The Inauguration of

Brennan O’Donnell,Ph.D.
Nineteenth President of Manhattan College
The Work is Yours: Work, Career &

MANHATTAN COLLEGE HISTORY

Manhattan College was founded more than 150 years ago by the Brothers of the Christian Schools. The first
Brothers to arrive in the United States came from France in 1848. These young Frenchmen, four in all,
established St. Vincent’s Academy on Canal Street in New York City and later moved to Manhattanville,
a tiny hamlet located in the then-rural, upper section of Manhattan Island. Occupying a plot of ground
east of Broadway and north of 131st street, the new school opened on May 5, 1853 and was renamed the
Academy of the Holy Infancy. In 1861, it became known as Manhattan Academy. By the time the Academy
was chartered as Manhattan College in 1863, 45 students were enrolled and pursued courses.

The need for a more serene atmosphere in the face of a growing New York City populace motivated the
Brothers to relocate the College’s campus to its present 22-acre site in the Riverdale section of the Bronx.
This move was completed in 1923.

The College underwent a major paradigm shift by becoming coeducational in the early 1970s, and women now
make up nearly half of the student body. In response to an increased demand for on-campus housing, twin
residence halls Horan and East Hill have been constructed in the past two decades. With a four-year guarantee
of resident housing, 80 percent of the student body chooses to live on or near campus while the rest commutes.

Always striving to give students a top-notch experience and education, the recently renovated main library
serves as a technology center for the entire Manhattan College community. The Mary Alice and Tom O’Malley
Library is home to a number of new features and services, including more than 100 computer workstations,
a round-the-clock Internet Café, a media center equipped with teleconferencing capabilities, and several
group study rooms scattered throughout the five-story layout.

In fall 2008, Manhattan launched its “next-generation” communication department in the school of arts
and opened new state-of-the-art television, radio and multimedia facilities in Leo Hall.

The College has grown to include the diversity of five undergraduate schools — arts, business, education,
engineering and science — as well as a graduate division. Full-time undergraduate enrollment is
approximately 3,000 students in more than 40 major fields of study. Including graduate students, total
enrollment is 3,500 and represents nearly 40 states and 60 countries.

All three of Manhattan’s professional schools — business, education and engineering — are nationally
accredited, and the College is just one of 276 institutions with a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and one
of a few American colleges to have chapters in all five of these distinguished national honor societies:
Phi Beta Kappa, Beta Gamma Sigma, Kappa Delta Pi, Sigma Xi and Tau Beta Pi.
Vocation in Lasallian Education

Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D.

Dr. Brennan O’Donnell is the 19th president of Manhattan College,
having assumed the responsibilities of the position July 1, 2009.

Dr. O’Donnell comes to Manhattan from Fordham College at Rose

Hill, Fordham University’s oldest and largest school. As dean of
Fordham College, he was the chief academic officer of a College of
Arts and Sciences enrolling about 3,200 students under a faculty
of more than 200.

Before coming to New York, Dr. O’Donnell spent 17 years at Loyola

College in Maryland (now Loyola University Maryland), where he
served as a professor of English and, from 1999-2004, as director
of the university-wide Honors Program. An active scholar, his teaching and research interests focus mainly
upon poetry, especially of the British Romantic period, and on religion and literature, particularly contemporary
American Catholic writers. He has authored two books on the poetry of William Wordsworth and co-edited
The Work of Andre Dubus, a collection of essays published as a double issue of Religion and the Arts. In addition,
Dr. O’Donnell has published articles, essays and reviews in some of the leading journals in his field. At Manhattan,
he will continue to hold a faculty appointment, as he had at Fordham and Loyola, as professor of English.

As the first president of the College not to be a member of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, Dr. O’Donnell
is treading new ground at Manhattan College. He has experience in such transitions, however, as he was
also the first layperson to serve as dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill. His publications and lectures
demonstrate a keen engagement in issues of faith and education, specifically Catholic higher education.
From 1994–2000, he served as editor of the national magazine Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education,
and he was a member of the National Seminar on Jesuit Higher Education from 1993–2000. In addition,
he has served as a board member for the Lilly Fellows Program and for Collegium, a consortium of Catholic
universities that strives to strengthen faculty understanding of and participation in the mission of
Catholic higher education.

