Stonehill Stories Episode 1

Preview

0:00 - Fran Dillon: What I carried away from Stonehill is be successful, but remember, always do the right thing.

Introduction

0:07 - Liam Dacko: Hello, and welcome to Stonehill Stories, the official podcast of Stonehill College. I’m your host, Liam Dacko, Class of 2016. Our guest today is Mr. Stonehill himself, Fran Dillon. During our conversation, the former vice president of advancement, who graduated from the College in 1970, traces his path to the Hill and shares his experiences leading with compassion as the longtime steward of Stonehill’s fundraising efforts.

Interview

0:38 - Liam Dacko: Now, Fran, how many years has it been since you retired? 

0:41 - Fran Dillon: I retired in December of 2022. I stepped down from my full-time position in December of 2019, but I continued working part-time through the College’s comprehensive campaign until 2022.

0:56 - Liam Dacko: I think that’s great. I mean, I think a lot of people when they retire, just want to, you know, go to the beach in Florida, but you’ve really stayed involved with the Stonehill community. 

1:04 - Fran Dillon: Well, it’s a labor of love, really. It’s no heavy lifting. I’ve made so many friends over the past many decades I’ve been involved, and it’s a pleasure to stay involved and work with Father John and Doug Smith and people around the campus.

1:18 - Liam Dacko: You were the College’s longest serving senior administrator, correct?

1:22 - Fran Dillon: Yes. Vice president, the longest serving vice president. I think it would be the longest serving senior administrator, as well. 

1:29 - Liam Dacko: And before that you were a student, Class of 1970.

1:32 - Fran Dillon: That’s correct.

1:34 - Liam Dacko: Why did you choose Stonehill? How did your Stonehill journey begin? 

1:37 - Fran Dillon: Well, it’s probably a unique story, Liam. I grew up in Brighton, which is a neighborhood in Boston. And quite frankly, in 1966, I hadn’t heard much about Stonehill College. And in those days, I went to a Catholic high school. Different orders of priests would come in and all the boys were required to go to the auditorium to listen to talks about vocations. And Father Frank Gartland came representing the Holy Cross fathers. And when he left, he left behind two mimeograph sheets, one on what it’s like to be a Holy Cross priest. And the other was the history of Stonehill College. The top of the sheets said Stonehill College was founded on June 28, 1948, which happens to be my birthday. So that struck an interest in me. I said, “I have to go look at this school.”

2:21 - Fran Dillon: And I came down with my sister, who was a student at Bridgewater State at the time, and she had never been on the campus. And I grew up in the projects and to come to Stonehill back then, there were very few buildings on campus, but just this lush green campus, beautiful mansion on the hill, ponds and trees that just…I said, “This is a place to go to school.” During that visit, I met some students—all men, only men lived on campus at Stonehill in those days. But they were just such great guys, took me around the campus, told me about the academic offerings, extracurriculars, and I just fell in love with the place. So, once I had made that visit, I knew that’s the place I wanted to go. 

3:01 - Liam Dacko: Reflecting on your time as a student, what do you remember most about, you know, your experiences here? Do you have any sort of favorite memories that you might want to call out? 

3:09 - Fran Dillon: Well, they’re great memories. And I still…you know, I celebrated my 50th reunion a couple of years ago. And some of my best friends were people that I met here at Stonehill over 50 years ago. Freshman year was a lot of fun. Things kind of changed after that because the world changed. You know, the Vietnam War was really heating up at that time. Protests began. During my senior year, college classes were called off in April, and we established what was called a Communiversity, which was really a way to learn more about what was happening in Vietnam. The leaders of that movement at Stonehill at the time were some of the Holy Cross priests—Father Kruse, Father Lockary, Father MacPháidín, I mean, just giants of the Holy Cross community at that time. And it was a great learning experience, but really kind of traumatic too. Until this past pandemic, that was probably the most difficult year in Stonehill’s history, which would have been 1969-1970. 

4:08 - Fran Dillon: Personally, growing up in Boston, I always believed that the Kennedys could do no wrong. So, I loved the Kennedy family, and particularly Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated before my junior year. And that troubled me quite a bit. I came back to campus and along with a classmate of mine, Lou Milano, we decided to establish the Robert F. Kennedy Society at Stonehill, which turned out to be a big brother/big sister organization. And for probably 15 years it was the largest organization on campus. You know how they still call it the Robert F. Kennedy Grove?

4:41 - Liam Dacko: Right, right.

4:42 - Fran Dillon: Well, it’s funny how that got its name. There used to be a little brick shed out there. And when we established the Robert F. Kennedy Society, we got lots of donations from local stores, which no longer exist. They donated games and balls and hockey sticks, and we had no place to store them. So, we got permission to store them in that little shed that was called the Robert F. Kennedy Shed, and somehow that evolved into the Robert F. Kennedy Grove.

