A new gift from one of its most well-known and transformational benefactor families is further positioning the University of St. Thomas to shape the future of health care and healing.
Five years after their $25 million investment launched and named the Morrison Family College of Health, John and Susan Morrison have taken their impact to the next level. Their newest commitment will drive the expansion of academic programs and facilities within the college, including the flagship Susan S. Morrison School of Nursing.
The gift will immediately fund construction of 8,000 square feet of unfinished space in the university’s newest and largest academic facility, the Schoenecker Center – accelerating St. Thomas’ ability to meet rising demand for its nursing programs and providing students with state-of-the-art learning environments. It marks the first step in a broader vision for program expansion within the Morrison Family College of Health, beginning with the launch of a new Doctor of Nursing Practice and a Master’s in Public Health.
“Through their extraordinary generosity, vision and decades of leadership, John and Sue Morrison have shaped the very fabric of St. Thomas,” said Rob Vischer, president of the University of St. Thomas. “They push us to think bigger and reach higher to further our mission and our position as a leader in Catholic health care education.”
The gift will help advance the Morrison Family College of Health’s 10-year strategic plan, which calls for the future expansion of education facilities, new academic programs and increased enrollment in the college. These priorities – which will be realized through the generosity of the Morrisons and additional philanthropic partners – will position St. Thomas to further strengthen its leadership in addressing critical workforce needs.
The Morrisons’ generous support of St. Thomas spans more than 30 years and includes co-chairing the university's Opening Doors capital campaign (2007–12). Their name-bearing legacy can be seen across the St. Paul and Minneapolis campuses, positively transforming the St. Thomas experience for countless students and the broader community.
John Morrison has served on the University’s Board of Trustees since 1996, including a term as chair. He is the inaugural chair emeritus of the College of Health Advisory Board. Sue Morrison, a nurse by training, is an inaugural member of the School of Nursing Advisory Board. Her nursing experience includes work in obstetrics, chemical dependency and teen health clinics.
In recognition of this gift and Sue Morrison’s longstanding legacy to St. Thomas, dedication to nursing and lifelong passion for improving health care, the new Schoenecker Center lab space opening in fall 2026 will be named the Susan S. Morrison Learning and Simulation Lab, and the Summit Classroom Building will be renamed Susan S. Morrison Hall.
“We founded this college on the belief that we must transform health care through whole-person healing, advocacy and systems change. This gift ensures we can realize that vision,” said MayKao Hang, Morrison Family Chair and Founding Dean, Morrison Family College of Health. “The Susan S. Morrison Learning and Simulation Lab will be a place where students learn to care for people, not just treat illness, and where our Catholic values are lived daily.”
St. Thomas awarded John an honorary Doctor of Law degree in 1999 and Sue an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree in 2012.