A native of Pennsylvania’s Wyoming Valley, Dr. O’Donnell earned his B.A. with highest distinction and
Honors in English at The Pennsylvania State University in 1981, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.
He earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in English and American
Literature and Language. He is the recipient of numerous fellowships, grants, awards and honors. Dr. O’Donnell
is married to Angela O’Donnell (formerly Alaimo), a poet and writer who teaches at Fordham, where she
serves as associate director of the Francis and Ann Curran Center for American Catholic Studies. The couple
has three sons: Charles (a graduate of Saint John’s University, Minnesota, and a teacher in the St. Paul,
Minnesota, public schools), Patrick (a 2009 graduate of Columbia University, currently pursuing graduate
studies in philosophy in Leuven, Belgium), and Will (a senior English major at Fordham).

The Inauguration of Brennan O’Donnell,Ph.D. Nineteenth President of Manhattan College 3

The Work is Yours: Work, Career &

Order of Procession

Grand Marshal and Mace Bearer

The School of Arts and School of Science Banners
College and University Presidents and Delegates
The School of Engineering and School of Education Banners
The Deans of the Schools
Faculty
The School of Business Banner
Vice Presidents
Platform Party
Executive Vice President and Provost
Board of Trustees
Honored Guests
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
President

Grand Marshal and Mace Bearer

Br. Robert Berger, F.S.C., Ph.D.,Vice President for Student Life

Delegates Marshal
Karen Nicholson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Education and Chair of the Lasallian Education Committee

Faculty Marshals
The Deans of the Schools

Student Athlete Student

Banner Bearers Banner Escorts
Andrew Gabriel ’11, School of Arts Marlisse Cepeda ’10, School of Arts
Men’s Basketball Jose Chavarry ’12, School of Arts
Julia Lavelle ’11, School of Arts Anthony Fiore ’10, School of Business
Women’s Lacrosse Sophia Hirakis ’11, School of Science
Seid Mujanovic ’11, School of Business Jasmine Humphrey ’10, School of Business
Men’s Track and Field Brian Klotz ’10, School of Science
Michelle Pacheco ’10, School of Education Thomas Matarazzo ’10, School of Engineering
Women’s Basketball Amy Rowe ’11, School of Education
Thomas Romano ’11, School of Business Jeffrey Sidoti ’11, School of Education
Golf Kimberly Valentine ’10, School of Engineering
Manhattan College Pipers
Air Force ROTC Color Guard, Manhattan College Contingent
Vocation in Lasallian Education

Order of Ceremonies

Musical Prelude and Processional

March from Joshua by George F. Handel
Prelude from Te Deum by Marc Antoine Charpentier
Manhattan College Orchestra and Jasper Band

Welcome
Weldon Jackson, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Provost

The National Anthem

Invocation
Elizabeth A. Johnson, C.S.J., Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Theology, Fordham University

Presentation of Greetings
The Archdiocese of New York
The Most Reverend Gerald T. Walsh, D.D., Rector and President, St. Joseph’s Seminary
The City of New York
Raymond W. Kelly ’63, Police Commissioner, City of New York
Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
Stephen J. Sweeny ’71 (M.A.), ’76 (M.A.), Ph.D., President, College of New Rochelle and Secretary,
Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities
Laura L. Anglin, President, Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities
Learned Societies
Marlene Gottlieb, Ph.D., President, Upsilon of New York Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, Manhattan College
and Chair, Modern Foreign Languages
Lilly Fellows Program
Joseph Creech, Ph.D., Acting Director, Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and the Arts
Lasallian Educational Community
Br. Michael McGinniss, F.S.C., Ph.D., President, La Salle University and Trustee, Manhattan College

