In 1964, Sister Sara Jean Donegan and Sister Gloria List graduated from the Marquette School of Dentistry. The two opened a dental clinic at the SSND convent in Elm Grove, Wisconsin, where they performed basic dentistry for sisters.
At a recent talk given to sisters living at Trinity Woods in Milwaukee, SSND North America Archives Director Michele Levandoski got a surprise upon mentioning a note she found in the Elm Grove chronicles. The entry described a “gum chewing project” that Sister Sara Jean enlisted eighteen sisters for during the summer of 1969. According to the chronicle, each participant was promised $25 if she persevered in “chewing the ‘experiment’ gum to the bitter end of six weeks.”
Sister Mary Beck, who was seated in the front row, piped up – “I was one of the gum-chewers!” She told attendees that she participated in the study and did indeed receive $25. She sent the money to Sister Mary Basil Roeser, the province treasurer, explaining how she had earned the money. Sister Mary Basil responded, letting Sister Mary know that while she did not approve of gum chewing, in this instance it was acceptable.
Sister Suzanne Rene Sobczynski, who worked with Sister Sara Jean in the dental clinic, said that the dentists would recruit sisters to test products, like the gum, as a means of earning money to purchase equipment for the dental clinic.