My Friend Dudley Riggle

The newly endowed position is called the Dudley Riggle Endowed Chair for Campus Ministry, honoring a retired pastor and professor whose impact stretches far beyond the campus boundaries. This dedicated fund reinforces Carthage’s deep spiritual roots as its enrollment and community footprint continue to grow.

The Rev. Dudley Riggle, a member of Mt Zion, devoted nearly 40 years to Carthage as a pastor, faculty member, and administrator. Known more widely for his compassionate teachings on grief and end-of-life issues, Pastor Riggle co-founded southeastern Wisconsin’s nonprofit Hospice Alliance.

“By endowing positions like this, friends of Carthage reduce the tuition burden on students and ensure that we can recruit and retain the very finest faculty and staff,” says President John Swallow. “I am deeply touched that this chair will bear in perpetuity the name of my friend Dudley Riggle, who has meant so much to so many students and alumni, and that the chair will support a growing campus ministry rooted in our Lutheran identity under the leadership of Pastor Adam.”

As the first campus pastor to hold the endowed chair, Pastor Miller-Stubbendick was formally installed on March 27. Community members joined the celebration in the A. F. Siebert Chapel, which included a worship service, lunch, and panel discussion.

Pastor Miller-Stubbendick began his pastoral role at Carthage in July. Previously, he and his family spent 18 months coordinating an ELCA service program for young adults in Jerusalem and the West Bank. He also served congregations in Nebraska and New York, as well as students at Elon University in North Carolina.

“I’m honored to follow in the footsteps of faithful leaders like Dudley Riggle,” he says. “Each time I’m graced with the opportunity to talk with him, Dudley’s wisdom, compassion, and curiosity continue to flow from him. I believe it’s his way of reflecting the love of Christ, and I hope to carry on in that spirit for the benefit of Carthage’s students.”

Pastor Riggle took part in the installation panel discussion titled “Growing Faith at Carthage: Theory and Practice.” Two prominent ELCA leaders, Deacon Sue Rothmeyer and the Rev. Lamont Wells, joined him to explore how colleges can guide today’s students along their faith journeys.

Four years after his ordination, Pastor Riggle took on the Carthage chaplaincy in 1961 at its previous campus in western Illinois. He remained with the College after its relocation to Kenosha, shaping the ministry on the new campus.

Later, as a religion professor and department chair, Pastor Riggle cultivated a love of learning in students. He developed and taught Issues in Living and Dying, a consistently popular course that faculty continue to teach at Carthage.

Since retiring in 1998, the professor emeritus of religion has returned periodically to lead sessions at class reunions and other campus events. For his far-reaching impact, Pastor Riggle received the school’s highest honor — the Carthage Flame — in 2016.