2008 Woodie Awards
Cardinals president Mark Lamping ('80) visits Rockhurst
Sean Adams
Issue date: 2/5/07 Section: News
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On January 24, 2007, St. Louis Cardinals President Mark Lamping visited his alma mater. He brought with him stories from one of the most memorable postseasons in St. Louis Cardinals history. It was hard to tell if he really was in Kansas City or not. The Rock Room was flooded with Cardinal fans sporting their jerseys, hats, and other attire. A few fans from Kansas City's own team showed up and there were a couple of fans from that team on the north side of Chicago.
Lamping talked about his experiences with the Cardinals since he was hired as the president in the fall of 1994. He told the crowd that since the Cardinals were not even supposed to get past the first round of the playoffs against the San Diego Padres and that they were definitely not supposed to beat the New York Mets, this was one of the most fun postseasons he has ever had. Growing up a Cardinals fan in St. Louis and then becoming the president of his childhood team was a dream come true.
"It was a one in a million chance to become the president of the Cardinals and I was just as lucky to come here to Rockhurst," he said.
He also spoke about his time here at Rockhurst University, then Rockhurst College. He originally came here to play soccer with a friend but the friend decided not to come to school with him at the last minute.
"I decided to stay at Rockhurst because of the small school advantage, meaning the sense of family. There is a sense of familiarity here," he said.
When Lamping was here attending school from the fall of 1976 to the spring of 1980, his weekends were basically the same as any present day student. While he wasn't the best student, he still held his own when it came to grades. One of the major differences between then and now was that the drinking age in Kansas was 18. So of course, after freshman orientation he went across the state line and had a keg party at a local pizza parlor. He went on road trips with friends and went out to parties. Some of the best memories that he had were traveling to Omaha to see the Hawks take on the Creighton Blue Jays in basketball at the old Civic Auditorium. There were also trips to Mizzou to visit with friends and have a good time.
Not all of Lamping's time here was spent hanging out with friends and having fun. Since he was an SAE (Sigma Alpha Epsilon), he also provided service to many organizations around Rockhurst. Service in the Jesuit tradition was a key factor in Lamping's development here. Many of Lamping's charitable interests were greatly influenced by his time here at the Rock.
Mark Lamping is definitely one of the most prominent alums of Rockhurst, and he still has his Hawk pride. In fact, one of the reasons for his return to RU was that his son is thinking about continuing his education here. The visit was a great way to give a little bit back to the community that gave Lamping so much. Also, there was mention of a possible appearance of that hallowed trophy making a stop here, so keep your eyes and ears open.
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