Claude Gagnon '53
2007 Alma Mater Award

“To comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”  With this motto to guide his life, Claude Gagnon has worked relentlessly to help those unable to help themselves.  In doing so, he continues to fulfill the Norbertine mission of “self-emptying service” to which he was first exposed to as a student at St. Norbert College. 

Although Claude had a long and very successful sales career, including several years as President of Wisconsin Face Brick and Supply Corporation, it is his tireless volunteer activity that has so well-exemplified what the College hopes to inculcate in all its students. 

Some of his service to the community includes being a CCD teacher, helping with the Explorer Scouts Sailing Program, construction of Children’s Park in Florida, supporting Prolife/Citizens for Life, and working on Rotary International Projects.  However, it was his work with and on behalf of poor in Haiti in the 1980’s that led to a passionate commitment to helping the “poorest of the poor.”  Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, but is so much richer because of the efforts of Claude and other selfless people like him. 

Claude first began his service to the Haitian people in 1988 by volunteering as a Rotarian in the Central plateau of Haiti. 1999 began his association with St. Joseph’s Home for Boys, Wings of Hope for mentally and physically challenged children, and Trinity House for Boys.  Since 2003, he has developed a full-time commitment to volunteering with orphanages in Haiti.  His activities on behalf of Haiti’s orphans include fundraising –especially when he visits the States--, building a soccer field, recruiting other volunteers, assisting with physical therapy, organizing field trips for the children, providing leadership training for the older boys at Trinity House and at St. Joseph’s, and performing general maintenance, electrical and mechanical repair work.  Claude’s efforts are clearly hands-on.  But, there’s more, much more. 

With three young Haitian men, he has helped to developed three elementary schools in “Cite Soleil”, one of the poorest slums in Port au Prince.  At present, they are trying to start a meal program for 400 elementary school children.

With a goal of helping people to help themselves to a better life, a current project involves developing a bakery at Trinity House Orphanage  This bakery is designed to provide vocational training for older boys, income for the orphanage, and food for the community. 

In his total devotion to helping the Haitian people, Claude has so far recruited over 25 volunteers to contribute their talents in Haiti.  In addition, he has personally raised over $80,000.00 for his various projects, has helped construct and maintain 40 freshwater wells, helped begin goat breeding projects in five villages, helped instigate an irrigation project in the Central plateau . Through Rotary  distributed Sun Ovens  and began three village banking projects to provide seed money for starting small businesses in that same area 

Dr. Michael Karr, President of Medical Relief International, who has served the Haitian people for the past 20 years, said of Claude:  “…no one, including myself, can ‘hold a candle’  to Claude for the work he has done for the people of Haiti.  NO only has he selflessly given himself, he has decided…to serve those of Haiti that Haiti itself often ignores:  mentally disabled children, children in orphanages, and those who are even considered ‘poor’ by Haitian standards…  I’ve always said and told others, that Claude should be considered the ‘male version’ of Mother Theresa!”  As Howard Hetzel, Administrator of Holton Brothers, Inc., and a friend of Claude’s, said “All he notices is the beauty of the Haitian people and how loving they can be.” 

Many Neitzel, another of the many individuals who nominated Claude for the Alma Mater Award, said:  “His work with the orphanages and the disabled children has been the most committed I’ve ever seen.  He has put them before himself for such a long time” and “the sacrifice he has endured just to help is remarkable…”

Michael Geilenfeld, founder and Executive Director of St. Joseph’s Home for Boys, remarked that “Even more important than the funding Claude generates for special projects in Haiti, he spends quality one-on-one time with the youth, letting them know through his affirming presence that he see great value in them” –something that is “very important for these youth who have known so much rejection in their early years of life.” 

Claude Gagnon is a person who “lives his life for the betterment of others, with no thought of personal financial gain.”  St. Norbert College should be very proud of an alumnus like Claude who lives his Norbertine values by the work he performs on behalf of the people of Haiti.