Gallant family (L-R): Bridget, Bart, Hilke and Mary
Bart Gallant (’75), with the support of his wife Hilke, embraces the family’s three-generation connection to Gonzaga University through gifting his time, by following his mother’s footsteps in serving on the Board of Regents, and treasure, in continuing the Horrigan Foundation Completion Fund. The Horrigan Foundation Completion Fund is an endowment which provides discretionary funding used by the Office of Financial Aid for students requesting emergency funding in order to attend or complete their education at Gonzaga.
Bart’s family has a special motivation to create opportunities for students in need of financial help. Bart’s grandfather, Judge Bert B.B. Horrigan came from a family of immigrants; B.B. was in fact, the only one of 12 brothers and sisters who had a college education. He became a distinguished judicial and civic leader and served as a Superior Court Judge for Benton, Adams and Franklin counties. The influence of Jesuit priests in his life was transformational and was a connecting point to Gonzaga University. Bart’s grandfather felt very strongly about the empowerment of education and made sure his grandchildren all had the opportunity, as well as established the Horrigan Foundation which supports education, religious and philanthropic organizations. “Because of the adamant generosity for higher education from my grandfather,” Bart says, “I am particularly sensitive to the fact that others don’t always have it as easy as I did.”
“Continuing the legacy of my grandfather with the creation of the Horrigan Foundation Completion Fund is compelling because you already have a track record in hand that the student is committed and is academically inclined to complete their degree,” Bart describes. “For my wife and me, the most poignant loss is one that accrues to a student who simply exhausts every source of funding to educate themselves and comes up short at the very end; when they’ve put in all the time and energy and have committed to the University and have proven to the institution they are worthy of the degree, but are unable to close the loop financially. For us, that’s what it’s all about.”
Bart explains “the emotional connection at the gut level for me is the kindness that the Jesuits have extended to me and my family and all of the relationships formed through Gonzaga over the last 40 years.” Bart and his family have continued a family legacy of not only Gonzaga graduates and Regents, but paying it forward through the Horrigan Foundation Completion Fund. Bart remains committed to give in honor of his family, with the knowledge that a gift of any amount can have significant impact on a student’s life.