PITTSFORD, N.Y., June 9, 2003—St. John Fisher College today announced the establishment of its first endowed chair, the William and Helen Cavanaugh Chair of Catholic Studies, within the Department of Religious Studies.  This endowed chair is made possible, thanks to a significant gift to the College from Rev. John R. Cavanaugh, C. S. B., in memory of his parents.

Fr. Cavanaugh, sculptor Jonas Perkins, and statue of Fr. Cavanaugh outside Founders Hall
 






Father Cavanaugh joined the Fisher faculty in 1956, when he was appointed an instructor in English.  He has been active in campus life for the last 47 years, moving through the academic ranks from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor to Professor, until he became Professor Emeritus in 1994.  Father Cavanaugh was elected a Trustee of the College in 1986 and became a major gifts officer in the Development Office in 1994.  Today, he is Special Assistant to the President and continues to work in the Office of Institutional Advancement.

The creation of the William and Helen Cavanaugh Chair of Catholic Studies will assist the College in developing Catholic Studies within its current religious studies curriculum, which is consistent with the mission of the College and with that of its founders, the Congregation of St. Basil.

“Father Cavanaugh’s gift to the College will significantly enrich the academic landscape of Fisher,” said Dr. Katherine E. Keough, President of St. John Fisher College.  “Future generations of Fisher students will certainly benefit from his generosity.”

To commemorate the gift, the College unveiled a statue of Father Cavanaugh, created by noted Texas artist Jonas Perkins, who also crafted the College’s sculpture of Martin Luther King, Jr. that sits in Lavery Library.  This new sculpture is on the lawn outside Founders Hall on the Fisher campus.