Musical Interlude
Choose Something Like a Star from Frostiana by Randall Thompson; text by Robert Frost
Manhattan College Singers
Choose Something Like a Star
O Star (the fairest one in sight),
We grant your loftiness the right
To some obscurity of cloud –
It will not do to say of night,
Since dark is what brings out your light.
Some mystery becomes the proud.
But to be wholly taciturn
In your reserve is not allowed.
Say something to us we can learn
By heart and when alone repeat.
Say something! And it says “I burn.”
But say with what degree of heat.
Talk Fahrenheit, talk Centigrade.
Use language we can comprehend.
Tell us what elements you blend.
It gives us strangely little aid,
But does tell something in the end.
And steadfast as Keats’ Eremite,
Not even stooping from its sphere,
It asks a little of us here.
It asks of us a certain height,
So when at times the mob is swayed
To carry praise or blame too far,
We may choose something like a star
To stay our minds on and be staid.

The Inauguration of Brennan O’Donnell,Ph.D. Nineteenth President of Manhattan College 5

The Work is Yours: Work, Career &

Order of Ceremonies (continued)

The Arch & the Star: Reflections on Lasallian Education

Jane Kelley Rodeheffer, Ph.D., Brother J. Lane Professor of Humanities, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Presentation of Greetings on behalf

of the Manhattan College Community
Brothers of the Christian Schools
Br. Timothy Murphy, F.S.C., Director, Christian Brothers Community, Manhattan College
Faculty
Katherine Weld, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science,
and Chair, Council for Faculty Affairs, Manhattan College
Administration & Staff
Grace Cabrera, Office Manager, School of Education
Students: Daniel Johnson ’10, School of Arts, Student Body President
Dana Medica ’10, Master’s Degree Student, School of Education
The Alumni Society
William Harkins ’67, President, Manhattan College Alumni Society

Installation of the President

Thomas D. O’Malley ’63, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Manhattan College
Presentation of Presidential Regalia
Br. Thomas J. Scanlan, F.S.C., Ph.D., President Emeritus, Manhattan College
Entrusting of the Charter and the Sponsorship Covenant
Thomas O’Malley and Br. Dennis Malloy, F.S.C., Ph.D., Visitor, District of Eastern North America,
and Vice Chairman, Board of Trustees, Manhattan College
Presentation of the Presidential Medallion
Thomas O’Malley and Br. Dennis Malloy

Inaugural Address
Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D., President, Manhattan College

Benediction
Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, D.D., Ph.D., Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, D.C.

Alma Mater

The Recessional
Hornpipe from Water Music Suite by George F. Handel
Manhattan College Orchestra and Jasper Band
Vocation in Lasallian Education

Jane Kelley Rodeheffer

Jane Kelley Rodeheffer is professor of philosophy at Saint Mary’s
University of Minnesota. She holds degrees from Boston College,
Harvard and Vanderbilt, where she completed her Ph.D. in philosophy
in 1989. Rodeheffer has published a range of articles in philosophy and
literature, and she is the co-editor of two collections of essays, Core
Texts in Conversation and The Work of Andre Dubus. At Saint Mary’s
University, she has served as founding director of both the university-wide
Lasallian Core Traditions Program and the Lasallian Great Books
Honors Program.

Her awards include the Brother J. Robert Lane Chair in Humanities

and the Brother Charles Severin Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Rodeheffer has held several leadership positions in the Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and the Arts,
a national consortium of church-related colleges and universities. She is currently serving a three-year term
as senior faculty mentor in the newly established Lilly Fellows Program for graduate students.

The Inauguration of Brennan O’Donnell,Ph.D. Nineteenth President of Manhattan College 7

The Work is Yours: Work, Career &

Academic Heraldry
The essential features of the academic costume worn at American college exercises originate in the garb
of the Middle Ages. The oldest universities of northern Europe developed from church schools; both faculty
and students were regarded as part of the clergy. The monastic dress of the day was worn by all participants
in university life.

The head covering evolved from the skullcap worn by the clergy. In the universities, this skullcap developed a
pointed top that evolved into a tassel. The bonnet with tassel worn by degree holders in European universities
has been replaced in the United States by the mortarboard; the medieval tassel has been retained.

