Note: At its 2016 Commencement exercises, Thomas Aquinas College honored Viltis Jatulis, who, after 45 years of faithful service, is stepping down as the head librarian of St. Bernardine of Siena Library. Below are the remarks that College President Michael F. McLean delivered in Mrs. Jatulis’ honor:

Presentation to Viltis Jatulis

On this auspicious day, we would like to honor a very special member of the Thomas Aquinas College who has been with us since the very beginning — Mrs. Viltis Jatulis, our librarian. Apart from our founders, Mrs. Jatulis is our longest-serving faculty member, and we are all deeply grateful to her for her 45 years of devotion to the College, to Catholic liberal education, and to our students and alumni.

Mrs. Jatulis obtained a bachelor’s of arts degree at the University of Montreal and a master’s degree in library science from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois. With an expert’s eye for quality and substance, she has developed our library from very humble beginnings — a handful of books on a few shelves in a makeshift room — to an impressive 63,000 volumes housed in the beautiful St. Bernardine of Siena Library here on the academic quadrangle.

Not only has Viltis managed that collection with great care and professionalism, but she has also assembled a rare books collection featuring a wide array of unusual and valuable books as well as other treasures, some priceless, such as invaluable letters written by many saints, illuminated manuscripts, and works of Aristotle and St. Thomas dating from the 16th century. Along the way, Viltis has forged strong friendships with many of the College’s friends and benefactors as well as with countless numbers of its students and alumni. 

We will be forever grateful to Viltis for all that she has done professionally for the College and for making the Library an integral part of our educational program.

A generous member of our President’s Council, Viltis has made the 50-mile trek from her home in Woodland Hills to our campus every day for decades now. When most would have retired long ago — especially in the face of that commute — she has instead put her apparently boundless energy at the service of Thomas Aquinas College and its faculty and students.

In the coming academic year, however, Viltis intends to reduce her workload to half-time, and will remain on the faculty, retaining the position of librarian. With this change taking place, Richena Curphey, who has worked with Viltis for a number of years, will be promoted to the faculty of the College and will assume the position of head librarian.

I would like to take a moment to say to Richena, on behalf of all our faculty and board members, that I welcome you to the administrative faculty of the College and have great confidence that you will carry on your mentor’s legacy of devotion and excellence.

I would like now to recognize Mrs. Jatulis for her many years of outstanding service and dedication to the College, and to give her two tokens of our gratitude and esteem: A framed print of the patroness of librarians, St. Katherine of Alexandria, and a quartz rosary with her medal.