Joe Gliessner '63 stands for more than the sum of his individual achievements and honors, impressive as these may be. Joe gives passionately to others. He has commented that he was inspired by the ethic of the best of activism of the 1960s, and he has never wavered from that spirit of seeking what he could do for others, always with a generosity of spirit and humility.

After graduating from Our Lady of Lourdes School in 1959 and Trinity in 1963, Joe attended Catholic University of America, earning a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1968. He then began his career as a technical buyer for Union Carbide Company in West Virginia.

Unsatisfied with his well-paying job, Joe turned to the place that remains dearest to his heart, Trinity. From 1972 to 1982, Joe taught popular classes in math and science at Trinity, stressing personal values as well as intellectual knowledge. In addition to teaching, Joe served as a counselor, an activity moderator, a teacher in the school's first computer lab and as Trinity's first computer systems manager. Also during his time at Trinity, Joe earned an MAT degree from the University of Louisville.

Another career change occurred in 1982, when Joe left Trinity and began work as a systems consultant for Mid-America Control Corp. in Shelbyville, Ky. Four years later, Joe happily returned to a career that would make a difference for those in need when he accepted the position of Executive Director of New Directions Housing Corporation (NDHC) in Louisville, a non-profit organization that provides, quality, safe and affordable housing in Louisville and Southern Indiana.

NDHC was born in 1969 at St. William Catholic Church in Louisville, where Joe has been a parishioner since 1983. The original goal of NDHC was to repair the homes of residents who lived in the neighborhoods around St. William. It has grown into an organization with an annual budget of nearly $10 million, a large staff and thousands of volunteers.

Joe was not content to just improve the buildings near St. William; he wanted to rejuvenate whole neighborhoods community-wide. He did so by organizing a variety of lenders and other resources into a coalition to fund complex housing projects. NDHC has repaired homes, built rental apartment units and helped low-income people in more than 20 neighborhoods across Louisville and in Southern Indiana.

Recognition of his work to provide housing opportunities for struggling families and communities led to Joe's appointment to a six-year term on the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (1997-2002). In addition, he was a recipient of the Peace and Justice Award by the Commission on Peace and Justice of the Archdiocese of Louisville (1991); the Trinity Alumni Association Honor Alumnus Award (1991); the Equality Award from the Louisville Urban League of Louisville (1994); and the Catholic University of America Alumni Achievement Award (1997). Additionally, Joe was an Achieving Excellence Fellow of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (2006).

Joe served Trinity as a member of the School Board, acting as secretary 1995-98 and chair 1998-2000. He also generously contributed to the Trinity Fund for many years.

Joe Gliessner has represented Trinity's motto - Maximo Animi Ardore (with the maximum effort of our soul) - in the valuable work he has done for our school, our community and our country.

Joe has two children, Mark (Trinity, 1988) and Rachel, and two stepchildren, Joe (St. Xavier, 1994) and Mark (Trinity, 1998) Hamilton. He and his wife, Van, live in Louisville.

Inducted 2008

G - Hall of Fame

Reverend John Gephart

Joe Gliessner

MiMi Stottmann Graves

John Grenough

Mr. Mike Guetig

Jack Guthrie