Lawrence Herbolsheimer said his father George and aunt Henrietta worked hard to make sure they left the world better than they found it.
The Herbolsheimer Family Foundation Trust had been granting scholarships to La Salle–Peru High School students for more than 23 years and it had money left over. The family donated those funds for the renovation of the Alumni Conference Room at the school to become the Herbolsheimer Alumni Room.
“We wanted to give back to the community.”
Lawrence Herbolsheimer, of the Herbolsheimer Family Foundation Trust
The Board of Education approved a resolution Wednesday renaming the Alumni Conference Room in honor of the Herbolsheimers and hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“We wanted to give back to the community,” Lawrence Herbolsheimer said. “I’m so glad that plaque is there because many people will take the time to read it and maybe be inspired by what these two people have done.”
Board President Greg Sarver outlined the impact the Herbolsheimer family had on not only L-P High School but also to their community. Superintendent Steven Wrobleski added it was exciting to think about the alumni room being utilized for generations and he hopes it will be an inspiration for students to reach their accomplishments.
The room was named in recognition of siblings George L. Herbolsheimer III (1911-1992) and Dr. Henrietta M. Herbolsheimer (1913-1999). Both are graduates of L-P High School.
Lawrence co-founded the Herbolsheimer, Lannon, Henson, Duncan and Reagan law firm, and in 1941, joined the United States Army Corps and rose to the ranks of lieutenant colonel. When he returned home to Peru, he worked with many local organizations including the Boy Scouts, the Kiwanis, the United Way and the Masons. He served, volunteering his time, as the attorney for the high school and junior college, according to a news release.
His sister, Dr. Henrietta M. Herbolsheimer was chief of the Maternal and Child Hygiene Division of the Illinois State Department of Health and helped to establish licensing standards for Illinois hospitals and nursing homes. She taught at the University of Chicago School of Medicine from 1951 to 1980 and was associate professor emerita at the time of her death. She wrote widely for many medical journals. In 1985, she received the Benjamin Rush Award from the American Medical Association for outstanding citizenship and public service, according to a news release.
The updated space includes a plaque with George and Henrietta’s photographs in the center of the room with a brief summary of each of their accomplishments. The room has custom wooden cabinets displaying artifacts throughout L-P’s history, such as a typewriter, yearbooks and jerseys, as well as a projector.
The conference room will be used for small group administrative, faculty and staff meetings, as well as alumni activities.
But, the Herbolsheimer family hopes that room will “inspire” generations of L-P students to become the best version of themselves and give selflessly to their community, the same way George and Henrietta did.
“I’d love to have it become a place of thinking, for people to be able to come together and say ‘you know what can I do to help contribute to society to make it better,’” said Robert T. Herbolsheimer.
