University introduces Finnegan Award Wall of Honor

Boston College has created a wall of honor in Gasson Hall to pay tribute to the recipients of the Edward H. Finnegan, S.J., Award, the University’s highest student honor, which is presented each year at Commencement.

The Finnegan Award Wall of Honor lists the names of the 73 recipients of the award to date, top students in their respective classes who best exemplify the spirit of Boston College and its motto, “Ever to Excel.”  The award is named in honor of the popular history professor, senior class advisor, and faculty moderator of the BC yearbook, Sub Turri, who served the University from 1937 until 1950. His death in 1951 prompted students to seek a memorial in his name to honor him and the most outstanding senior of each graduating class.

The wall is located near the Gasson Rotunda directly across from the Academic Wall of Honor, which lists the names of BC students who have earned the most prestigious academic awards in higher education: Rhodes, Marshall, Churchill, Goldwater, and Truman scholarships.

The walls were conceived by Associate Vice President for University Communications Jack Dunn as a way of recognizing BC's most accomplished students for their academic achievement and commitment to the University. Designed by Christine Hunt, director of design and brand management in the Office of University Communications, and supported by Dan Bourque, Chris Curry, and Mark Lewis in Facilities Management, the projects were enthusiastically endorsed by University President William P. Leahy, S.J., and Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley.

“Creating space on the first floor of historic Gasson Hall to honor student excellence struck me as an appropriate tribute for a University that prizes the liberal arts and formative education," said Dunn. “In reviewing materials from Fr. Finnegan’s era, it is clear that he was beloved by BC students and that they wanted to recognize and thank him for his many contributions to the BC community. He is acknowledged each year at Commencement along with our top graduating senior, so it is fitting that their names will be joined in this wall of honor.”

Paul Taylor ’04, who received the Finnegan Award at the University’s 128th Commencement in 2004, said he was pleased to see Boston College recognize the Finnegan Award winners through this permanent addition to Gasson Hall.

“It is nice to see the University celebrate its student scholars and, by extension, the faculty who shaped us during our four years at BC,” said Taylor. “Students walking by might not have realized that these particular awards exist and may see them as something that they too want to pursue.”       

As a recipient of a Goldwater Scholarship in 2002 and BC’s first Rhodes Scholarship in 2003, Taylor, the director of the scientific and statistical computing core at the National Institute of Mental Health, joins only four other BC graduates to have their names appear on both walls as Finnegan Award winners and recipients of prestigious academic scholarships.

“I had a wonderful experience at Boston College,” said Taylor. “The personal interest that faculty took in me from the very beginning was gratifying, and I have stayed in touch with many of them since I graduated 20 years ago. I appreciate being recognized on these walls with fellow honorees, and I hope they will help to plant a seed among current students and encourage them to seek opportunities wherever they exist.”