Aug. 25, 2003

On August 24, 2003 the entire Marist College family, and the Department of Athletics lost a life-long friend when Life Trustee John J. Gartland passed away at the age of 89. His generosity and compassion for Marist College will never be forgotten. The following is a letter from Marist College President, Dr. Dennis J. Murray, regarding the passing of Life Trustee John J. Gartland.

It is with deep sadness and a personal sense of loss that I write to tell you that Life Trustee John J. Gartland, Jr. passed away last night at the age of 89. Jack was the best of a great generation and was widely recognized as Dutchess County s most influential community leader of the 20th century.

Born in Poughkeepsie in 1914, Jack lived through the Great Depression, answered his country s call in World War II, and returned home to help build the modern America we all enjoy today. In his role as senior partner in his law firm, President of the McCann Foundation, and Co-Trustee of the Cunneen-Hackett Charitable Trust, he was a friend of good causes and sought partnerships that would benefit the residents of this region.

One can look around any part of Dutchess County and see Jack s influence. His wisdom and work benefited St. Mary s Church in Poughkeepsie, Our Lady of Lourdes High School, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Saint Francis Hospital, St. Peter s Cemetery, Astor Home, Bardavon 1869 Opera House, Mid-Hudson Civic Center, McCann Ice Arena, McCann Golf Course, Catholic Center in Poughkeepsie, Community Foundation of Dutchess County, Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, and dozens of other nonprofit organizations throughout the County.

Of course, Jack s greatest commitment was to Marist College and those affiliated with this community. His remarkable span of service to Marist dates back to 1956, when he was elected Chairman of the College s first lay advisory board. In 1969, he was elected to the College s Board of Trustees, and served as Chairman of the Board from 1972-74. For 20 of his 30 years on the board, Jack chaired the Buildings and Grounds Committee and oversaw the design and development of the Marist campus. The construction or renovation of virtually every building on our campus was completed during his tenure as committee chair, totaling more than $120 million in physical plant improvements. His participation was always hands-on he attended meetings nearly every week and made frequent visits to construction sites to monitor progress. As President of the McCann Foundation, Jack played a leadership role in securing several million dollars in Foundation grants to support the expansion and enhancement of the Marist campus. He took particular pride in the James J. McCann Recreation Center and the way it met the recreational needs of students at the College and in the community.

Jack oversaw more than just the physical improvements to our campus. He was an advisor to three Marist Presidents, and served as an important bridge between the College and the Dutchess County community. In his first year of involvement, he became an advocate for expanding the College s mission by opening its doors to lay students men in 1957 and women in 1968. In 1969, he introduced the McCann Scholars program, which has awarded more than $1.7 million in scholarships, enabling hundreds of area students to attend Marist. Jack also understood the importance of academics at the College, and helped establish Marist s first endowed chair, the Dr. Linus Richard Foy Chair in Computer Science.

Jack never sought attention or awards, but, in the Marist Brothers tradition, went about doing good quietly. Yet as a college community, we deservedly recognized Jack by presenting him with the President s Award for Community Service in 1967, an award also presented to both his father and his son. In 1980, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, and in 1989 the northern part of our campus, including student residences and athletic fields, was named the Gartland Commons in his honor. In 2000, Jack retired from active service on the board and was named a Life Trustee.