Brewing up a tribute to Sister Carol Jean Vale

by Stacia Friedman
Posted 6/1/22

Chestnut Hill College’s Annual Reunion Weekend, June 1-4, 2022 will celebrate the retirement of College President Sister Carol Jean Vale, SSJ, PhD., after thirty years of service, with a special beer brewed in her honor.

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Brewing up a tribute to Sister Carol Jean Vale

Posted

Chestnut Hill College’s Annual Reunion Weekend, June 1-4, 2022 will celebrate the retirement of College President Sister Carol Jean Vale, SSJ, PhD., after thirty years of service, with a special beer brewed in her honor. 

Vale Pale Ale, as it’s called, was created by Chestnut Hill Brewing Company in collaboration with the College. It uses her name and her likeness on the can. 

“When we began planning for this historic year at CHC, we knew we wanted to incorporate the local community in some way,” said Maureen Fisher, Director of Alumni Relations. “The Young Alumni Committee expressed the idea that it would be fun to collaborate with Chestnut Hill Brewing Company to create a special beer for us. Chestnut Hill Brewing Company owners, Lindsey Pete and Nick Gunderson, showed immediate interest in crafting an ale to honor Sister Carol.”

“We first chose the style of beer which is a pale ale because it’s popular,” said Gunderson. “ I did a new technique with this beer. I used a pilsner malt from Germany. It’s a little lighter in color. I then used an English ale which adds a fruity flavor and, for the hops, I used orange peel which adds a musty aroma and flavor.” 

The result is a pilsner malt base with bold hops which the College feels “reflects Sister Carol’s inner strength and confidence for the future.”

In all, ten kegs of Vale Pale Ale were brewed with 240 cans going to the college and five kegs remaining at the Brewery.

“It is an honor for us to make a beer for the special occasion of one of the longest-serving college presidents, not just locally, but nationally,” said Pete. “Thirty years is impressive, and we are happy to help commemorate this event.” 

This isn’t the first time Chestnut Hill Brewing came up with a custom beer. “We also make Today is a Good Day, IPA for the organization of the same name which advocates for premature babies,” said Pete. “But we don’t do this often. Only during our non busy times.” 

Vale began her life at Chestnut Hill College as an undergraduate, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in English in 1978. She took her vows as a Sister of Saint Joseph in 1974, and later studied as a Presidential Scholar at Fordham University, where she earned a Master’s in Theology and a Ph.D. in Historical Theology. She returned to her alma mater in 1988 as the Chair of the Religious Studies Department. Elected President in 1992, Vale tackled the College’s most pressing problem – its shrinking enrollment. Her solution: going coed, which expanded the College’s base of students, stabilized its finances and spurred nearly two decades of growth.

Vale’s efforts transformed the former women’s college into a thriving coed liberal arts school with a diverse enrollment of 1,600 students. Her achievements include the expansion of the College campus with the purchase and development of the adjacent SugarLoaf estate; the launch of a School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) that offers an affordable opportunity for adult learners to complete their undergraduate degrees; and the continued growth of Chestnut Hill’s NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports program. 

The College’s Board of Directors intends to lead a national search for Vale’s successor, working in partnership with the leadership of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. 

This year's Reunion event has been expanded to include five days of reunion activities, including a Young Alumni Night, Athletics Hall of Fame dinner, and Beyond Resilience, a gala honoring Vale’s legacy on June 4. Following last week’s commencement,  Reunion Weekend will be the College’s second large-scale, in-person event in over two years due to Covid.

If you want to raise a glass in honor of Sister Carol, Vale Pale Ale will be on tap at Chestnut Hill Brewing Company at the Market at the Fareway in Chestnut Hill through June 4.