The hood was a head covering that, like the monks’ cowl, dropped on to the shoulders. At first, it was worn
by faculty and students. In the early 16th century, it was restricted to graduates and became the mark of
a degree holder. Today, each college has a distinctive colored hood lining by which its graduates may be
recognized in academic procession.

The contemporary gown may have been borrowed from the habit of the Benedictine monks. In the Middle
Ages, undergraduates, bachelors and masters could be distinguished by the simplicity or elaborateness of
their gowns. The masters’ gowns were often furred, a custom surviving today in the ornamentation on the
doctoral gown.

The wide velvet borders on the front of the doctoral gown and the velvet bars on the sleeves are colored
according to the scholarly field of the wearer as follows:

Accountancy and Business Administration, drab

Arts, Letters and Humanities, white
Education, light blue
Engineering, orange
Fine Arts, brown
Law, purple
Library Science, lemon
Philosophy, dark blue
Physical Education, sage green
Public Administration, peacock blue
Science, golden yellow
Theology, scarlet
Vocation in Lasallian Education

The Presidential Medallion

The Manhattan College presidential medallion will be conferred during the installation of
Manhattan’s nineteenth president, Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D. Its design combines institutional
and religious symbols and dates that represent the College’s history.

In the center medallion, the feature piece, is the seal of the College. Adapted from the seal of the
Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, this symbol was bestowed upon the Brothers by
the General Chapter in 1751. The shining star is positioned on the shield with the inscription
“Signum Fidei,” Latin for “sign of faith.” The words “Manhattan College New York” encircle the
seal of the Christian Brothers and were added at the time of the institution’s founding in 1853.
The scrollwork adorning the perimeter of the seal mirrors the fleur-de-lis design above the star.

The chain has six circular engraved discs, three on each side, that represent the five
schools of the College with their founding dates, and one that honors the founder
of the Christian Brothers, Saint John Baptist de La Salle. Topping off these
discs are two embossed cupolas, one on each side. These symbolize the
main cupola that rests high on top of the Georgian-style Chapel of
De La Salle and His Brothers. It has come to be known as the
defining symbol of the College, a familiar beacon towering
over the Riverdale campus and its surroundings.

Inscribed on its reverse side with the

name of Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D.,
the medallion was designed by
the College and crafted by
Medallic Art Company Ltd.

The Inauguration of Brennan O’Donnell,Ph.D. Nineteenth President of Manhattan College 9

The Work is Yours: Work, Career &

The Past Presidents of Manhattan College

Brother Brother Brother

Patrick Murphy Paulian Fanning Anthony Byrnes
1863-1873 1873-1879 1879-1886, 1890-1894

Brother Brother Brother

Justin McMahon Charles Foley E. Jerome Daly
1886-1890, 1894-1900 1900-1902 1902-1904, 1909-1912

Brother Brother Brother

A. Edward Saunders B. Peter Tracy A. Jasper Scanlon
1904-1907, 1912-1918 1907-1909 1918-1921
Vocation in Lasallian Education

Brother Brother Brother

C. Thomas Fitzsimmons Cornelius Hession A. Patrick McKenzie
1921-1927 1927-1932 1932-1938

Brother Brother Brother

A. Victor Lally B. Thomas McGinty A. Philip Nelan
1938-1944 1944-1953 1953-1962

Brother Brother Brother

Gregory Nugent J. Stephen Sullivan Thomas J. Scanlan
1962-1975 1975-1987 1987-2009

The Inauguration of Brennan O’Donnell,Ph.D. Nineteenth President of Manhattan College 11

The Work is Yours: Work, Career &

Manhattan College Board of Trustees

Thomas D. O’Malley Helen C. Hollein
Chairman, Board of Trustees Professor Emeritus, Chemical Engineering
Manhattan College Manhattan College

John Banks III Robert E. La Blanc

Vice President of Government Relations President
Consolidated Edison Company Robert E. La Blanc Associates, Inc.

