On aP r il 30, the College community gathered together in the Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers to celebrate Brother President Thomas Scanlan and the accomplishments he achieved during his 22-year tenure. After a welcome from Dr. Weldon Jackson, executive vice president and provost, and an invocation by Brother Robert Berger, vice president for student life, representatives from the students, staff, administrators, faculty and alumni paid tribute to Brother President. Damien Germino ’09, president of student government, expressed his honor to be speaking on behalf of the students and shared some of his personal experiences with Br. Scanlan. “Brother has worn many hats in his lifetime, from teacher, director, principal to vice chancellor, board member and president,” Germino said. “Nevertheless, over the 22 years, from the first moments of his administration to the last months in tenure, he has made decisions to help positively change tens of thousands of students’ lives. He is deeply appreciated and respected for all he’s done.” In conveying the students’ gratitude, Germino gave Br. Scanlan yet another hat, a Yankees cap inscribed with “Brother President,” to add to both his figurative and literal collection. Margaret McKiernan, president of the staff council, and Janice Melino, director of the computer center, then spoke for the staff and administrators, respectively. McKiernan presented Br. Scanlan with a GPS system, so he will always know the way back to Manhattan, and Melino gave him a wireless card, so he can continuously keep in touch with its community. Dr. Richard FitzPatrick, professor of management, who was one of two faculty members to pay tribute, described his rela-
tionship with Brother with a little jesting and some seriousness. He depicted a determined president, who achieved accreditation for the school of business, a “numbers guy,” who balanced budgets and improved the physical campus, and a genuine friend, who would inquire after his employees’ health and recognize their important milestones. “At some point in my journey from admiration to affection, I realized I loved the man, not in spite of his faults, foibles and idiosyncrasies but, in many ways, because of them,” FitzPatrick said. “Brother, it has been a pleasure getting to know you. You are a oneof-a-kind, whose presence has been large and whose legacy will be even larger.” Dr. Bruce Liby, president of the council for faculty affairs and associate professor of physics, followed FitzPatrick and, after a brief speech, presented Br. Scanlan with Bomber Bucks (Yankees gift certificates) to be used at one of Brother’s favorite pastimes — attending Yankees games. Next, George Skau ’59, president of the alumni society, discussed many of Brother’s accomplishments throughout the years, and with the help of several past alumni society presidents who joined him on stage, he gave Br. Scanlan a Manhattan College ring. As a colleague who has worked the closest and longest with Brother President, Ann Clohessy, assistant to the president, offered the final tribute of the program. She characterized him as a dreamer who is also a doer. “Brother, you are a dreamer, a visionary and, like most great men, you turn dreams and visions into reality,” Clohessy said. “The proof of this is all around us.” Noting that the date was also the birthday of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, Br. Scanlan
then addressed the community with gratefulness and sincerity. “Together, we have guided the transition of our beloved Manhattan College from serious challenges that boded a most uncertain future to a strong, stable college — one that is academically robust; committed to nurturing the faith, values and ethics of our students; exhibits a remarkable spirit; is financially sound; boasts an attractive and well-maintained campus; and has a stellar reputation,” he said. Br. Scanlan compared his role to that of a conductor of an orchestra and likened each part of the orchestra to that of the College’s faculty, staff, administrators, board, alumni and benefactors, all of whom “harmonize with him to create the masterpiece” for the benefit of the students. “Each of you should rightly take pride and satisfaction in the wonderful transformation that you were an integral part of making happen,” he said. “My deep and heartfelt gratitude to each one of you.” After his response, Manhattan’s longestserving president received a standing ovation from those gathered in the chapel. In closing, John Fandel, professor emeritus of English and world literature, recited his poem Farewell, which he wrote for Br. Scanlan’s retirement from the College. The celebration concluded with a reception in Smith Auditorium. Left: after paying tribute to Brother President thomas Scanlan on behalf of the students, damien Germino ’09, president of student government, presents him with a personalized Yankees cap. right: President of the alumni society George Skau ’59 and past president Peter Sweeney ’64 give Br. Scanlan a Manhattan College ring at the farewell celebration on campus.
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Campus Celebrates Brother President
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