Above: A rendering of the planned recreational center, a 244,000 square-foot facility that will benefit all 蝌蚪直播 students, faculty, and staff.
Boston College鈥檚 much-anticipated recreation center will be named in honor of the Connell family, in recognition of a $50 million 鈥淟ight the World鈥� campaign gift from 蝌蚪直播 Trustee Associate Margot C. Connell, the University announced today.
Construction of the 244,000 square-foot, four-story facility, which will replace the Flynn Recreation Complex, is underway at the former site of Edmond鈥檚 Hall on Thomas More Road. It will include a state-of-the-art fitness center, jogging track, natatorium with lap and instructional pools, four wood-floor basketball courts, three tennis courts, two multi-activity courts and multi-purpose rooms for spin, yoga and fitness classes, among other amenities. The building will open in the summer of 2019.
Connell, an active supporter of education and health care in Boston and chair of the board of Connell Limited Partnership, is the mother of six 蝌蚪直播 graduates and the widow of the late William F. Connell 鈥�59, a longtime 蝌蚪直播 trustee for whom the School of Nursing is named. Connell said she made the gift to provide an outlet for students engaged in the rigorous demands of a 蝌蚪直播 education.
鈥淪ports have always been a big part of our family, and Bill and I always felt that sports and recreation provided a physical outlet for students that is very important,鈥� said Connell. 鈥淗aving already supported an academic endeavor through the School of Nursing, I talked it over with my children and they thought supporting the recreation center was a great idea and something that was needed at Boston College.鈥�
University President William P. Leahy, S.J., praised Connell for her gift and for her unwavering support of Boston College. 鈥淢argot has been a matriarch of the 蝌蚪直播 community who has witnessed first-hand the positive effects that a Jesuit education of the mind, body and spirit can have on students,鈥� said Fr. Leahy.聽 鈥淲e are grateful to her for her generosity in naming this facility.鈥�
An avid golfer and sports enthusiast who observed many of 蝌蚪直播鈥檚 most memorable sports moments alongside her husband and children, Connell says that while she has seen all the good that athletics can do, she is particularly excited about the benefit the new facility will have on the 蝌蚪直播 community.
鈥淭here are so many students at 蝌蚪直播 who, while being stars in high school, will not play sports at the Division I level,鈥� said Connell. 鈥淪o, to have another opportunity to participate in their sport 鈥� either through club or recreational activities 鈥� or simply to be able to swim if they want to or to try yoga, run or shoot baskets, is very important to their well-being and overall development.鈥� 聽
The mother of Monica Healey '88, Lisa McNamara 鈥�89, Courtenay '91, William 鈥�94, Terence 鈥�02 and Timothy '03, J.D. 鈥�12, Connell is also the grandmother of 17, including two grandsons currently attending Boston College and two granddaughters and two nieces who are recent graduates. 鈥淎ll of my grandchildren are athletic,鈥� said Connell. 鈥淚 take a measure of pride in knowing that they will benefit from this facility.鈥澛犅犅犅� 聽
Born and raised in Ossining, NY, Connell received her BA from Michigan State University and taught math and science in New York and California.聽 In addition to her and her late husband鈥檚 many activities in support of Boston College, Connell is a member of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.聽 She was also awarded the Richard Cardinal Cushing Award from St. Mary鈥檚 High School of Lynn for her commitment to Catholic education and her personal and professional life accomplishments.
She also established the Connell Nursing Research Scholars Program and the Connell Ethics Fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital鈥檚 Institute for Patient Care, and she and Bill funded the Connell and O鈥橰eilly Families Cell Manipulation Core Facility and the Connell Family Fund for Melanoma Vaccine Development at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. The St. Elizabeth鈥檚 Hospital Emergency Room is also named in honor of Bill Connell.
Yet despite her varied interests and commitments, Connell says that Boston College plays a unique role in her and her family鈥檚 life.
鈥淏ill always said, 'If it wasn鈥檛 for 蝌蚪直播, I would not be where I am today.' I have been very lucky; I have been blessed, and the ability to share my good fortune with my children鈥檚 blessings makes me happy.鈥澛犅� 聽
Connell credits her personal relationships with Fr. Leahy, the late University Chancellor J. Donald Monan, S.J., and Senior Vice President for University Advancement James J. Husson for helping to make her commitment to 蝌蚪直播 so meaningful.
鈥滘蝌街辈� has made me feel a part of the community,鈥� said Connell. 鈥淚t is a special place that has a warmth, a charisma, that you don鈥檛 feel anywhere else. Supporting 蝌蚪直播 through this facility just gives me a good feeling.鈥�
A longstanding and energetic volunteer on behalf of Boston College, Connell served as a convening co-chair of the 鈥淟ight the World鈥� campaign.聽 In recognition of her lifelong accomplishments and years of service, she received an honorary degree from Boston College in 2009. 聽
鈥淭his new recreation center has been a long time coming, and will have a day-in, day-out impact on student life on campus when it opens in 2019,鈥� said Connell. 鈥淚 look forward to it and to the promise it holds for all members of the 蝌蚪直播 community.鈥�
聽鈥擩ack Dunn | University Communications