One of the slogans of the school is “lifelong connections.” No doubt many students feel connections to each other, even after graduation. But some believe that this lifelong connection is to the school itself. Mr. Bill Shover ‘46 provides a perfect example of the deep relationship many feel with the school and what it stands for.

Shover attended a South Side Catholic grade school, and when he first came to Cathedral, although he didn’t know many people at first, it would come to “feel like home,” he said during a phone interview the last week of May. 

Shover said, “I was kind of leery about meeting so many new people from all over, but one of my (soon to be) best friends was from the West (Side) and we still talk now.” 

Part of you for the rest of your life

One of the most important aspects to Shover is the deep culture of friendship that permeates the school. He said, “Even though I’m hundreds of miles away, you never lose those friendships. You don’t walk away from the place; it’s a part of your heart for the rest of your life.”

Shover said, “We used to say we were the United Nations of Indianapolis: we had kids from every part of the city, every spectrum of social life and political life and certainly financial life. You had a variety and learned about what people’s beliefs were and why they believed it. It was a worldwide look at things. I hope that the school will always keep that.”

Shover credits the brother of Holy Cross and the school in general for helping him into the future. Shover saw a successful career in journalism working for The Indianapolis Star, and after a request from the publisher Eugene Pulliam, he went out West and was employed at the Arizona Republic and Phoenix Gazette for 40 years. 

Shover said that the brothers and other members of the school “made me an adult and gave me a lot of preparation to become what I am today.” 

Journalism has been an important facet of Shover’s life, and he got his start by writing for the Megaphone, a former weekly school publication called The Memo, and his junior year he would contribute to the first yearbook in 1944. He said, “Cathedral was careful not to have (a yearbook) until they could do it right.”

Shover said that the school had great teachers who could correct your copy or teach you how write good headlines. But more importantly, the basics of journalism could be transferred to all kinds life skills.

Family in the 1940s and family now

When Shover returned to Indianapolis for the 100-Year Gala he said, “It was a renewal, a family gathering. It was a time to celebrate the old school.” He said it was a family in the 1940s, just as it is now.

The continuity of the school’s spirit was captured by Shover in a book about the school’s history he and a former teacher wrote for the 75th anniversary. Shover said, “I hope the school will keep up its spirit. We were the smallest school in the city at the time, but we won more championships than most of them because we had more spirit than them put together.” 

Shover said he attended a football game against Saint Xavier, and said “I couldn’t believe that the spirit I felt from 70 years ago continued on.” 

Mr. Nick Torres, who serves as the school’s director of major gifts and is a friend of Shover, said that the emphasis on excellence is one of most important aspects to Shover, and that he wants to see it maintained into the future. Torres said that Shover believes students in 2019 can live with the same kind excellence-imbued life that he and his classmates did in 1946. 

Torres called Shover “one of Cathedral’s most loyal fans and is an advocate for every the school stands for.” 

Torres said that Shover is a connector and well-respected by those who meet him. “He doesn’t ever speak down about people and is genuinely interested in finding the best in people,” he said. 

Shover has given his time and talent as a student and adult, and recently given part of his treasure. Shover’s generosity is in support of the centennial campaign, the eventual construction of the Innovation Center, the athletic facility at Brunette Park, and tuition and teacher salary assistance.

In recognition of Shover’s example of excellence, plaque now is in place outside the journalism room. Shover said, “I’m not one for honors, but I’m proud my name will be somewhere in the school in the future.”