Lois Dittus ’59 Has a Plan for Dominican’s Future

Lois Dittus ’59 has been deeply involved with Rosary College and Dominican University from her days as a student through her years as an alumna. Her experiences, along with those of her husband, fueled the couple’s decision to include Dominican in their estate plan. Dominican will receive a future gift of the remainder of the Dittuses’ TIAA-CREF retirement account.

Lois did not begin her college education at Rosary; she arrived as a transfer student in the middle of her sophomore year. As Lois recalls, “I had a good friend whose sister was a friend of Sr. Thomasine Cusack,” the longtime professor and chair of the economics department, “and she suggested I look at Rosary College.” When reflecting on her decision to attend Rosary, Lois notes that “Sr. Thomasine and [former dean of students] Sr. Fredericus were very persuasive!”

After graduating, she worked for a time in the Admissions Office and served on the alumni council. On the occasion of her 50th class reunion, Lois was a leader in raising funds to establish the Class of 1959 Endowed Scholarship. She and her husband Bob have been married for 57 years. They have two children and now live outside of Milwaukee in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

“Rosary College instilled in me intellectual curiosity and a great respect for women who were intellectual ‘giants,’ ” says Lois. Her sense of gratitude, coupled with Bob’s perspective as a retired administrator at another private liberal arts college, explains the value they place on “the great importance of access to education.”

They chose their retirement account as the vehicle for their gift because of the tax advantages. Family members have to pay income tax when inheriting most retirement funds, whereas nonprofits do not pay taxes. Retirement-plan designations are considered one of the “simple” ways to make a charitable gift.

“We want to help the university continue to attract quality students,” affirms Lois, “regardless of financial ability.”