In Memoriam: James F. 'Jeff' Flagg

Dr. Flagg’s interest in French stemmed from three years of study in high school. “From the very beginning I found this interest in structure, in how things fit together in language, and what the differences were between the French way of looking at things and expressing them and the English way of looking at things and expressing them,” he told Boston College Magazine in 2020, in an interview with him and his wife, Margaret, who also taught French at BC.

In 1973, Dr. Flagg became director of what was then the Foreign Study Program (FSP), which oversaw Junior Year Abroad (JYA), an opportunity for BC undergraduates to study for all or part of junior year overseas. When it launched in 1959, there were only four participants whose choices were limited to two programs, one in Vienna and one in Louvain, Belgium. When Dr. Flagg assumed leadership of the FSP, about 40 students participated in JYA, all from the College of Arts and Sciences. By the mid-1980s, more than 200 students—representing all the undergraduate schools—were taking part in JYA, studying all over Europe, and soon, Africa, South America, China, Japan, and Australia. The number of JYA students and participating institutions continued to grow.

Dr. Flagg told BC's undergraduate newspaper The Heights in 1989 that the most valuable aspect of the program was simple but profound: the ability to learn about people within a different culture and to come back to BC "talking about that value and respecting another culture's viewpoints." He said he encouraged students going abroad to "integrate their time abroad as part of their BC experience" rather than seeing it as a "time away from BC."

In 1997, having identified foreign study as critical to the University’s success, BC consolidated the Foreign Study Program and Office of International Programs to create the Center for International Studies (now the Office of Global Education). By then, there was a new template for study abroad: In the past, students would apply directly to foreign universities or through independent programs, then transfer out of BC for a year; but over time, more students began utilizing the OIP, which forged direct relationships with institutions abroad.

Though Dr. Flagg returned to the Romance Languages faculty on a full-time basis, he also served on the new center’s advisory committee and worked to boost foreign language proficiency to improve the competitiveness of BC students and faculty for prestigious international fellowships. His efforts to promote international study at BC earned high praise.

“Jeff Flagg has been thoughtful, concerned about the well-being of BC students and completely dedicated to the mission of the University,” said Academic Vice President and Dean of Faculties William B. Neenan, S.J., told Boston College Chronicle in 1997.  “He has accumulated great experience, wisdom and understanding of external foreign study programs, and we are grateful to have his expertise.”

College of Arts and Sciences Dean J. Robert Barth, S.J., added, “He paved the way toward the new sense of international awareness we have on campus,” said. “Jeff has done an extraordinary job, over many years, in bringing us to an understanding of the need for international study. He has opened new doors for our students and increased significantly the number who study abroad.”

But Dr. Flagg’s career at BC was informed by far more than his work in international study.

In 1966, he first met graduate student Margaret Fermoyle—part of a family with connections to the Heights—in a French poetry class at BC that he was taking towards his doctorate. Five years later, a mutual friend invited them to a St. Patrick’s Day party, where the two connected. As Dr. Flagg recalled in a 2019 Heights interview, earlier that day Margaret had tried making French bread, but the result was flat and hard—yet she brought it with her to the party anyway.

“There’s something special about a girl that knocks on a door with French bread,” he said.

The two were married in 1973.

Twelve years later, Margaret began teaching French at BC, and the two wound up team teaching, the first of their numerous collaborations. Another was the creation of the French Immersion Program, funded through the United States Department of Education and National Endowment for the Humanities. The program, of which Dr. Flagg was founding co-director, required qualifying students to take four core or elective classes in French, taught by well-known professors in various fields. Participating students also attended French-language dinners, lectures, and social functions to promote fluency and learn about French culture.

In addition, the Flaggs were unstinting supporters of the John J. Burns Library, especially its Irish holdings, and they attended numerous campus events—academic, celebratory, or social. Both were active in the Eire Society of Boston, an organization promoting Irish culture; Margaret served as president, and was instrumental in raising funds to acquire a rare facsimile of The Book of Kells, which the Eire Society donated to Burns Library.

The Flaggs both retired at the end of the 2018-2019 academic year. Speaking at the Provost’s Reception for Retiring Faculty, Romance Languages Chair Franco Mormando said, “Jeff's influence on our department will be as long-lasting as will be the affection of those of us who have been fortunate enough to share this BC journey with him. We are and always will be the lucky beneficiaries of his wisdom, expertise, generosity, good humor, and great humanity.

“We, faculty and staff, will miss him­—and Margaret!—enormously.”

Dr. Flagg was the only child of James F. and Frances I. (Motherway) Flagg, both of who predeceased him.

Condolences may be addressed to Margaret Flagg, 66 Robin Street, West Roxbury, MA 02132.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Jeff may be made to The William B. Neenan Society - Boston College or Rosie's Place.

Additional information is available at Legacy.com.