Staff report
Thomas More University will unveil a statue Wednesday honoring its namesake and patron, St. Thomas More, and dedicate its new academic center in honor of attorney and philantthropist Wilbert L. Ziegler.
Ziegler, a member of the class of 1953, will be honored with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree during the celebration which starts at 2 p.m.
A longtime leader in Catholic education, Ziegler has made significant contributions to Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati through his selfless service and leadership.
Ziegler is a founding member of the law firm Ziegler & Schneider, though he has retired from the practice of law. He is also president of the R.C. Durr Foundation.
A native of Northern Kentucky, he holds degrees from Thomas More University, the University of Cincinnati College of Law (LL.B), and the University of Michigan Law School (S.J.D) He also taught 13 years as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
He has served as a member of the Northern Kentucky Independent Board of Health, a trustee of the Thomas More University and the University of Cincinnati Foundation, and a member of the Board of Advisors of the University of Cincinnati College of Law, among others.
He has served for many years as legal counsel to various municiple and government bodies and financial institutions. He served as general counsel for the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport for more than 50 years and as general counsel to the former Bank of Kentucky.
Ziegler and his late wife, Helen, raised three sons. He is now married to the Ellen Hackman Ziegler. They live in Crestview Hills.
Ziegler, 92, is a major donor to Thomas More University. He led TMU’s successful Second Century Campaign and has established several scholarship funds within the university. He and Ellen also endowed the first academic chair — in philsosophy — in TMU’s history.
The Northern Kentucky Tribune honored Ziegler as a NewsMaker in 2025, celebrating him as a ‘giant’ in community life for decades. Read that story here.