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Jesuit Journeys
Winter 2002
Marquette Block Party
Students, partners for others, rebuild houses for others
Above: Marquette University High School students, parents, alumni, and partners from the Merrill Park
Neighborhood Association paint and repair the front porch of a neglected house and give it a new
lease on life. Their labor of love is symbolic of a dedication to serve others.
Marquette University High School is looking
for a third house to renovate and sell as
part of an ongoing program to improve
the neighborhood around its urban Milwaukee
campus by promoting local home ownership in the
area, a section of the city known as Merrill Park.
A joint effort of the school and the Merrill Park
Neighborhood Association, the Partners Project
recently sold a fully rehabilitated duplex directly
across the street from the school for $80,000 – a
price that would have been unheard of in the area a
few years ago.
New owner Maude Wilson is all smiles after Milwaukee Mayor John O. Norquist
presented her with the house keys last fall.
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“This is the second absentee-owner property
we’ve renovated and sold since 1998. As before, we’ll
use the sale money to help finance another renovation,”
says Sue Smith, MUHS vice president. “We’re really excited about what’s happening in the neighborhood
and the role our students, parents, and
alumni play working alongside neighborhood association
volunteers and generous local businesses in
spirited service.”
The new owner, Maude Wilson, received the
keys to the home at a ceremony in November.
Milwaukee Mayor John O. Norquist attended the
event, thanked everyone associated with the project,
and encouraged continuation of work while wishing
Wilson, a 71-year-old retired obstetrics technician
and a 27-year Merrill Park renter, good luck in her
new home.
Marquette High President Fr. Doug Leonhardt,
SJ explained that the school’s presence in Merrill
Park and involvement in the Partners Project reflect
an almost 460-year-old Jesuit tradition of commitment
to cities and their residents, who help make
our urban areas centers of faith and culture.
“Home ownership in our neighborhood was just
under 19 percent in 1990. Now it’s 60 percent,” says
Bob Greene, executive director of the Merrill Park
Neighborhood Association. Home prices that averaged
$23,000 in 1994 now average more than
$70,000. Crime is down and there are indicators of
increased neighborhood pride.
High school alumni
Dan Druml (left) and Tom Kuesel consult on the progress of the Partners Project rehabilitation efforts.
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“People are cutting their grass, taking care of
their yards, and you don’t see trash blowing around
like you used to,” Greene says.
“We want to help stabilize the area,” Smith says.
“After we did the first house a few blocks from the
school, we decided to try and keep our focus in this
block and make it our impact block.”
The practice also serves as a billboard for the
value of community involvement for students and
their parents.
“As they come and go from school each day, they
see the progress we’re making and how working
together helps make things better for everyone,”
Smith says.
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For more information about Marquette High, write to
Marquette University High School
3401 W.Wisconsin Ave.,
Milwaukee, WI 53208 / Tel: 414-933-7220
or go to their website: www.muhs.edu
Return to Winter 2002 issue
Previous Article: Province News
Next Article: Our Lady of the Sioux Parish standing tall after rebounding from tornado.
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