OMAHA — Creighton University School of Law on Friday announced what it said is the largest gift in its 120-year history.
The $9.7 million came from the estate of James Menehan, who graduated in the law school class of 1963.
Menehan died last October at age 85 in Monroe, Wisconsin. The alumnus was an attorney who worked at CUNA Mutual in Madison before retiring to care for his parents, according to a statement from Creighton.
“His generosity will create a legacy of support that will create numerous meaningful experiences for our law students for years to come,” said Josh Fershée, dean of Creighton’s law school.
“This gift will create scholarships, support our students and faculty and help provide the tools necessary for a next-generation law school.”
A donor since 1988, Menehan started with a $175 gift and contributed annually to the university ever since.
His godson, the Rev. David Flanagan of Cuba City, Wisconsin, said that beyond his generosity, Menehan was kind and had a great sense of humor.
“I know he enjoyed being at Creighton and that he had a lot of respect and affinity for the School of Law,” Flanagan said.
The Rev. Daniel Hendrickson, president of Creighton, said he was “profoundly grateful” to Menehan.
“Clearly, Creighton greatly influenced his life and career, mostly so in the excellence of the legal education he received,” Hendrickson said. “With this transformative gift, he will ensure that Creighton’s School of Law continues to be one of the finest in the country, training a new generation of lawyers and judges in the Jesuit tradition.”
