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When James M. O’Neill couldn’t find a high school teaching position after earning his master’s degree in French, he decided to take a “temporary gig” at Boston College’s Institute for Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry (now part of the School of Theology and Ministry). O’Neill retired last week after his “temporary gig” turned into a remarkable 40-year career that spanned the academic, financial, executive and technical dimensions of the University.
For the last 20 years, O’Neill has worked in Information Technology Services (ITS), where he began as one of the first University employees to work on the then-new phenomenon called the Internet and World Wide Web. His last position was that of senior web administrator.
“The thing I’ve enjoyed most in my career has been the BC website, being there since the beginning,” said O’Neill. “When the web came along, it was the first time we had a technology to share information directly with the world.”
“Jim ushered BC into the digital age,” said Scott Olivieri, manager of ITS’ Web Technology Group. “For 20 years he has been on the front lines for all web decisions. He’s the bedrock of the Web Group.”
Part of O’Neill’s responsibilities has been to serve as a bridge between ITS and the hundreds of members of the BC community who work directly on BC web pages.
“Jim has almost single-handedly trained about 700 website contributors,” said Olivieri. “In addition to providing training, he was the go-to person for users to contact when they encountered a technical problem.”
Colleagues and members of the user group describe him as patient, unflappable and upbeat. His troubleshooting approach is considered unparalleled and his detailed emails are legendary, not only serving as mini-user manuals, but also as an unofficial historical record of the web’s development at BC.
“I’ve always been a problem-solver type of person,” said O’Neill. “IT always needs people who can serve as simultaneous translators between the tech people and the people using the technology. Often they speak different languages.”
“Jim is a mentor, an educator,” said Vice President for Information Technology Michael Bourque. “He has helped so many colleagues within ITS and across the University. In particular, Jim has greatly contributed in a variety of ways to the student formation of many ITS student workers.”
O’Neill graduated from BC in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in French. His stint at IREPM was from 1975 to 1979. He then joined University Libraries, where he worked on a team responsible for the planning and constructing of O’Neill Library. “I really enjoyed being the liaison between the librarians, who had one set of priorities, and the architects, who had another set of goals and requirements. I was one of the people who tried to figure out how to put those two things together and end up with a building.”
O’Neill earned an MBA from BC in 1981, and served as assistant dean for administration in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences from 1984 to 1988. One of the signature projects he contributed to was the Graduate Educational Policy Committee which produced a report reviewing the A&S graduate programs and setting priorities for the future.
For the next two years he was in the Office of the Financial Vice President and Treasurer, overseeing the Office of University Policies and Procedures and the Risk Management and Insurance Office. He also edited the Boston College Fact Book.
He followed that post with service in the Office of the Executive Vice President from 1990 to 1994.
“It was a deliberate choice on my part to move around and learn the University to get an overall picture of how things worked,” said O’Neill.
Boston College has been a part of O’Neill’s personal — as well as professional — life. He met his wife, Carol, while he was a senior at BC and he and Carol were trying to coordinate spring arts festivals between Boston College and the newly acquired Newton College of the Sacred Heart. One of their sons, Michael, graduated from BC in 2012.
O’Neill, who enjoys soaking in nature, said he is looking forward to doing more sailing, kayaking and biking in retirement.
At a farewell event in the Heights Room last week, O’Neill told his well-wishers that he was pleased to have been a part of bringing technology to BC, but the real reason he stayed at Boston College for more than 40 years was the people.
When asked what he will miss most, O’Neill responded, “The people who I work with here in IT and the people I have relationships with who are spread around the University managing websites.
“I’ll miss the campus, too. For 45 years, with the exception of one year I was in France, I have been here five days a week. It’s a beautiful campus and it’s a second home.”
He added: “It’s been a wonderful place to spend a lifetime.”