5:07 - Liam Dacko: And for our listeners, just to clarify: the Robert F. Kennedy Grove is located right next to the library. It’s where the Kiss-A-Senior Goodbye Cookout is held every year. And your division, the Advancement division, they run that event every year.

5:22 - Fran Dillon: That’s right. That’s right.

5:23 - Liam Dacko: Now, how long after you graduated did you come back to work at Stonehill?

5:28 - Fran Dillon: Four years. I went to graduate school for one year. And I taught in a Catholic…my own high school for three years and actually coached for six years there.

5:38 - Liam Dacko: And where was that?

5:39 - Fran Dillon: Saint Columbkille’s in Brighton. So, I came back to Stonehill to work in 1974. Brian Murphy, who I knew during my student days, was the dean of admissions. And I think he was dean for 40 years or something like that. He was a brilliant dean and had a great reputation throughout New England. And he hired me to work in the admissions office. And I actually stayed there 10 years working in admissions, and I loved it. I loved every minute of it. 

6:03 – Fran Dillon: Then Father MacPháidín, who was the president at the time in 1984, asked me if I would take over the fledgling development effort at the College. We hadn’t been really very active in fundraising up until that point. I had never raised any money in my life. But Father MacPháidín said, “You know, you represent the college as an admissions person. And that’s what I want you to do with our alumni and friends.” So, I actually took it on the condition that if I didn’t like it, I could go back to admissions. But I loved it. And I stayed there for 38 years.

6:34 - Liam Dacko: Is there a story of giving that stands out to you as sort of a quintessential Stonehill story? 

6:41 - Fran Dillon: Liam, there are literally hundreds. If I were to pick one, it’s the story of Bud Roche. Roche Hall is named after his daughter, Patty Roche, who was a Stonehill graduate, and who passed away at a very young age of a brain tumor. And when she died, the obituary said, “Gifts in her honor can be made to Stonehill College.” So, at that time, we established a scholarship in her name with about $13,000, if I remember correctly, and we made an endowment. But every year we offered that scholarship, and we require the students to send a letter to the benefactor. So, the students would write to Bud and Eileen Roche every year. And he made his first major gift to that scholarship, maybe eight or 10 years later, and it was a million dollars. Well, since that time, it’s probably up to about $16 million that he’s contributed to the College in the form of scholarships.

7:35 - Fran Dillon: But I used to visit Bud in his home in Needham and also down in Florida on Marco Island. One time up in Needham, he started talking about his daughter, Patty, and he said, “You know, what keeps me going?” He said, “Give me a minute.” He goes into his bedroom and comes out with a three-ring binder. Now, this is probably 20 years after he established the scholarship. He had saved every single student letter.

7:57 - Liam Dacko: Wow.

7:58 - Fran Dillon: He says, “When I get depressed about Patty dying so young, I take out this folder and I read the letters from the students. And I realize Patty’s impact on these hundreds of students at that time is just immeasurable. And it just gives me so much hope and satisfaction.” So, that makes our work worthwhile.

8:18 - Liam Dacko: Now, you have a scholarship, you and your wife, in your name, don’t you?

8:22 - Fran Dillon: Yes, we do, through no generosity of ourselves in the beginning. It was actually the Alumni Council that established that scholarship in our honor, and I think it was when we both had served about 25 years. My wife, Linda, worked at the College for 42 years in admissions, financial aid and the Assessment Office working for the provost. She was here for 42 years. I was here 48 years, but I think it was around the time we had been here each 25 years, they established the scholarship. Of course, my wife and I every year contribute to that scholarship. And then when I retired, they insisted on having a fundraiser for me, which was a fabulous night. They raised money for the scholarships, and now it’s a pretty…I think it’s up to about $800,000 now, which is very, very satisfying.

9:04 - Fran Dillon: Just last night, Liam, they had the Scholarship Dinner. Every year for many, many years, we host the students who received scholarships and the benefactors who established those scholarships. It’s one of the most enjoyable nights of the year for Father John, for Doug Smith and his staff, and for my wife and I. You get to meet real people who are holding your scholarships, and they get to talk to you about their plans for the future and their goals and their experiences at Stonehill. It’s just a very thrilling evening. When I started in the—at the time, we called it College Relations, they call it Advancement now—there was somewhere around 38 scholarships at the College. And when I retired, I think there were 238. And now I think there’s over 300.

9:47 - Fran Dillon: And to sit there and look around...And I knew people at almost every table who established the scholarships, oftentimes in the name of a child who was…who died very young. And they get such satisfaction out of meeting a Stonehill student who has the scholarship named for their son or daughter.

