Couple donates building to St. Ambrose University

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By Anne Marie Amacher

Kreiter Hall is home to St. Ambrose’s communications and marketing department and members of the data center and assessment office.

DAVENPORT – Dr. Richard Kreiter and his wife, Judy, have gifted a building to St. Ambrose University that Dr. Kreiter practiced medicine in for about 25 years.
Located across the street from the university on Locust Street, the building is now home to the university’s communications and marketing department as well as members of the data center and assessment office. It was expected to be dedicated as Kreiter Hall on Aug. 21.
Dr. Kreiter, a Davenport native, attended high school with many people who later would be connected with Catholic education at various levels in the city. “I played at the St. Ambrose diamond when I was in high school, too.”
Dr. Kreiter attended Grinnell College before studying medicine at the University of Iowa. He and Judy lived in Clinton from 1972-76 before he began his orthopedic practice in Davenport in 1976. In 1984 he moved into the one-story, red brick building on Locust Street with Dr. James Bishop. They shared the office.
As the practice grew, Dr. Kreiter said he added an expansion to the west. He later partnered with Dr. Matthew Lindaman. After the partners were approached by ORA Orthopedics, Dr. Lindaman joined the group and Dr. Kreiter became an independent contractor. When that contract ended two years ago, he moved to the Sunderbruch building in Davenport, where he continues to work three days a week.
Dr. Kreiter said through his practice across the street from St. Ambrose he met Ed Rogalski, then president of St. Ambrose. “We became friends and went on from there.” The Kreiters

Judy and Dr. Richard Kreiter

were involved with the health sciences building that St. Ambrose built in partnership with Genesis Health Systems. “We were instrumental in helping to write letters to Congress and senators for the health sciences,” he said.
The Kreiters have hosted St. Ambrose President Sister Joan Lescinski, CSJ, at their home to talk about future ideas for the university.
“When we moved out (of the Locust Street building), we thought about what would be a good use for this building,” Dr. Kreiter said. “We had been advised to sell it, but we felt the university could make good use of it.”
So the couple gifted the building to the university. “It’s a win-win situation,” he said. When the university decided to name the building after the Kreiters, he said they were humbled. “It’s not a Taj Mahal,” he laughed. But, “the building will be put to use for a lot of years.”
He hopes the hilltop area on the south side of Locust Street will continue to develop in the future.
Sally Crino, interim director of advancement and assistant vice president of gift planning at St. Ambrose, said the Kreiters are “very community minded people. They want to support the mission of St. Ambrose and we are very appreciative of that.”
The Kreiters have been involved in philanthropy in many ways, from serving on various Quad City organizations to being involved in a Christian camp.
Crino said donors have a variety of ways in which to donate tangible property to an organization they care about. “In turn they support a charity they care about and may receive benefits through a gift plan like the Kreiters.”
The gift from the Kreiters was done through a charitable remainder annuity trust (CRAT), which allows them a one-time tax deduction as well as guaranteed annual income from the trust.
Crino noted that property donations are reviewed by the university and require approval by the board of trustees. The university has received other gifts of properties over the years, but also has declined some donations.
“This is just one of many ways people can support their organization of choice.”


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