Bishop Noll inducts retired faculty member, school historian into Hall of Honor

   During a special ceremony, Noll President Paul Mullaney ’77 introduced Putz and presented her with a framed medal to show Noll’s gratitude for her service. In his introduction, he explained that during his own junior year at Bishop Noll, he was assigned to Miss McMahon’s English literature class. 

   “Before long, I could see how Miss McMahon had a true passion for the English language and for the works of great American writers. Whether it was breaking down the words of Upton Sinclair, S.E. Hinton, John Updike, or even the lyrics of Don McLean’s ‘American Pie,’ which we did in class, she left an impression with us that words really mattered and they could tell great stories if crafted well.”

   Mullaney explained that the following year, he was appointed editor of the JourNoll student newspaper and Miss McMahon served as the faculty advisor, mentoring students about the importance of words and truth in reporting. McMahon later married and took off a few years to raise her children, but returned to teach these important lessons to even more Bishop Noll Warriors. After retiring in 2007, Putz remained active in her community in the worlds of quilting and genealogy. 

   As the date of Noll’s Centennial – Sept. 16, 2021 – drew closer, Mullaney asked Putz to join a history committee, which was tasked with properly documenting the school’s history. Putz, a dedicated alum with a passion for good writing and ancestry research, took the lead on researching and writing a history book.    With the help of other contributors, researchers, editors and designers, the book began to take shape. Eventually titled “Forever Noll: The First 100 Years of Bishop Noll Institute,” the project grew into a coffee table book of more than 300 pages, featuring stories, photos and facts from every school year from 1921 to 2021. Putz’s attention to detail and journalism background, as well as the skills of the other history committee members, led to the most thorough history of the school to date. 

   In her acceptance speech, Putz thanked her family for listening to all the Bishop Noll stories for four years and stepping over the piles of yearbooks, newspapers and historical documents around the house as she worked on writing the book. Her speech also focused on the phrase “who would have thought.” 

   “Who would have thought that as a freshman at Bishop Noll, I would, years later, end up writing the 100 year history of Bishop Noll?” she said. “Who would have thought as a teacher in the 1970s, I would become the adviser for the JourNoll and that Paul Mullaney would be my first editor? Years later he would be the president of the school when Bishop Noll turned 100. Who would have thought that when I taught at Bishop Noll in the ’80s, that my colleagues – namely Father Bertino, Mary Ann Golden and Tom Golden – would kindly agree to be part of the writing committee for the history book? … and who would have thought when I retired that Paul would call and say, ‘I think we should write a book about the history of Bishop Noll.’ ”

   “Forever Noll: The First 100 Years of Bishop Noll Institute” is on sale now at Bishop Noll Institute, 1519 Hoffman St. in Hammond, and online at https://forevernollshop.givesmart.com. It has been produced with the assistance of presenting sponsor Notre Dame Federal Credit Union.