Knoerle was born in Lakewood, Ohio to parents Harold M. Knoerle and Bernadine Seufert. On July 22, 1949, she joined the Sisters of Providence and took the religious name Sister Mary Gregory. She became a fully professed member of the Congregation on January 23, 1957. Knoerle earned her bachelor's degree in drama from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and later went on to study at Indiana University, where she earned two master's degrees and a Ph.D. in comparative literature. She emphasized in Chinese literature, particularly the poet Lu Ji and the classical Chinese Novel Dream of the Red Chamber.
Career
After teaching at the high school level for four years, Knoerle began teaching at her alma mater, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. Upon completion of her Ph.D. she served one year as visiting professor at Providence College in Taiwan.
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Knoerle then served as assistant president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College until she was named the twelfth president of the school in 1968, a position she held until 1983. As president of the College, Knoerle started the Women's External Degree program in 1973 as a distance learning option for women with families. It is now one of the largest online degree programs in Indiana. In her role as president, she participated in a number of symposiums and conferences, including the 1976 Congress of Presidents in New York City and as keynote speaker at the 1977 Indiana state deans' convention.
Later work
Knoerle participated in projects with Monastic Interreligious Dialogue and initiated the Brookland Commission, an inquiry beginning in 1988 into the place of intellectual life among communities of women religious. In 1988 Knoerle began as a program director of the Lilly Endowment, overseeing the Religion Division. In this role, she particularly championed telling the story of colleges founded by women's religious congregations. Throughout her lifetime, Knoerle was very active in the Terre Haute, Indiana community. She served on the board of numerous organizations, including the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce, Union Hospital, Hospice of the Wabash Valley, Mental Health Association of the Wabash Valley, and Wabash Valley United Way. She also helped found the Alliance for Growth and Progress in Terre Haute as well as the Our Green Valley Alliance. After her work with Lilly, Knoerle took on work within her Congregation, serving as Director of Residential Life and Services for the Sisters of Providence. She also volunteered in the fiber program at White Violet Center for Eco-Justice as a spinner and weaver.
Recognition
Knoerle received honorary doctorate degrees from six different universities, including Indiana University, Indiana State University and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. She received the John K. Lamb Award for her service to Terre Haute and a Ford Foundation Fellowship. She also was a Fulbright Scholar. In April 2012, she was named a Wabash Valley Woman of Influence by the United Way. After her death, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College named their new athletic facility the Jeanne Knoerle Sports and Recreation Center in her honor. The Our Green Valley Alliance for Sustainability in Terre Haute, Indiana, also gave her name to an award, the Sister Jeanne Knoerle Sustainability Award.
