On September 12, Boston College formally dedicated its school of nursing in honor of the late William F. Connell. A 24-year member of the board of trustees, and a prominent Boston businessman and philanthropist, Connell made a $10 million gift to the school shortly before his death from cancer in 2001.
The William F. Connell School of Nursing (CSON)—founded in 1947 as the Boston College School of Nursing at the behest of Archbishop Richard Cushing—offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. Its Ph.D. program was the first nursing doctoral program to be offered at a Jesuit university, and its Master's program has been ranked 19th according to the US News & World Report's latest "America's Best Graduate Schools 2004."
The September 12 dedication began with a symposium in Robsham Theater on "Meeting the Nation's Need for Nurses," bringing together representatives from the nursing, hospital and insurance sectors. WBZ-TV "HealthWatch" reporter Mallika Marshall, M.D. served as moderator, with panelists Beverly Malone, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (UK); Michael F. Collins, M.D., president and CEO of Caritas Health Care; and Charles D. Baker, president and CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.
Following the symposium, a dedication ceremony was held outside Cushing Hall, which houses the Connell School of Nursing. Remarks were offered by University President William P. Leahy, S.J., University Chancellor J. Donald Monan, S.J., and CSON Dean Barbara Hazard Munro, as well as Connell family friend U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass).
William Connell's family, including his widow, Margot, took part in the day's events. All six of their children graduated from Boston College; their daughter Lisa Connell McNamara '89 is a CSON alumna.
Read Dedication Remarks By:
- BC President William P. Leahy, SJ
- Connell School Dean Barbara Hazard
- Margot Connell
- BC Chancellor Donald Monan S.J.