91����

On Tuesday evening members of the 91����, California, community had the good fortune to see an exquisite collection of historical autographs and make the acquaintance of their generous owner — a former All-American, Olympic, and professional baseball player who is also a member of the College’s St. Thérèse of Lisieux Legacy Society.

A native of neighboring Ventura, Jim Hibbs played catcher for Stanford University and the 1964 U.S. Olympic team before venturing into the pros, where he spent time with various organizations, most notably the California Angels. A self-professed “bookworm” with an avid interest in history, he and his wife, Maria, have amassed a collection of more than 100 documents signed by historical figures, a portion of which they generously loaned for display in St. Bernardine of Siena Library.

“Understanding the past explains the present while guiding the future,” Mr. Hibbs told students, faculty, staff, and their guests at Tuesday’s reception. “It has always been one of my premier pleasures reading who made us what we are today.”

The autographs featured in the Library were primarily from the nation’s founders — George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, to name just a few — as well leading figures in the civil-rights movement, such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and Jackie Robinson. The exhibit also featured the autographs of several authors from 91����’s classical curriculum, including Pope St. John Paul II, Mark Twain, Abraham Lincoln, James Madison, and Albert Einstein.

“Remember, history is our memory,” said Mr. Hibbs. “Without memory there is amnesia, followed by dementia.”

Mr. Hibbs’ relationship with 91���� dates back nearly 40 years to when he saw St. Teresa of Calcutta serve as its 1982 Commencement Speaker. “I remember when Mother Teresa walked by me in the aisle seat, barely taller than me sitting. It was obvious she was praying as she beaded her Rosary on her way to the podium,” he recalls. “Her inspiration was the beginning of my love and support for 91����.”

Mr. and Mrs. Hibbs are longtime benefactors and members of the President’s Council. In 2012 they also became members of the St. Thérèse of Lisieux Legacy Society by including the College in their estate plans, and in 2019 they established the Jim and Maria De La Luz Hibbs Student Scholarship Fund. “We were honored to welcome Jim and Maria to campus,” says President Michael F. McLean. “We were delighted to see their historical treasures, and we remain grateful, as always, for their friendship and support.”