Boston College Athletics recently dedicated its new athletic facilities on Brighton Campus to donor and alumnus John Harrington, BC ’57, GCSOM ’66. The newly named Harrington Athletics Village houses the baseball and softball fields as well as a small building for indoor restrooms and concessions. At the ceremony on April 14, both BC Director of Athletics Martin Jarmond and University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., commended Harrington for his continual dedication and generosity toward the University and celebrated a man who has long supported BC and its athletics. During his own speech, Harrington graciously reflected on the formative time that BC provided to him, which inspired his continued dedication to its improvement. As he expresses his gratefulness to the University through constant involvement and contributions, it is respectable of BC to repay by naming these new facilities after him.
After he graduated from the University, Harrington was an officer in the U.S. Navy, employed by NASA, and obtained his MBA from BC to become a CPA. Having spent too much time away from the University, he soon returned to BC as an assistant professor of accounting and eventually progressed from treasurer to CEO and general partner of the Boston Red Sox, which he remained for over 15 years. All the while, however, he never cut ties from the University to which he attributes so much of his academic and spiritual growth. In the past, Harrington has served on the Board of Trustees, received the Alumni Association’s highest award, the William V. McKenney Award, and donated to the construction efforts of Conte Forum. Currently, he is a trustee associate and continues to provide scholarships for student-athletes as well as Pops on the Heights scholars. Many times over, he has proven his love for the University, and BC graciously shows its appreciation for Harrington by naming the athletic complex, to which he and many other donors graciously contributed, after him.
The dedication of the Brighton complex also represents the opening of the first student-oriented space on Brighton Campus, an important benchmark for the University.
Featured Graphic by Nicole Chan / Graphics Editor