William A. Bautz John V. Magliano

President Chairman Emeritus
WAB Consulting Syska Hennessy Group

Renato Berzolla Br. Dennis Malloy, F.S.C.

Former President & CEO Provincial
Multi Electric Company La Salle Provincialate

Patrick G. Boyle Br. William Mann, F.S.C.

Executive Vice President President
New York Life Investment Management St. Mary’s University of Minnesota

Br. Frank G. Byrne, F.S.C. Rosanne Thomas Matzat, Esq.

President Partner, Bankruptcy
Christian Brothers Academy Hahn Hessen, LLP

Gerard Caccappolo Br. Michael J. McGinniss, F.S.C.

Retired CEO President
Ebone La Salle University

Joseph J. Carroll, Esq. John A. McMaster

Counsel Consultant
Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP Volt Information Sciences

Clare A. Cunniffe Peter M. Mulderry

Regional Director, Financial Services Director of Marketing/Client Services
Informatica Corp. Highfields Capital Management

Neil P. DeFeo Robert J. Muller Jr.

Chief Executive Officer Chairman, President & CEO
The Sun Products Corporation Panolam Industries

William N. Dooley Eileen K. Murray

Senior Vice President, Financial Services Former President & Partner
American International Group Duff Capital Advisors

Cornelius J. Higgins Peter M. Musumeci Jr.

Co-Chairman & Principal Engineer Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer
Applied Research Associates, Inc. Metro Bank
Vocation in Lasallian Education

Michael J. Paliotta Anthony J. Scala Jr., P.E.

Managing Director President
Credit Suisse First Boston Lowy & Donnath, Inc.

Michael J. Passarella George Skau

Retired Partner Professor Emeritus, History
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Bergen Community College

Kenneth Rathgeber Br. Robert J. Smith, F.S.C.

Executive Vice President & CCO Vice President for Academic Affairs
Fidelity Investments Bethlehem University

Michael J. Regan C. Edward Ward Jr.

Retired Vice Chair & CAO Retired Director of Marketing
KPMG LLP New York Stock Exchange

Joseph A. Ripp
Retired President & COO
Dendrite International

Manhattan College Administration

Weldon Jackson, Ph.D. Colette Geary, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President and Provost Dean of Students

Salwa Ammar, Ph.D. Robert Mahan

Dean of the School of Business Vice President for Facilities Management

Br. Robert Berger, F.S.C., Ph.D. Thomas Mauriello

Vice President for Student Life Vice President for College Advancement

William Bisset William Merriman, Ph.D.

Vice President for Enrollment Management Dean of the School of Education

Edward Brown, Ph.D. Thomas Ryan

Dean of the School of Science Vice President for Finance

Richard Emmerson, Ph.D. Tim Ward, Ph.D.

Dean of the School of Arts Dean of the School of Engineering

Barbara Fabé John Wilcox, Ph.D.

Vice President for Human Resources Vice President for Mission

The Inauguration of Brennan O’Donnell,Ph.D. Nineteenth President of Manhattan College 13

The Work is Yours: Work, Career &

Inauguration Planning Committee

Co-Chairs Student Government

Veronica Boland, Executive Assistant to the President Daniel Johnson ’10, Student Body President
Lydia Gray, Director of College Relations Jesse Velten ’11, Executive Vice President

Core Committee Student Life

Thomas Mauriello, Vice President for Br. Robert Berger, F.S.C., Vice President for
College Advancement Student Life
Ann Clohessy, Special Advisor to the President Br. Charles Barbush, F.S.C., Coordinator
Patricia Gunn Doherty, Director of Special Events of the Mentor Program
Robert Byrnes, Director of Athletics
Christian Brothers Lois Harr, Director of Campus Ministry and
Community Social Action
Br. Timothy Murphy, F.S.C., Director Fr. George Hill, Campus Minister
of the Christian Brothers Center William Mulligan, Coordinator of Performing Arts
Elaine White, Director of Student Development
Board of Trustees
Thomas O’Malley, Chairman Special Thanks To:
Br. Dennis Malloy, F.S.C., Vice Chairman Athletics
Computer Services
Academic Affairs Dean of Students
Weldon Jackson, Executive Vice President and Provost Lasallian Education Committee
Maire Duchon, Director of the Libraries Performing Arts
Karen Nicholson, Associate Professor of Education Physical Plant
and Chair of the Lasallian Education Committee Registrar
Amy Surak, Archivist Security
Sodexo Food Services
College Advancement Sodexo Housekeeping
Kristen Cuppek, Assistant Director of Publications Student Activities
Ellen Kiernan, Director of Alumni Relations Student Ambassadors

