The Craig Family

The Craig family legacy at Dowling Catholic began in the 1940s when Gertrude “Trudy” (Condon) Craig ‘43 and her two sisters attended St. Joseph Academy while her brother attended Dowling. That was the beginning of the Craig family’s longstanding history with the school that continues to this day.

Dr. Steve Craig, one of six children, attended St. Theresa Catholic School and then Dowling. As a 1972 graduate, he was a member of the last class to graduate from the old Dowling before the new school merged with St. Joseph Academy and opened at the current location on Buffalo Road.

Following graduation, he experienced first-hand how well his Dowling education had prepared him for the future, not only with a foundation in faith, but also academically as he went on to the University of Iowa as a pre-med major before graduating from the University of Iowa College of Medicine.

He and his wife Mary Beth have also been pleased with the strong foundation for the future that Dowling Catholic provided for their children. Their daughter, Jennifer Myers ‘00, has excelled in a highly competitive field as she studied chemical engineering at the University of Notre Dame and then biomedical engineering at the University of Minnesota. The same is true for their son, Jeff Craig ‘04, who earned his undergraduate degree at Marquette University before graduating from the University of Iowa College of Law.

Beyond the academic preparation, they also see tremendous value in the emphasis placed on serving others and the strong foundation in faith which continued throughout college and into adulthood for both of their children. They believe those aspects were crucial in helping them achieve success.

Both of their children have returned to the Des Moines Metro with their spouses and remain strongly connected with the friends they made at DCHS. Those strong Dowling ties have continued not only for their children, but also for Dr. Craig and Mary Beth whose closest friends today are the ones they met through their children at DCHS.

“There is just something about Dowling Catholic and the people that lends itself to fostering something so special,” said Mary Beth. “We are one of 12 couples that I call my Dowling gang since we became friends while our kids were students. They are truly life long friends.”

Dr. Craig and Mary Beth have established the Craig Family Endowment in the hope of providing other families with the same opportunities. With three grandchildren who will someday be Maroons, they are committed to continuing the tradition of excellence for future generations to come.

“We think it is so important that Catholic education continues to be accessible, regardless of background,” said Dr. Craig. “As the only secondary Catholic school in the Des Moines area, we think it’s just as important that it not be a school for the exclusive. We’d like to be a part of attracting kids of all backgrounds and providing them with the opportunity to receive a Dowling Catholic education. We chose to start an endowment in the hope that the Craig family and our friends will join us in making it possible for everyone to attend Dowling Catholic.”