College Dedicates Independence Hall Library With Justice Barrett
Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, dedicated its new Independence Hall library on Sept. 26.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett spoke as part of the program that also included the college’s president, Stephen D. Minnis; Michael Kuckelman, chairman of the board of directors; Provost and Dean of the College Dr. Kimberly Shankman; and recent alums Jeffery Schremmer, who spoke at the library’s groundbreaking in 2023; and Lt. Arturo Hernandez, USMC, class of 2022. Senator Jerry Moran, R-Kan, also spoke, along with Abbot James Albers of St. Benedict Abbey, who led prayers.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett in her remarks spoke of the importance of libraries, and of the U.S. Constitution, “the oldest written constitution in the world.”
She said, “My hope is that this library will help the students of Benedictine College defend the American project today. And I hope that it will bring them together to discuss new ideas, forge friendships and, importantly, learn to disagree respectfully. In a time of hyper-polarization, many have limited interactions with those whose beliefs they do not like. But citizens must learn to disagree about ideas without making enemies of the people who hold them. The success of the American project depends on it.”
President Stephen D. Minnis (read his complete remarks here) spoke of the library as the college’s “Trophy Building” in the classical, Greek, sense, and how its presence completes the campus:
“The tower of Elizabeth Hall — the original Abbey and now a residence hall — has come to represent our extraordinary Community, and the Abbey Bell Tower, rising above the Blessed Sacrament, the highest point on campus, unmistakably represents our Faith,” he said. “And now there is a third tower on this hill. The tower of the Moritz Library stands as a visible sign of Scholarship. The mission of Benedictine College is now written into the very architecture of our campus.”
Chairman of the Board Michael Kuckelman spoke (read his full remarks here) about the importance of the building to Atchison, known for “The Spirit of America.” He listed Atchison’s claims to fame:
“Lewis and Clark celebrated American independence on the Missouri River below us. A railroad bearing Atchison’s name carried the American story westward. Abraham Lincoln came to this town as the nation wrestled with the meaning of liberty — and little more than a year later stood at Independence Hall as the new star of Kansas was raised above it,” he said. “And today, on these bluffs overlooking that same Missouri River, we dedicate a great library inspired by Independence Hall.”
He added: Here in the middle of the map, America still remembers who she is, upholding the principles that make life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness possible.”
Dean Kimberly Shankman (read her full remarks here) spoke of the importance of the library to the college’s mission to educate students in a community of faith and scholarship.
“If you walk through this library, you can feel how perfectly it captures the distinctiveness of our mission,” she said. “The students congregating in the coffee shop or reading quietly in the main reading room while in the presence of dramatic portraits of Sts. Benedict and Scholastica are preparing themselves, by being immersed in the mission, to take it with them when they leave. By forming them, the mission creates people who can Transform Culture in America.”
The Lewis and Clark Fife and Drum Corps from St. Charles, Mo., opened the event, marching into the grand hallway between the college’s facsimile of the Liberty Bell and Assembly Room.
The color guard from the Sons of the American Revolution presented the flag as the Benedictine College Chamber Singers performed the National Anthem.
Senator Jerry Moran, R-Kan, spoke first, praising Benedictine College’s new library and President Minnis for his leadership, saying “This is a place that makes a difference, and you make a difference here,” adding, “There is no one in this room more respected, more highly prized.”
Moran spoke to the college’s Transform Culture in America plans, from which the library arose, saying, “We change the world one soul at a time, and one citizen at a time. … It happens here every day at Benedictine College. … If we could judge the world and its future by what happens here at this college, we can have a very warm spot in our heart and a very bright sense of hope.”
Two recent graduates gave stirring speeches at the event.
Jefferey Schremmer, class of 2025, spoke at the event (read his full remarks here). He had spoken at the groundbreaking of the library three years ago.
“This library represents more than just a building ,” he said. It is “a testament to a generation of discouraged young people that yes, in fact, you ought to love your country, yes, you ought to love your faith, and yes, you ought, and truly you must Transform Culture in America. And that starts right here, at this library, at Benedictine College.”
Lt. Arturo Hernandez ended the event by sharing his story of coming to America as a 10-year-old from Mexico with his mother, then becoming an American citizen and joining the U.S. Marine Corps (read his full remarks here).
“I am filled with gratitude. I am filled with pride,” he said. “And I am filled with an overwhelming love for this country. I came to America as a child. America became my home. And today, I have the honor of serving the country I am so proud to call my own. That is the American story. It is a story of hope. It is a story of opportunity. It is a story of sacrifice. And it is a story worth defending.”
Founded in 1858, Benedictine College is a Catholic, Benedictine, residential, liberal arts college located on the bluffs above the Missouri River in Atchison, Kansas. The school is honored to have received a top 10 ranking by U.S. News & World Report, to be ranked in the nation’s 10 most-recommended colleges by The Wall Street Journal and named one of the top Catholic colleges in the nation by the Newman Guide. It prides itself on outstanding academics, extraordinary faith life, strong athletic programs, and an exceptional sense of community and belonging. Benedictine College is dedicated to Transforming Culture in America through its mission to educate men and women within a community of faith and scholarship.
