owen, now attends St. Ambrose.

Ethan and Anne have many shared memories on campus, with Ethan's favorite being "June 8, 2002, well before I was ready to teach anywhere, let alone at SAU, when Anne and I got married in the Chapel." Ethan laughs as he recounts sitting in on a meeting soon after Anne was hired in 2012 as the director of alumni engagement. During the meeting, Anne commented on something, prompting Ethan to jump in. He said he couldn't help himself. "I told her in front of everyone that I thought her insights were amazing. She whispered back, 'You can't do that in meetings!'"

Many of Anne's childhood memories revolve around her mother and father's support of women's athletics, notably the SAU women's basketball team.

"At the time, there was not a big focus on our female athletes," Anne said. "I was an athlete, and my mom and dad really supported the women's basketball team. Our family vacations even revolved around St. Ambrose as we traveled to many of their games." Coached by Lisa Bluder, today the renowned Iowa women's basketball coach, the team adopted Anne as their water girl.

"They made me feel like an integral part of the team," Anne said. "I looked up to Coach Bluder and the student athletes. They were such incredible role models, both on and off the court."

You could say that Anne and her older brothers, Paul '93 and John, grew up on campus.

"Dad didn't just work here; it was a big part of our life as a family," Anne said. "I still remember the first time Dad brought home the big box of returned checks. He called us all around the dining room table, and we all had to go through stacks to put them in sequential order. It was fun the first time, but then we realized this was a monthly ritual, and we all quickly began to disappear when he arrived home with the box of checks."

Anne is proud of her family ties to the university. Besides her dad and brother, she has two uncles, an aunt, a cousin, a cousin's daughter, and her son are all graduates or soon-to-be graduates of St. Ambrose.

But Anne's father experienced a much different St. Ambrose than more recent family graduates.

"When I started at St. Ambrose College in 1960, it was an all-male institution and we were required to attend Mass daily," recalled Ed, whose brother, Jim Henkhaus '66, attended St. Ambrose two years after he did.

While some things have changed, our mission and focus on successful student outcomes remain steadfast. "I majored in accounting and had an exceptional experience and education led by an outstanding accounting department. St. Ambrose delivered a close-knit, faith-filled community with personal mentoring," Ed said.

Ed returned to St. Ambrose in 1979 hoping to make a mark professionally-a time when St. Ambrose did not have an endowment and his accounting skills were greatly sought after.

"I worked hard to save funds and to create a lasting legacy at St. Ambrose. The tight, faith-based community and student-centered approach have always been the bedrock of the institution. I worked with talented professionals led by my friend, Dr. Rogalski. When I retired in 2008, my goals of establishing a substantial endowment were achieved."

Ed's exhibited modesty is a trait most have come to expect from a man that his son-in-law Ethan describes as someone with "an utterly unfailing and deep integrity that only a few really know."

The truth is Ed would not budge on budget, squirreling away over the years, and the magnitude of his actions continues to ensure other families can grow their own Ambrose family trees for generations to come.

"I am proud that my family has become such a significant part of St. Ambrose and created their own special experiences," Ed said. "I am forever grateful for my years at St. Ambrose and its positive and lasting impact on my family and me."