The Dorene and Jerry Hammes Library Endowment for Critical Technologies in Engineering Dedicated to Rev. Theodore Hesburgh was established in 1995 by Jerry (’53) and Dorene Hammes. Father Hesburgh officiated the couple’s wedding ceremony, and was present as they renewed their vows on their 50^th wedding anniversary, in his 13^th floor office chapel in the Hesburgh Library. 

Dorene and Jerry continue to strengthen the Hammes family’s long relationship with Notre Dame through their service and support. Jerry is a member of the Hesburgh Libraries Advisory Council. Dorene has served on the Women’s Advisory Council and established a bereavement program at Notre Dame. They created the Dorene and Jerry Hammes Family Scholarship and were involved in the gifting of Hammes Mowbray Hall on campus. In addition to Jerry’s service on the Board of Trustees for Holy Cross and Saint Mary’s Colleges, both Jerry and Dorene are recipients of the President’s Medal, and have been leaders in many efforts in the South Bend community. They are the parents of four children: Jeffrey (’92), John, Susan, and Geralyn.

The Hammes Endowment helps the Hesburgh Libraries meet the information needs of student engineers and engineering faculty, providing them with the resources to support new research initiatives that are bringing a growing College of Engineering into the national spotlight. New acquisitions made possible through the growth of the Hammes Collection, such as e-books in computer science and energy, offer these talented researchers the means to expand possibilities for innovation and discovery.