Dr. Alice M. Fox was a life-long learner and a staunch advocate for women’s education. Growing up in Chicago, Fox attended the all-girls high school Immaculata. After graduating she attended Clarke College studying science and then went on to earn a Ph.D. in Philosophy. She became a Sister of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM) and taught at the all-women’s college, receiving numerous research grants from institutions such as the American Heart Association. In the early 1960s, Sr. Alice Marie led research teams of female science majors investigating the causes and treatment of heart disease. Alice left the BVM’s and returned home to Chicago where she continued to teach biology and received a nursing degree from the University of Illinois-Chicago so that she could care for her aging mother. Dr. Fox dedicated her life to learning and teaching science and in her free time, she truly enjoyed the performing arts and international travel.
After Immaculata closed, she searched for another Chicago area girl’s school to support. In addition to the renovation of the auditorium, a scholarship for a Trinity student who has scientific curiosity coupled with the tenacity and drive to pursue a future in the sciences was made possible due to the generosity of a $2 million bequest left to Trinity by Dr. Alice M. Fox.
About the Trinity Auditorium: Trinity High School was founded in 1918 by the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters. In 1923 they moved from the grounds of Rosary College to a new building on Lathrop and Division. The Trinity High School Auditorium was built as an addition to the school in 1963. To help finance the construction, the students sold “The World’s Finest Chocolate.” At the time it was built, it was the largest venue of its kind in the Western Suburbs. Currently, the auditorium has 1,247 seats and is available for rental.