10:03 - Liam Dacko: Speaking from personal experience, I received the Fran and Linda Dillon Scholarship when I was a student. I remember, you know, attending the dinner that you had mentioned, and it was lovely sitting with you and your wife. And I’m incredibly grateful to you and the rest of the Stonehill community because, you know, I don’t think I could have pursued higher education without that aid and, you know, it was touching to be able to sit with you and express that at the time.

10:29 - Fran Dillon: Well, you know, the students that I have met who have received the scholarship are always so grateful, like you just expressed, Liam, but they’re also students who have given so much to Stonehill during their student days, and then as alums. So, it’s like paying it forward, you know, and it’s just very rewarding to see young people like yourself who have benefited from scholarships at Stonehill.

10:50 - Liam Dacko: Fran, I’m wondering, what’s one lesson you learned, as a Stonehill student that you carried with you as you served as vice president for advancement? Anything that sort of impacted the way you lead?

11:02 - Fran Dillon: That’s a great question because, as I said, I made great friends. But the people who had the greatest effect on me were the Holy Cross priests and a couple of very outstanding professors, including Richard Finnegan, who recently passed away. He was my mentor and the best teacher I ever had in my life. But people like Jack McCarthy, who married my wife and I, baptized our kids, buried our parents, had an immense impact on my life. And I think…I went to a Catholic school for 12 years before Stonehill, and I loved it, but what I carried away from Stonehill is be successful, but remember, always do the right thing. And I would hope that comes naturally to most people, but it certainly was reinforced by the Holy Cross fathers at Stonehill during my time here, and also by some of the wonderful professors I had in the classroom.

11:53 - Liam Dacko: Now, looking back on the impact of all the people that you mentioned, and considering that in conjunction with your experiences here, why do you believe prospective students should choose Stonehill?

12:05 - Fran Dillon: Well, that’s a great question, Liam. Stonehill, with all the changes that have happened over the 50 plus years I’ve been involved with Stonehill, the changes are incredible. Not just physical—the campus is just totally different than when I was here as a student. I’m so pleased to see Stonehill being a much more diverse environment than it was when I was a student here. The technology has changed so much. What hasn’t changed has been the emphasis on community, whether it be a living community, an academic community, a spiritual community. It’s always been there. I don’t know exactly why it’s been part of the fabric of Stonehill since I arrived in 1966. But it’s just been there. And I think if somebody’s looking for a great education and a place to grow as a person…you know, our motto when I was a student here was “The Making of a Person.” We’ve gone through a number of different sort of mottos, but they all reflect this sense of community, I think.

13:01 - Fran Dillon: If I do have a minute, I mentioned to you having lunch with a Stonehill graduate just the other day. And he works for a very large company that was just bought by an international company. His job is to help the teams all over the world, China, Europe, Asia merge. So, he’s got a huge job. And he got a call from his team. They said, “There’s something going on here that’s not right. There’s some ethical things happening here, unethical things happening. And we wanted you to know about it.” Now he’s on his way out of the company, you know, the merger is…but he’s got a great package before he leaves. But he said, “I could just let this go because I’m not part of this new company.” But he looks at the Stonehill website all the time. He said, “You know, what I learned at Stonehill, is that you have to do the right thing. And when I open the Stonehill page, and I say, how are you going to lead? I think of my days as a Stonehill student. I said, I have to bring this to the attention of the new company.” And that’s what he did. And I think that’s leading with courage. That’s, that’s what he did.

14:00 - Fran Dillon: And I think that’s what happens to people at Stonehill. They get a great education. They’re prepared for the careers that they set out to get involved with, but they’re also prepared for life. When I think of it, I keep in touch with lots of alumni from young to old. The ones I know, they’re involved in the community. They’re involved in their church. They have civic responsibilities, and they’re successful in what they do. I think that’s what a Stonehill education does for our students.

14:29 - Liam Dacko: Before we wrap up, I just want to say thank you so much for joining us. It was lovely to see you again. Don’t be a stranger. I hope we can get you back on the podcast sometime.

14:36 - Fran Dillon: Anytime, Liam. It’s been my pleasure. I always love talking about Stonehill. Ask my kids, they say that’s all I talk about.

Credits

14:47 - Liam Dacko: Thank you for listening to Stonehill Stories. This podcast is produced by Jill Goddard and Liam Dacko of Stonehill College’s Office of Communications and Media Relations. Intro theme composed by Associate Professor of Music James Bohn. Outro theme composed by Philip Pereira. Graphic design assistance provided by Colin Spencer. To discover more about Stonehill College, visit our website at Stonehill.edu.