2021-2022 Honor Roll of Donors

To the Manhattan College community:

I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the faithful alumni and friends who so graciously contributed to Manhattan this past year. I am humbled and grateful to introduce the 2021–22 issue of our Honor Roll of Donors. 

At a time of growing competition and other challenges for private colleges and universities, your remarkable generosity has raised more than $21 million — funds that help us to increase scholarship assistance; upgrade aging facilities; enhance academic and student-life programs; and provide many other vital services. Your giving, in fact, has shattered all previous records, adding significant strength to our efforts on behalf of Lasallian Catholic education. 

I speak from personal experience — in my prior roles as an administrator, instructor and advisor — that the transformative power of Manhattan College’s focus on academic excellence, personal attention and the Catholic intellectual tradition does change lives. The hardworking students that my colleagues and I have taught and mentored invariably go on to meaningful, well-paying careers and gain admission to top graduate schools across the country. Many of these talented young Jaspers would lack the means to complete their education if not for the critical resources made possible by your gifts. 

The success of our graduating class attests to the value of your generosity. This past May, more than half of the 743 students who received their bachelor’s degrees from Manhattan did so with high honors: 17% were cum laude; 23%, magna cum laude; and 9%, summa cum laude. Their achievements — and those of our faculty — continue to draw wide attention. Though we highlight this recognition later in these pages, I want to share one impressive plaudit: For the seventh consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report ranks us among its top 20 Best Regional Universities in the North. In fact, our College stands at 16th place among 175 leading institutions in the 2023 rankings. 

At the same time, your support also continues to bring much-needed growth and improvement to our beautiful Riverdale campus. Highly visible examples include the completion of the Patricia and Cornelius J. Higgins ’62 Engineering and Science Center — an important component of Invest in the Vision: The Campaign for Manhattan — along with essential upgrades to De La Salle Hall, home of the O’Malley School of Business and one of the historic red-brick buildings fronting our Quad.

For nearly 170 years, Jaspers have excelled in fields as varied as the arts, business, the Church, education, engineering, the law, medicine and the natural and applied sciences. Today, we thank you for helping us to continue this narrative of success through your uplifting support. Through your gifts, we truly are partners in the abiding work of Lasallian Catholic higher education. Thank you again for your extraordinary generosity during this past year — and always.

Brother Daniel Gardner, FSC

President

To our Manhattan College family,

A sense of common cause always has shaped the Christian Brothers’ longstanding ties with all who share their values. As they note in their book of guiding principles, the Brothers “pursue the Lasallian mission in partnership with men and women who recognize the relevance of the Lasallian charism.”

Partnership — it is the spirit that keeps Manhattan College strong. For nearly 170 years, loyal alumni and friends like you have provided exemplary support for the important work of Lasallian Catholic education. Today, your generosity is even more inspiring than ever. On behalf of our entire College community, I want to express my sincere gratitude to every one of you who has earned recognition in our 2021–22 Honor Roll of Donors. 

You quite literally made the past year one for the records. As of this writing, 5,228 donors have contributed a total of $21,282,472.74 in restricted and unrestricted gifts, exceeding all previous annual giving to the College. Roughly two-thirds of these benefactors are alumni — a stirring testament to the extraordinary commitment of our graduates. Equally impressive is the success of Invest in the Vision: The Campaign for Manhattan. Launched in September 2019, this visionary fundraising effort — the largest in our history — has one overriding goal: to ensure the College’s ongoing strength as a leading Catholic institution of higher learning. To date, Invest in the Vision has raised a stunning $197,661,517.41, far surpassing its original $165 million goal. 

The College already has begun to see the fruits of this initiative: for example, last October’s dedication of the Patricia and Cornelius J. Higgins ’62 Engineering and Science Center, as well as current vital renovations to De La Salle Hall, the home of our widely respected O’Malley School of Business. I am pleased to acknowledge the pivotal role that President Emeritus Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D., has played in these and so many other achievements during his 13 years at the College. 

Without question, this has been a challenging time for Manhattan and private higher education in general. Yet your extraordinary support has enabled our College to weather recent difficulties — and prevail. Through your generosity, talented young Jaspers continue to benefit from the unique advantages of a Lasallian Catholic education. They, in turn, will follow the example of their predecessors, providing ethical leadership in their communities and careers. Thank you as always for making all of our work possible.

Thomas Mauriello

Vice President, Advancement

Dear Jaspers and Friends,

The power of the human spirit can never be underestimated. We can accomplish remarkable things when we keep our minds and hearts open. My last 12 months as chair of the Fund for Manhattan provide solid proof
for this belief.   

 I have known for some time how strong the bonds are between Manhattan and its alumni and friends. Since I first became a Jasper, I have witnessed their loyalty, their faith in the College’s Lasallian Catholic mission, and their uplifting generosity. 

So, the past year’s extraordinary demonstration of support was no surprise. It was a ringing affirmation — that for Jaspers, Manhattan means family. We stand together, especially in challenging times. As COVID-19 restrictions gradually lifted, the College faced new demands. Alumni and friends rallied for a record-breaking year of giving: more than $21 million in unrestricted and restricted giving! I cannot imagine a more inspiring way to begin this year as the Fund’s chair.

Your gifts provide the solid foundation for Manhattan’s success. As so many of us know, our Lasallian heritage commits us to a concept that continues to change the world: that all students deserve an outstanding, values-based education, regardless of means. For 170 years, that conviction has offered young men and women of diverse circumstances the opportunity for success in every field. This work continues today. Thank you all for being such generous partners in the endeavor. 

I am looking forward to working with all of you over the next year — including our new president, Brother Daniel Gardner, FSC. I would like to personally thank each of you for your continued support, which will keep our Jasper commitment to excellence strong.

Meg Walsh ’79, ’82 (MBA), ’93 (M.E.)

Chair, Fund for Manhattan