Long-time New Rochelle Resident Led Iona From 1971 to 1995
New Rochelle, NY (September 22, 2010) Br. John G. Driscoll, CFC, PhD, who served as Iona College’s sixth President for nearly 25 years, died late yesterday. A graduate of Iona and long-time resident of New Rochelle, Br. Driscoll was Iona’s top administrator from 1971 to 1995. He also served as a professor of mathematics and as a member of Iona’s Board of Legal Trustees.
Iona President Br. James. A. Liguori, CFC, said: “The Iona College community is deeply saddened by the passing of Br. Driscoll who left a rich legacy as an inspired educator, visionary administrator, biblical scholar and as a remarkable human being.” He added: “I was honored to succeed Br. Driscoll as President and build on his nearly quarter of a century of leadership in establishing Iona as one of the country’s leading private Catholic colleges.”
In 1994, Br. Driscoll was inducted into Iona’s Hall of Fame in 1994 for his significant contribution in enhancing Iona’s athletic department. He had been a driving force in the building of Mulcahy Center and Mazzella Field, expanding women’s athletics, developing athletic scholarships in almost all sports and raising the competitive standing of Iona’s teams. At the Hall of Fame awards ceremony it was noted, “As Iona’s most loved and recognized alumnus, his vision and stewardship of Iona athletics places him among our all-time greats.”
Br. Driscoll was born in New York City in 1933 to parents from Ireland. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in physics, summa cum laude from Iona. He continued his studies at various universities with high honors in chemistry, higher education administration, and certification in counseling psychology. He also was awarded a PhD in theoretical mathematics from Columbia University. Honorary doctorate degrees had also been conferred on him by the National University of Ireland, Galway; Pace University; St. Thomas Aquinas College; and the College of New Rochelle.
Driscoll was a long-time member of an international association of teachers and the Congregation of Christian Brothers.
Br. Driscoll taught at all educational levels, including elementary schools in the “Hell’s Kitchen” neighborhood of Manhattan’s West Side, through secondary schools in Harlem, Midtown and the West Indies, as well as undergraduate and graduate universities in New York, Massachusetts, Michigan and Wisconsin. He lectured widely on education, psychology and religious life in the United States, the Caribbean and Western Europe.
In February 1989, Br. Driscoll was appointed director of the Bat Kol Institute in Jerusalem, Israel. He was a member of the Board of Governors of the Marino Institute of Education, Dublin, Ireland. In addition, he served on many boards of governors of banks, corporations, hospitals and universities in the U.S.
Since spring 1995 until recently, Br. Driscoll was a Scholar in Residence at Hebrew University in Israel. There, and at various other venues in Jerusalem, he studied Midrash, Talmud, the Hebrew language and biblical studies, with particular emphasis on the Jewish sources and tradition. He lectured on these topics in Jerusalem at the Ecce Home Institute in the Old City, Ein Kerem, and the Ratisbonne Pontifical Institute. He presented lectures on biblical studies taught through the Jewish traditions to Christian seminary groups and in religious education study centers in the US, India, South Africa, Italy, Zambia, Canada, the Philippines and Australia, among others.
Br. Driscoll is survived by his brothers Michael P. Driscoll, CFC ’56 and Kevin J. Driscoll, ’75, ‘77MBA, and a sister Geraldine (Geri) M. Cryan and her husband Andrew. Br. Driscoll is predeceased by his parents John and Mary Kennedy Driscoll.
A wake will be held on Sunday, September 26, (times to be announced) at Iona College, Burke Lounge in Spellman Hall. A funeral Mass will be held on Monday September 27, at 9:30am, Holy Family Church, 83 Clove Road, New Rochelle, NY.
Founded in 1940 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers, Iona College is a private, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of American Catholic higher education. Iona, currently listed in the US News and World Report’s annual “America’s Best Colleges 2011” and The Princeton Review’s “Best Northeastern Colleges” 2011 edition, offers undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science, and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and master of business administration degrees and numerous post-graduate certificate programs.
