A Legacy of Memories

Stuart and Mary Knott '92, of Baltimore, Maryland were volunteers on their 15th reunion gift committee.

When Stuart and Mary Knott ’92 look back on their years at Boston College, a myriad of fond memories with friends comes to mind. Among them, Stuart remembers a road trip to Rhode Island, in which he and 12 friends piled into a chartered bus to watch BC play Providence College in basketball. Mary, a Nebraska native, recalls the excitement of flying into Logan Airport after school vacations, eager to return to campus and rejoin friends. She also remembers traveling to Frakes, Kentucky, with the Appalachia Volunteers during the spring break of her sophomore year.

Together, the Knotts share one BC memory that stands out from the rest—meeting each other. “First and foremost, we’re grateful to BC for introducing us,” says Mary, who met her husband during their junior year.

The Knotts are also grateful to BC for its strong liberal arts curriculum, which provided them with the means to succeed throughout their careers. History and communication majors, respectively, Stuart and Mary cite as key influences Alan Wolfe, a professor of political science and the director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, and Ann Marie Barry, an associate professor of advertising and visual communication in the Communication department.

“The softer skills that I learned in the classroom at BC have helped me in my writing and research throughout my career,” says Stuart, the vice president of a private equity fund based in Baltimore, Maryland. Likewise, Mary says that her BC education has benefited her in her many years as an elementary school teacher. 

To show their appreciation for BC—and for the academic scholarship that enabled Mary to attend—the Knotts have given throughout the years to the Knott Family Scholarship Fund, which was started by Stuart’s father, Francis. They are eager to provide an opportunity for future generations of students to reap the full benefits of the BC experience.

“We know that 70 percent of BC students receive financial assistance, so gifts of every size can help students attend BC and enhance the quality of their experience,” notes Mary. “We give through the Knott Family Scholarship Fund because we want students to enjoy the same great education we did, regardless of their financial background.”

While the Knotts now live in Baltimore, Maryland, with their three young children, aged 3 through 8, they strive to support and stay active with BC in as many ways as they can. As volunteers on their 15th Reunion Gift Committee, they enjoyed reconnecting with classmates and encouraging them to support BC philanthropically. They are proud to support the University at a key point in its history. 

“We’re thrilled with BC’s progress towards fulfilling its campus master plan—with the purchase of the Brighton Campus lands and the plans to start building a student center, recreation complex, and several new academic buildings in the coming decades,” says Stuart. “We look forward to the day when we can walk through campus and see all the positive changes.”