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An Affinity for Learning...
The David E. Culligan Saint Luke's to St. Thomas Academy Scholarship Fund
John F. Kennedy once said "Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation." As a strong advocate of higher education, we feel that our father would have unquestionably agreed with that statement.
David Emmett Culligan, M.D. (STMA '55), passed away on August 28th, 2002, from Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). He was 65 years old when he departed, but lived a fulfilling life that will be remembered for his love of reading, travel and pursuit of continuing education. David was unfailingly generous and caring of his children, family, friends, and patients. He was a man who had an affinity for learning, as well as a man intrigued by the rapidly evolving world around him. His life's accomplishments are attributable to the tools earned, and the foundations instilled, as a student at St. Thomas Military Academy. With this in mind, his family has established the David E. Culligan Saint Luke's to St. Thomas Academy Scholarship Fund. The fund is designed to provide financial assistance to a promising young St. Luke's student who desires to attend St. Thomas Academy, but would otherwise be unable to meet the school's tuition requirements.
His family has provided the following biography in order to highlight David E. Culligan's personal and professional accomplishments, as well as to convey the spirit of the scholarship created under his name:
Our father grew up in Saint Paul, just blocks from Saint Luke's Church. He was the middle child of a large Irish Catholic family, which included: his father and mother, John M. Culligan (STMA '12) and Margaret McGovern Culligan; brothers John (STMA '44), Bob (STMA '46) and Joe (STMA '58); and sisters Molly and Margie. As a young "Saint Luker", he enjoyed his childhood to the fullest with neighborhood friends Jerry Dion, Ed Diamond, Mike Eldredge, Tom Helfmann, and several other adventurous pals. Dad liked to have fun, was always curious, and developed a great sense of humor with his Saint Luke's cronies. They all pulled their fair share of shenanigans in and around the Cathedral & Crocus Hill neighborhoods and spent countless Saturday mornings at the Saint Paul Athletic Club swimming, bowling and playing basketball. Dad had many fond memories of his childhood at Saint Luke's grade school. There, he learned the value of Catholic education, developed a love for writing, and earned a City Championship Basketball Trophy. He cultivated lifelong friends at Saint Luke's--friends with whom he traveled to Europe some 50 years later. Saint Luke's had a strong influence on my dad--it was the place that sparked his interest in, and appreciation of, the learning process.
After graduating from Saint Luke's in 1951, Dad was fortunate enough to attend Saint Thomas Military Academy (STMA) in Saint Paul. While at STMA, he established a solid intellectual foundation--one which proved vital to the success of future academic and professional endeavors. At STMA, Dad loved the academic challenge and legendary instructors, both of which helped him excel in the classroom. He was active in many academic organizations: the Chemistry Club, the Biologians Club, the Kathodians Club, and the Quill & Scroll Club. His intellectual curiosity and self-motivation served him well at STMA, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and was an Eagle Award recipient. He was an officer in the Cadet Corps, Commander of the Crack Drill Squad, a football player, a Kaydet and Citation contributor, and a recipient of Good Conduct Awards. These extracurricular activities taught Dad the importance of teamwork and leadership, both of which he exercised throughout his life and which proved essential to his successful surgical career.
Our father's high school interests were not limited to academics and extracurricular activities alone, for he enjoyed building strong social connections as well. Similar to Dad's Saint Luke's days, he reveled in fun and forged deep friendships with other Cadets. Finding resourceful ways of getting to class was part of his daily life. Back in the 1950's, according to Dave Ekstrand (STMA '54), "your father and I used to hitchhike down Summit Avenue together in our STMA uniforms in order to arrive on time for class. As luck would have it, a group of us were frequently picked up by our English Professor, Bob Cooke, in his enormous midnight blue Lincoln". According to Dick Carthaus (STMA '55): "with long standing friendships at the Academy, your dad took me under his wing and taught me the rules of the Academy and what the Military was all about", referring to their lifelong friendship which began when Dick moved to St. Paul for his senior year. Dad's circle of friends grew larger during his years at the Academy. He also reached out and became close friends with many of the boarders in Ireland Hall. According to fellow classmate and STMA boarder Mike Lambert, "of all the day dogs, Dave was probably close to more boarders than any other. He was a friend to me and it seems just about all of the Ireland Hall detainees." Dad was well rounded at the Academy and, upon graduation, was well prepared to meet the challenges ahead.
In the fall of 1955, Dad entered his freshman year of college at the University of Notre Dame. Thanks to the focus that he attained at STMA, he had a clear vision of what he wanted to do in life. Dad enrolled in Pre-Medicine and graduated Cum Laude in three years with the class of 1958. After Notre Dame, he attended Medical School at the University of Minnesota. According to former classmates at the U of M, Dad always kept proper perspective and was good-humored, despite the competitive track he had chosen. Dad graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 1962. After an internship at Milwaukee County Hospital, he proudly served his country as a Captain and Flight Surgeon in the U.S. Air Force from 1963-1965. He completed his surgical residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, where he was the Chief Surgical Resident in 1969. His close friend Dr. Tom Tachofsky recently told us that Dad was the "glue that held their class together throughout the rigors of medical training at the Mayo Clinic".
In partnership with his brother, John A. Culligan, M.D. (STMA '44), Dad practiced general surgery in the Twin Cities from 1969-1990. He completed his medical career in the Fairview Hospital system at Oxboro Clinic in early 2002. As a professional, he was a gifted, accomplished and dedicated surgeon. According to fellow operating room colleagues, he was levelheaded, never lost his cool, and had a great sense of humor. His former patients valued his kind and compassionate sense. He provided them great comfort during their time of need. Family and friends, alike, appreciated his calm and professional medical advice...always just a phone call away.
Dad was an active member of numerous Medical and Surgical Societies; a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons; President of the Minnesota Surgical Society in 1984; and an Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery at the U of M from 1979-2002 where he mentored surgical interns and taught them the finer points of surgery and patient relationship management.
Throughout his life, Dad was constantly learning through books, through new technologies, through his family, and through his travels. His appetite to learn and grasp new concepts, particularly technology, was voracious. Never one to be intimidated by new technologies, he embraced them and leveraged their power. He was fascinated with gadgets and computers and was always tinkering with the latest device. In some ways Dad was a pioneer. As a surgeon in the late 1980's, he was one of the earliest adopters of Laparoscopic Surgery and helped evangelize the procedure through seminars in the medical community.
Our father understood that learning is a life-long pursuit. St. Luke's grade school certainly gave him the "educational spark" but St. Thomas Academy provided the fuel that ignited and fed Dad's life-long passion for learning. With these two schools having such a prominent influence on our dad's life, we believe he would have liked the idea of helping a young St. Luke's student pursue his dreams. So, in memory of our dad, we would like to announce the establishment of the David E. Culligan Saint Luke's to St. Thomas Academy Scholarship Fund. By providing the recipient with financial assistance to attend St. Thomas Academy, he will be exposed to all the same opportunities afforded our father...opportunities that we feel were directly attributable to our dad's rewarding life.
Contributions to the "David E. Culligan St. Luke's-to-St. Thomas Academy Scholarship Fund" can be sent to:
Saint Thomas Academy
955 Lake Drive
Mendota Heights, MN 55120
