Professor Austin Conley and his wife, Ruth, may be retired from the faculty, but they are certainly not retired from the college. They are involved in Saint Anselm College in every way they can be, from attending events on campus to lending crucial financial support. Their presence is very much felt, and due to their combined teaching legacy and their planned giving in the form of a charitable remainder trust, it will be felt and remembered as long as there is a Saint Anselm College.

Austin Conley’s first year teaching here was 1948, when he was one of only four non-clergy faculty members. He taught courses in English literature, grammar, Latin and Greek. He chaired the classics department for nearly 30 years.

Ruth Conley ’56 worked in medical and surgical nursing, and later lectured in the Saint Anselm College nursing department.

The Conleys chose to stay near the college after retirement, and they enjoy attending lectures, art exhibits, and commencement exercises. “This is our second home and the people are like family,” Mrs. Conley says.

The professor is an honorary Golden Anselmian, and he notes that some of the students he taught are now Goldens, too.

“We’re happy to be benefactors of the school,” Austin Conley says. “Our interest in Saint Anselm College and our belief in its Benedictine mission and philosophy inspire us to support its educational programs and activities.” The only problem is deciding which to support, Ruth Conley says: “We find ourselves so engrossed in all of the activities.”

The couple are longtime benefactors of the Geisel Library, and in 2001 established an endowed scholarship to assist talented students in the English department. Several recipients have gone on to graduate programs in English or teaching. The 2005 recipient, Victoria Papa ’05, is pursuing an M.A. at the State University of New York at Albany.

“I’m very impressed with how successful Saint Anselm grads are,” Professor Conley says. He has been part of that success through his generosity.

Planned giving—making a gift in trust for the future— means they will continue to be part of Saint Anselm College. “We feel good about that,” says Mrs. Conley. “It’s done; it’s not just a promise.”

When the Conleys are not seen on campus for a few weeks, they are probably traveling, either in Europe or the eastern provinces of Canada. If you want to know them better, don’t go to their website; they are proudly anti-technology. You’d be more likely to find them in the Pub after a Philosophy Department Colloquium, at a Chapel Art Center reception, or in Row J at a Dana Center production.