With $2 million gift, Stonehill College establishes Hayden Chair

The Chair, named in memory of alumnus James E. Hayden ’76, will lead the College’s bold push for a more equitable world through its new Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Social Justice.

March 22, 2021
James Hayden '76

The establishment of the James E. Hayden Chair for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Social Justice at Stonehill begins with the tragic death of alumnus James Hayden on September 11, 2001.

In the wake of that loss, his wife, Elizabeth, and their children Elizabeth (Hayden) Klucznik ’04 and John showed not just resilience but also a desire for healing over hate, which led to a partnership with faculty members and their bold idea on how to address inequity and promote social justice.

Remembering James Hayden

A member of the class of 1976, Hayden, a successful accountant, was killed in the terrorist attack that destroyed United Airlines Flight 175 on 9/11. The newly endowed chair represents a $2 million gift commitment in Jim’s name from his wife and classmate, Elizabeth (Fox) Hayden to the College.

“Jim was a person of love and peace, an optimist. A natural mentor and a good listener, he knew how to instill trust in others. My children, Elizabeth and John, and I were blessed in that we knew he cherished us,” said Hayden, a member of the College’s Board of Trustees.

“When the September 11 attack took Jim’s life along with the lives of 2,996 people, I was shattered. I did not, however, want to succumb to the hate that characterized the terrorists. Wanting to prove that good could overcome evil, I resolved to fight for justice and to create a more humane world,” Hayden said.

Liz Hayden and her daughter, Elizabeth

Liz Hayden and her daughter, Elizabeth.

When her father died on 9/11, daughter Elizabeth was just in the second week of her sophomore year at Stonehill. Like her mother, she too wants the Chair to be a force for compassion and justice in our world.

“My dad was a firm believer that one must first identify and truly understand the problem for the situation to get better. As such, it is important to consider the structural racism that has been present in our society, including at Stonehill. By understanding this existence and its effects, we can begin to effect change that will make our community and College a better and kinder place,” says Klucznik.

Wanting to make a difference in the lives of those who did not have the opportunities she experienced, Hayden looked for strategies to help others. While at a Board of Trustees meeting, an academic proposal caught her attention.

I was immediately taken with their idea and I liked its larger context. Not only could the Center be transformative to the campus, but it would also have the potential to have a profound societal impact. We can all make a difference and be a catalyst to create a more just and compassionate world.

Addressing Inequity

Recognizing the need for both greater faculty diversity and for a more robust examination of race and racism in the College’s curriculum, a team of more than 30 faculty, led by Associate Professor of English Laura Thiemann Scales and Associate Professor of Criminology and Sociology Anamika Twyman-Ghoshal, made the case for the creation of a Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Social Justice at the College.

Drafted by Stonehill faculty across many disciplines, the proposal stemmed from a competitive academic initiative where faculty submitted bold, innovative ideas worthy of institutional support. The Center’s proposal was one of six chosen.

“I was immediately taken with their idea and I liked its larger context. Not only could the Center be transformative to the campus, but it would also have the potential to have a profound societal impact. We can all make a difference and be a catalyst to create a more just and compassionate world,” said Hayden.

For her daughter, Elizabeth, “This Chair is not an endpoint, but rather the start of making meaningful steps towards advancement that acknowledge the true issues and take them straight on. The real change comes from each of us working together as a Stonehill community to lead the effort to ensure equity for all, not just through words, but by each and all our actions.”

Trustee Elizabeth (Fox) Hayden ’76 speaks in the Chapel of Mary in 2001 at a Mass remembering those lost in 9/11.

On behalf of everyone at the College, I want to thank Liz Hayden and her family for their generosity and thoughtfulness in assisting us at this time with creating a Center that will undoubtedly transform hearts and minds.

Innovative Home

The Hayden Chair will lead the Center, which will be a home for innovative and interdisciplinary teaching, research, and public dialogue. With the collaborative efforts of faculty and staff, the Center will seek to diversify the faculty, infuse the study of race and ethnicity into the curriculum, recruit and retain more students of color, and create opportunities for interdisciplinary work in the fields of race, ethnicity, and social justice.

"As a trustee, Liz knows our strategic priorities, and as an alumna, she has shown a wonderful commitment to seeing Stonehill thrive and grow. This meaningful gift is one full of potential for how we deepen our understanding of social justice and its impact on society, while living out our Holy Cross mission,” said President John Denning, C.S.C.

For Scales, the Center is a wonderful example of a grass-roots academic initiative informed by student perspectives and nurtured by faculty.

“In writing the proposal, we focused on creating transformative culture change. We envisioned bringing in new faculty experts working in the study of race and ethnicity, strengthening and diversifying our course offerings, and creating co-curricular events to engage the entire community,” says Scales.

“It was especially important to us to create opportunities to foster mentorship through student-faculty research collaboration. We aimed to connect the College’s social justice mission to urgent questions of racial justice through an interdisciplinary lens. We are thrilled that the support of the Hayden family will allow this vision to become a reality.”

Twyman-Ghoshal said the Hayden gift was an unprecedented opportunity for growth at Stonehill.

“I am so grateful to the Hayden family for the support of this faculty-initiated and faculty-driven vision for the development and growth of Stonehill College. It has allowed faculty to see their integral role in imagining what the future of Stonehill could be. The Center represents a recommitment of the College to its social justice mission, one that makes the study of race and ethnicity the core of that charge,” said Twyman-Ghoshal.

Director of the American Studies Program and Assistant Professor of English Andrea Opitz was also a member of the proposing team.

“I hope that the Center will challenge us to live up to our commitments to change and our desire to build a more just and equitable community at Stonehill, and beyond,” said Opitz.

Hayden, a former educator, stressed the urgent need for the Center in the current moment.

“In a time of great inequality, suffering, and marginalization, we need to better understand these challenges and how to cultivate social justice in response, especially in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion. These matters must be addressed in our communities and in the colleges and universities that we love,” said Hayden.

“On behalf of everyone at the College, I want to thank Liz Hayden and her family for their generosity and thoughtfulness in assisting us at this time with creating a Center that will undoubtedly transform hearts and minds,” said Fr. Denning.

Chair Overview

The Hayden Chair will be a distinguished faculty member with teaching and research expertise in the study of race, ethnicity, and social justice, recruited through a national search to lead the Center.

• The Center will offer academic and co-curricular events and research opportunities that bridge academic experiences and student life.

• Stonehill will also create a Hayden Family Lecture Series and a Hayden Family SURE Scholar program.

• The Hayden Family Lecture Series will feature a prominent speaker annually on issues of race, ethnicity and social justice.

• A Stonehill Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) position will be called the Hayden Family SURE Scholar, for a student completing academic research with a faculty mentor on issues of race, ethnicity, or social justice.

• With the Director, the College will establish an Advisory Board, within a year of the date of the Director’s hire to provide strategic guidance. It will consist of a diverse group of external experts and academic leaders in race and ethnicity studies.

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