DONORS WHO
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
T
o say that the Gallagher family is deeply devoted to Saint Peter’s College is a bit of an understatement. Thomas, Richard and Cornelius Gallagher are all graduates of The Jesuit College of New Jersey. Thomas, met his wife, Stephanie Mondry, ’77 at the College, as did younger brother Cornelius, who met his future spouse, Veronica Giordano ’84, when he served as a teaching assistant in one of Veronica’s classes. The family has also demonstrated steadfast support of the College and its mission of preparing graduates for a lifetime of learning, leadership and service. The three Gallagher siblings are proud donors to The Annual Fund, now known as The Saint Peter Fund, and family patriarch Thomas J. Gallagher ’47 holds the distinction of being one of the College’s most consistent benefactors. For 40 years in a row, the elder Gallagher and his wife, Marie, have made an annual gift to the College. Four decades of consistent giving to one’s alma mater doesn’t strike the
[
Harbor on December 7, 1941. He was sworn into the U.S. Navy in November 1942 and following basic training, served as lieutenant (junior grade) in the Pacific aboard the Navy destroyer U.S.S. Radford. The World War II veteran was able to return to Saint Peter’s in 1946 on the G.I. Bill. Shortly after returning home, Gallagher also met and courted Marie Haggerty. Though both grew up in Bayonne and attended Saint Vincent de Paul School, they only knew each other from afar. The couple married in 1949 and later, raised their family in Cranford, N.J. Jesuit and Catholic values have always been a central part of the Gallagher’s lives. “It was commonplace to have the Jesuits celebrate Mass in our home,” recalled Gallagher, who began a lifelong friendship with Rev. Joe McEvoy, S.J., when the Jesuit was the scholastic in residency at Saint Peter’s Prep and Gallagher was a student. “All of us were very close with the Jesuits,” he added. “These friendships matured and developed as we went along in life.”
“WE BELIEVE IN THE INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE
SO MUCH.”
elder Gallagher as especially remarkable or extraordinary. “Really, it’s sort of a natural and normal thing to do,” he explained. “We believe in the institutions that have given us so much.” Like many in his generation, Gallagher, who was raised in Bayonne, N.J., and is a graduate of Saint Peter’s Prep, held down a job while attending college full time. Classes were from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and by 5:00 p.m. Gallagher, along with several of his classmates, reported for the eight-hour nighttime shift on the Jersey City docks. Schoolwork, he recalled with a laugh, was done, “whenever you could fit it in.” A mathematics major who minored in chemistry and physics, Gallagher was a freshman when the Japanese bombed Pearl
GIVEN US
Gallagher also credits his Jesuit education with providing a sound foundation for professional success. After graduating from the College, he taught mathematics and physics at Saint Peter’s Prep for five years and earned a master’s degree in education from Fordham University. Gallagher was then hired by the Exxon Corporation to teach mechanics in the oil refineries and later enjoyed a 30-year career as a public relations executive with the company. All the while, the family remained very connected to Saint Peter’s College. In addition to having three sons who attended The Jesuit College of New Jersey, Gallagher also worked for the College’s Office of Communication for three years after retiring from Exxon in 1981.
Today, Thomas Gallagher ’72 is a computer engineer and lives outside of Buffalo, N.Y., Cornelius (Neil) T. Gallagher, M.D., ’82 is a pulmonary disease specialist who practices in South Jersey and Richard Gallagher ’76 is a partner with Ernst & Young, LLP in New York. Thomas and Marie, now the grandparents of 10, are extremely proud of their close-knit clan. “Our Mom and Dad are faith-filled believers in the Catholic Church, welleducated, civic-minded, intellectual, practical, loving, caring, hardworking, fighters and leaders, with a strong moral focus,” said Richard. “Over the years, they both were involved actively in numerous civic, charitable and religious organizations but always maintained a strong bond with immediate and extended family and a huge group of friends from all aspects of their lives dating back to their childhoods. Our entire family looks upon them as fantastic role models, and we have been particularly blessed to have them with us for so long.” In addition to Saint Peter’s College, the couple is very committed to giving to institutions they feel personally connected to—such as Saint Peter’s Prep and Marie’s alma maters, Holy Family Academy in Bayonne and Notre Dame College (now part of Saint John’s University), so a new generation can benefit from the same opportunities they did. “I still feel very strongly about the College,” added the elder Gallagher. “I’m delighted to see how it has developed, especially with the residence halls and the number of students who now live on campus.” The alumnus, who also served for 25 years as a trustee for Union County College (UCC), believes the plans for the forthcoming student center, now in the silent phase of a capital campaign, will be a tremendous asset for Saint Peter’s College. “When I was on the board of UCC, we put up a new student center and I saw how valuable it was for the students. I really enjoyed seeing the designs for the student center at Saint Peter’s—I think it’s going to be great.” 13