Enrollment Management Committee Support:

William Bisset, Vice President for
Enrollment Management
Dana Dubiel, Senior Associate Director of
Admissions and Financial Aid
Facilities Management
Robert Mahan, Vice President for
Facilities Management
Richard McKeown, Director of Physical Plant
Gail Conklin, Special Events Officer
Amy Coppe, Development Writer
Andrew Goodman, Director of Campus Events
Victor Schneider, Assistant Director of Physical Plant
Scott Silversten, Assistant Director of Communications
Rose Spaziani, Publications Officer
Vocation in Lasallian Education

Inaugural Week Celebration: October 23-28, 2009

Friday, October 23 Fall Honors Convocation
Opening Mass and Reception Honorary Degree Presentation
John Neuhauser ’64, Ph.D.
4 p.m., Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers
President, Saint Michael’s College
Celebrant:
Rev. Gerald Blaszczak, S.J. Convocation
University Chaplain 7:30 p.m., Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers
Fairfield University Reception to follow, Dante’s Den, Thomas Hall
By invitation only
Reception to follow, Dante’s Den, Thomas Hall
Open to all
Tuesday, October 27
Student Inaugural Ball Lasallian Academic Symposium
7 p.m., Smith Auditorium Keynote Address
Open to students, faculty, administrators and staff Jane Kelley Rodeheffer, Ph.D.
Professor of Philosophy
Sunday, October 25 Brother J. Robert Lane Chair in Humanities
Saint Mary’s University, Minnesota
Alumni Mass and
Brunch for Open House 1:30 p.m., Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers
2:30 p.m., Discussion Groups, Smith Auditorium
10 a.m., Mass, Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers
4:30 p.m., Reception, The Quadrangle
Open to all
Open to faculty, administrators and staff
11 a.m., Alumni Brunch, Dante’s Den, Thomas Hall
By invitation only Center for Career Development:
Mentor Meet & Greet for
Open House Engineering and Science
12 p.m., Draddy Gymnasium
Guest Speaker: Peter McGroddy ’71, P.E.
Senior Vice President, HDR Engineering Co.
Sunday Liturgy 6–8 p.m., Smith Auditorium
7:30 p.m., Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers By invitation only
Open to all
Wednesday, October 28
Monday, October 26 Presidential Inauguration
Campus Revue Celebration
Performance Pizzazz: Pipers, Pep, Pop, Pirouettes, 
Pizza and the President Installation Ceremony
12–2 p.m., The Quadrangle 1 p.m., Draddy Gymnasium
Open to all
Reception
Dedication of Founders Bridge
3 p.m., The Quadrangle
3:30 p.m., Mary Alice and Tom O’Malley
Library entrance bridge
Presentation and Display
Open to all
of Greetings
Formal Opening Rotunda, Memorial Hall – all day
E xhibition Dedicated to the
Work of Br. Luke Salm, F.S.C., et al.
4 p.m., Mary Alice and Tom O’Malley Library
4:30 p.m., Reception, Mary Alice and
Tom O’Malley Library
Open to all
The Inauguration of Brennan O’Donnell,Ph.D. Nineteenth President of Manhattan College 15
Alma Mater
Hail to you our Alma Mater!
Of your fame we sing today,
And our hearts exult within us
As this tribute we do pay.

For we love your hilly campus

And Lasallian community.
We will always bring you honor
Now until eternity.

For we love your hilly campus

And Lasallian community.
We will bring Manhattan honor
Now until eternity.