Joseph E. Corcoran left his mark on Boston College, the City of Boston, and the world as a compassionate and discerning man who made a monumental impact on housing equality. After graduating from BC with a degree in history in 1959, Joe founded the Corcoran Jennison Companies, which has developed more than $3.5 billion in property to date and is credited with pioneering the development and management of mixed-income housing. Inspired by his experience growing up in a socioeconomically diverse Dorchester neighborhood, as well as by the University’s Ignatian values, he devoted his life to creating housing opportunities and transforming underserved urban communities. He also worked tirelessly to further housing legislation in Massachusetts and he founded The American City Coalition (TACC), a Boston-based nonprofit that promotes neighborhood revitalization.
At BC, Joe served on the Board of Trustees and chaired the Building and Property Committee. For several years, he also taught a Real Estate and Urban Action course at the Carroll School of Management. His love for teaching was evident, and he eagerly encouraged his students to search for solutions to social and economic problems in the housing industry. Out of his passion and generosity grew the Joseph E. Corcoran Center for Real Estate and Urban Action, which he endowed in 2014. His legacy will live on with future generations of real estate professionals who seek not only a career but also the opportunity to improve lives through their work.
Joe Corcoran will be dearly missed, at BC as well as in the countless communities he’s touched. His dedication is a preeminent example of what BC strives to instill in all who find their way to the Heights: a desire to serve others, and the knowledge to do so effectively.
