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About
Fidelity & ExcellenceThomas Aquinas College is unique among American colleges and universities, offering a faithfully Catholic education comprised entirely of the Great Books and classroom discussions.
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A Liberating Education
Truth MattersTruth, and nothing less, sets men free; and because truth is both natural and supernatural, the College’s curriculum aims at both natural and divine wisdom.
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A Catholic Life
Under the Light of FaithThe intellectual tradition and moral teachings of the Catholic Church infuse the whole life of Thomas Aquinas College, illuminating the curriculum and the community alike.
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Admission & Aid
Is TAC Right for You?Do you enjoy grappling with complex questions? Are you willing to engage in discussions about difficult concepts, with the truth as your ultimate goal?
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Students & Parents
Mind, Body & SpiritThere is always something to do at TAC — something worthwhile, something fulfilling, and something geared toward ever-greater spiritual and intellectual growth.
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Alumni & Careers
What Can You Do with a Liberal Education?Nothing speaks more to the versatility of the College’s academic program than the good that our alumni are doing throughout the Church and the world.
In Memoriam: Kathleen A. Burke (1922 – 2017)
Please pray for the repose of a dear friend and generous benefactor of the College, Kathleen Adell Burke. Miss Burke died Sunday evening, after receiving the Anointing of the Sick earlier in the day, at an Orange County hospital near her home in Los Alamitos, California.
A native of Missouri, Miss Burke earned a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Louis University in 1944. She then moved to California, where she worked in the healthcare field throughout her adult life. She held positions in numerous organizations as a health nutritionist, developing and supervising meal programs for schools and neighborhood centers throughout the state.
“Kathleen was also an extraordinary minister of the Holy Eucharist, and she brought spiritual comfort and her lively personality to the elderly and incapacitated in hospitals and assisted living homes in Orange County,” says Tom Susanka, the College’s director of gift planning. “She loved to recount her unexpected — and, she insisted, unmerited — joy of witnessing God’s grace and mercy accompanying her ministry for the Church. During her many visits to the sick and dying, she saw men and women return to the practice and peace of their Catholic faith after years of separation from it.”
It was through her onetime pastor in San Diego — the College’s first chaplain, Msgr. John Gallagher — that Miss Burke became aware of Thomas Aquinas College. Drawn by the College’s strong Catholic identity and the morally healthy student life it engenders, she became a loyal member of the President’s Council in 1990.
In her generosity Miss Burke even made provisions for the College that would extend beyond her death. As a member of the Legacy Society, she named the College as a beneficiary of three gift annuities and a life-insurance policy. In her estate planning she willed to the College several rental properties that she owned in Los Alamitos. She also designated Thomas Aquinas College as a principal beneficiary of a private endowment that will likely provide for the financial aid needs of four students per year, every year, in perpetuity.
At Commencement 2011 the College honored Miss Burke by inducting her into the Order of St. Albert the Great. Established in 1998, the Order is named for the great 13th century bishop and celebrated scientist who was the teacher of the College’s patron, St. Thomas Aquinas. Membership in the Order is reserved for those benefactors whose generosity to Thomas Aquinas College has been exceptional, and their names appear on the pedestal of a statue of St. Albert that stands in the College’s academic quadrangle.
“Kathleen leaves a legacy of generosity and kindness to the numerous charities and people she knew and served over her life,” says Mr. Susanka. “She is a model for the practice of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.”