Most students would not know where to find the print shop, but for Keith Morse, it has become his second home. He has followed the shop from its original location in what is now the Financial Aid Office to the standalone print shop that now houses the Gregory J. Grappone Humanities Institute. Now, Keith is back in Alumni Hall, wrapping up his 42 years at Saint Anselm right down the hall from where his journey first began. 

In 1983, when Keith first arrived at the College, the print shop was located right across from the coffee shop, where he would get his usual: an Egg Saint A’s. While he has seen the College change over the course of his career, Keith has a profound appreciation for the tried and true. 

While new machinery has made its way into the shop, he has never strayed from his original printing press and paper cutter, both of which have withstood the test of time. For Keith, it’s not just about getting the job done, but the process that matters.

A trade that can be taken for granted, especially when provided in-house and in a world where digital media is king, printing is not only a skill, but an art. 

When asked why something often thought of as mundane could be the source of so much joy, Keith simply responded, “I love creating things.”

This focus on creation is at the center of his craft, and he never saw it coming.

In 1977, when he needed to fulfill a credit in high school, he decided to take a printing class. Why? Because it got out at 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon.

Something that was meant to fulfill a graduation requirement soon became his trade and ultimately, his passion. 

A lifelong Manchester resident, Keith is now the owner of his childhood home. Tucked in the basement of that home is a train set, one that sparked an interest in the little boy whose grown-up office is now lined with posters of railroads and steam engines.

Smiling, Keith remembered, “My grandfather had a huge railroad set and I always wanted trains when I was younger.”

“My parents gave me this little tiny corner in the basement where I had these little N Scale trains which were teeny tiny,” he said.

Posters of steam engines line the walls of the print shop, indications of the intrigue and wonder present as a child that still characterize Keith’s joyful spirit. 

Now, the house is his, and that little corner has expanded: “I have a big, huge set up in my basement and there’s trains everywhere.”

Keith has made his own little corner here at Saint Anselm and saying goodbye is not easy. Since taking on the role of manager at the print shop, he has dedicated his life to the College. Each piece he has printed, whether it be a flyer, a poster, a pamphlet, or a book, holds a small piece of his heart because, for Keith, this isn’t just his job, but a part of who he is.

Thinking beyond himself and about the Class of 2025, he wants the graduating students to find the thing that ignites a spark within them. He lives by the adage which says “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life,” and he believes that has been his experience at Saint Anselm.

One of his final projects before a well-deserved retirement: printing the book for the 132nd Commencement exercises.

“It’s what I wanted to do before I left,” Keith shared. “That’s the 42nd time I’ve done the commencement book. It’s been my little project, my little baby here for all these years.”

The book tells the story of each graduating class and he has been the one to create these keepsakes which Anselmians hold onto long after they leave the Hilltop.  

For a person with so much dedication to his craft, moving on is difficult, but Keith knows that his passion will always be a part of who he is. 

“The old printers always said, ‘Ink gets in your blood, you’re stuck with it,’” he chuckled. “Even when you go on from here.”