Dr. Steven Feeney ’77 and Wife, Ruth, Commit to Support Mount Marty Academics and Residence Life

Mount Marty University received a significant planned gift commitment from longtime supporters Dr. Steven and Ruth Feeney, the Catholic, Benedictine school announced today. The gift, the largest the university has received since 2017, will go toward residence life, several academic programs, and add to the Dr. Steven and Ruth Feeney Endowed Scholarship Fund. Steven, a 1977 Mount Marty alumnus, is a physician who specializes in internal and geriatric medicine.

Steven has fond memories of his time at Mount Marty. “Sister Laeticia Kilser, my chemistry professor and my mentor, helped me design my classes for the four years I was here,” he said. Steven credits her with his academic success as an undergraduate student. He started the Laeticia Kilser Scholarship while she was still alive to commemorate her impact on his life. He especially remembers the passion for teaching of the faculty, many of them Benedictine sisters. “I learned that passion from them,” said Steven. He has taught medical students, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and other doctors during his career.

Ruth loves to visit Mount Marty with Steven. “He always comes back and feels like he’s home,” she said. Specifically, Steven called Whitby room 213 home for all four of his years as a student. He and Ruth took a tour of campus earlier this month and even found a plaque outside room 213 commemorating a previous gift from the Feeneys. 

“We are deeply honored by Steven and Ruth’s generosity,” said Mark Brown, president of Mount Marty. “The Feeneys recognize the importance of our students’ wellbeing. Their contribution will support our efforts to provide students with a community that feels like home.” Steven was president of the South Dakota State Medical Association from 2002 to 2003. He spent many years in private practice before serving as a hospitalist for the final 13 years of his medical career. During that time, he held roles with Mayo Clinic Health System, Prairie Lakes Healthcare System and MercyOne Health System, including serving as medical director of the hospitalist programs at Prairie Lakes and MercyOne.

“What makes Steven and Ruth’s gift so meaningful is that it reflects the whole Mount Marty experience,” said Andy Carr, vice president for advancement. “Their generosity will touch where students live, how they learn and the opportunities available to them. From scholarships and residence life to Justice Studies, biology and chemistry, this gift reflects Steven and Ruth’s belief that a Mount Marty education is about more than preparing someone for a career. It is about developing people who will make a difference in the lives of others.”

Steven served for many years on the university’s Board of Trustees, concluding his tenure in May 2017. “I wanted to do something important for the future,” he said of his involvement. “Mount Marty is carrying out the Benedictine tradition,” despite the passing of many of the sisters who formed his experience.

Part of the Feeneys’ gift will go toward the Justice Studies major, formerly known as Criminal Justice. “I want people in the justice system that have Mount Marty ethics. I think it would be a better system for the future,” said Steven. He explained that having ethically trained officers in the criminal justice system would benefit society for generations.

During their visit, the Feeneys also met with Dr. Chun Wu, professor of chemistry, and Dr. Kathleen Gibson, associate professor of biology, to learn more about the opportunities available to current students. They want today’s medical students to lead with compassion and care. Steven recalled caring for a patient in the emergency room who was in major pain, suffering from stage four terminal cancer. Steven stayed with the man and eventually gave him enough pain relief so he could sleep for two hours, which was more rest than he had in months.

“You take care of the patient, and you make them comfortable,” he said. “What I’m trying to do here today is to help develop people that will do the right thing.”

For Steven and Ruth, the gift is about ensuring that the Mount Marty experience that influenced Steven’s life continues for generations of students to come. They also hope their commitment encourages other alumni and friends to consider what Mount Marty has meant in their own lives and how they might help shape its future.

“Mount Marty made a difference in my life, and Ruth and I are fortunate to be in a position to give back,” Steven said. “I hope other alumni and friends will think about what Mount Marty has meant to them and consider how they might help provide those same opportunities for future students. Pay it forward.”