The naming of the Donald E. Healy ’60 Conference Room in the Savard Welcome Center this fall is a testament to Donald Healy ’60, pictured here with his wife Patricia, who dedicated more than 40 years of his life to Saint Anselm College, first as a student, then a coach, and finally as director of admission. Anselmians past and present recently gathered to honor long-serving Saint Anselm College Admission Director Donald Healy ’60 by naming the conference room in the new Savard Welcome Center in his honor.
“Don Healy is a beloved member of the Anselmian community and one of the most significant lay administrators in the history of Saint Anselm College,” said Dr. Joseph A. Favazza, president of the college. “The naming of the Admission conference room honors his remarkable role in the college’s growth, especially through the ’70s and ’80s when the college increased enrollment and transitioned to a co-ed institution.”
After his graduation in 1960, Healy began coaching the Hawks men’s basketball team in 1962 and was hired to lead the Admission Office in 1967. During his tenure, he witnessed many major shifts, including the college’s move to a fully co-ed campus, where he helped guide the college to enroll an equal balance of men and women. Healy’s leadership also allowed the college to pivot from its dependency on parochial schools, where a majority of the students came from, and start recruiting in public schools.
“Because of the length of time I worked with [Don], I observed how so many came to [him] seeking [his] thoughts, ideas, counsel, or just to say hello,” said Robert Andrea ’81. He talked about all of the opportunities Healy gave to students, taking chances on those who he felt most embodied being Anselmian. “I would bet many of you in the audience either benefited from directly or know someone who benefited from Mr. Healy taking a chance on you,” he said.
An avid sports fan, Healy is considered one of the founders of the Saint Anselm hockey program and was the patient and persistent force behind the return of football in 1999. Since retiring in 2002, he has often been found on the sidelines cheering on the Hawks.
Don Healy is a beloved member of the Anselmian community and one of the most significant lay administrators in the history of Saint Anselm College.
— Dr. Joseph A. Favazza
“I would like to thank Don Healy for his steadfast commitment to the college and its students,” said Senior Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer James Flanagan. “His dedication to his alma mater is an inspiration to our entire Anselmian community. Thank you also to the entire Healy family, friends, and alumni for their remarkable support.”
The college embarked on a special fundraising project in January 2022 to name the Admission conference room, in the new Savard Welcome Center, in honor of Healy’s service to Saint Anselm College. The college received an anonymous gift of $25,000 from an alumnus to help encourage others to honor Healy and his dedication to Saint Anselm—as a student-athlete, basketball coach, admission director, parent, mentor, colleague, and loyal Hawks fan.
The conference room connects Healy’s legacy to future generations of Anselmians as it will host prospective student interviews and Admission Ambassadors will gather here for their Call Nights. In addition, the Healy Conference Room will host admission and enrollment meetings and training, and other community events.
“The Donald E. Healy ’60 Conference Room naming is a testament to my father who dedicated over 40 years of his life to Saint Anselm College, first as a student, then a coach, and finally as director of admission,” said Patrick Healy P ’20, P ’22. “The conference room in the Savard Welcome Center exemplifies what my father built here as director of admission for the 38 years he worked in this role.”
Those interested in joining dozens of alumni, former colleagues, and friends by making a gift in honor of Don Healy can do so at www.anselm.edu/healy-room.