Alice C. and Stephen B. Rudolph

Alice C. and Stephen B. Rudolph Endowed Award

Steve Rudolph spent nearly 20 years producing industrial training films and videos before enrolling at the College of Law. For him, it was a “dream deferred,” as he’d considered law school right after college but needed to get a job and earn a living. As he began to wind down his successful first career, Steve re-visited the idea of enrolling in law school with encouragement and strong support from his wife, Alice. He was accepted at all five of the schools to which he applied, and he decided on DePaul, even though it was one of only two that did not offer him a scholarship.

“From our first visit, Alice and I could feel a difference between DePaul and the others,” Steve reflected. The students, faculty, and staff members that they met “seemed more concerned for our well-being. You could tell that people at DePaul cared about one another; it was palpable, almost like a texture. I felt at home here right away. None of the other schools felt that way.”

Steve’s positive impressions were borne out. His law school experience, while challenging, rewarded him with many new friendships, positive experiences, and a productive second career at a large legal publishing firm. While there, he co-founded a scholarly journal, Issues in Aviation Law and Policy. And he never forgot DePaul Law, joining the Alumni Board after graduation and eventually becoming the board’s president. Later, he served and chaired a committee on the Dean’s Advisory Council. He received the university’s Distinguished Alumni Leadership award in 2004 and the College of Law’s Outstanding Service to DePaul award in 2006.

After retiring from the publishing firm, Steve became executive director of the College of Law’s International Aviation Law Institute, where he coordinates the institute’s many activities and initiatives worldwide, and still serves as managing editor of Issues in Aviation Law and Policy. And, according to Steve, he and Alice still sense the same caring spirit and “texture” that won their hearts on their very first visit to DePaul.