After more than three decades of steady presence, quick humor and heartfelt service, Public Safety Officer Franz Schaller retired from Marquette on Dec. 20. This closes a 35-and-a-half-year chapter defined by reliability, kindness and a deep commitment to the campus community.
Schaller started at Marquette in April 1990, referred by friends who had worked with him in a Milwaukee security job. What started as a simple recommendation became the foundation of a remarkable career.
“I kind of fell into it,” Schaller says. “I was in college, driving a school bus, and the company suggested extra work with a local guard service. I started there, stayed about a decade, and eventually followed friends to Marquette.”
Over the years, Schaller served in nearly every role within the department. He started as a University Service Officer, patrolling campus on foot with a ring of keys to unlock campus buildings before technological updates transformed the department.
As Public Safety expanded, he became a full-time dispatcher, then a public safety officer and later a sergeant.
But the role that changed his life most had nothing to do with rank.
“I fell in love with a dispatcher, who is now my wife,” Schaller says.
When they began dating seriously, Schaller voluntarily stepped down from his supervisory position to avoid a conflict of interest. “It was the right choice. And we’re still married,” he adds.
When Marquette transitioned to a commissioned police department a decade ago, Schaller chose to remain in his public safety role, valuing the community-focused work he had long cherished.
“The department needed our campus knowledge. I was turning 60, and I was happy where I was,” he says. “It would’ve been fun to turn on the lights and sirens, but everything lined up the way it was supposed to.”
Throughout his career, Schaller became known not just for his reliability and experience, but for the joy he brought to his work, which is a quality that colleagues say made him unforgettable.
“Franz has consistently distinguished himself through exceptional skills, unwavering professionalism and a deep commitment to excellence,” says Carrie Peters, police compliance manager. “What truly sets him apart is the positive attitude he brings to every task. His warmth, wit and lightness elevate everyone around him.”
She recalls one Christmas Eve shift early in her career, which is a moment that still brings a smile.
“Working holidays can be hard,” Peters says. “Franz called in a burglary in progress, sending us all into ‘go’ mode. Then he described the suspect: a heavyset white male in a red suit with a long white beard, carrying a bag… very jolly-looking.” Realizing the joke, the team stood down.
“His humor has made the days and years fly by. We’ll miss his optimism.”
For Schaller, the heart of the job has always been the people, especially the students who bring energy and purpose to campus.
“You don’t feel like you age as much,” he says. “Students stay the same age, and every year you meet new ones. It keeps you young.”
He plans to spend retirement volunteering at his church or the zoo. He is also looking forward to embracing the flexibility of setting his own schedule for the first time in years. Still, stepping away will not be easy.
“I’ll miss the people — students, faculty, staff and everyone,” he says. “I’ve been serving every day for decades. Now I’ll find my own way to keep serving.”
As he looks back, Schaller says his favorite thing about Marquette is simple: belonging.
“Students here are proud to call Marquette their school,” he says. “Being part of that all these years has been something special.”
After 35 years, the Marquette community agrees that the campus will not be the same without him.
