Le Moyne alum makes record gift to the school

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By Charlie Young
Contributing writer

record $12 million gift was recently made to Le Moyne College that will name the school’s College of Arts and Sciences and provide scholarships to its students.

James Carroll, Ph.D., a 1966 Le Moyne graduate, and his wife Mary made the gift to the school as announced at an on-campus gathering on March 26.

A native of Binghamton, Carroll graduated from St Patrick’s Academy in June 1962. Just 10 days later, tragedy struck; his father passed away. With plans in place to attend Le Moyne, Carroll’s mother raised what she could while he worked that summer for the city of Binghamton, earning $9.18 a day for his efforts. “And so, she put together a check for the entire year, which back in those days, was $900.” Carroll said. Half of that amount was tuition; the other was room and board. “And Le Moyne didn’t know quite how to process a check for the whole year. Her reasoning, she said to me: ‘if we pay for the whole year, they’re not gonna kick you out.’”

And they didn’t.

While studying at LeMoyne, Carroll worked evenings for the Syracuse city recreation department and in the Le Moyne kitchen to make ends meet. All of his efforts paid off. He graduated with a dual degree in history and political science and went on to earn a master’s degree in social studies education at Syracuse University. “And then, a couple years after that, I became part of the social science Ph. D. program at the (Syracuse University) Maxwell School.”

It was one of his Le Moyne influencers, though, that inspired Carroll through a “very demanding course,” as he describes it, in constitutional law. That was the initial catalyst for his efforts to eventually obtain a federal grant in 1976 which fueled the creation of Project LEGAL.

“That was for American history teachers and their students at the elementary, middle and high school levels. And that became first a state validated project and 1979. And then in 1982, it achieved national validation for advancing students’ knowledge of legal issues and their critical thinking problem solving skills.”

Carroll continued his career devotion to teaching as well as promoting and funding educational opportunities through grants and fundraising, highlighted by a $7.2 million grant for secondary schools in the Bronx in 1999.

Carroll was part of the staff and faculty of the Maxwell School and the S.U. School of Education beginning in the 1980s. “And my role, my positions, were always totally dependent on my ability to obtain highly competitive grants.” He recently retired from Maxwell.

The generous gift will help provide scholarships for students in need of financial assistance who enroll at Le Moyne. Particulars, as announced by the college include:

• Dr. James J. ‘66 and Mary A. Carroll Scholarship Fund, to provide scholarships for students in need of financial assistance who enroll at Le Moyne as majors within the arts and sciences.

• Dr. James J. Carroll ‘66 Endowed Professor in Arts and Sciences, with preference given for disciplines in the humanities and social sciences.

• Mary A. Carroll Endowed Professor in Arts and Sciences, with preference to a Jesuit who is a member of the faculty.

• Creation of the Carroll Visiting Scholar program.

Additionally, the Carrolls’ gift will help fund the William J. Bosch, S.J. Teaching and Learning Center, which was previously announced.

Le Moyne “was a very small school in 1962,” Carroll added, and while the school has grown in size, his gift will help keep the effort alive that is foundational in its history.

“The College of Arts and Sciences ensures that the centuries-long tradition of Jesuit higher education is kept alive at Le Moyne in an innovative, inspirational and meaningful way,” according to Jim Hannan, provost and vice president for academic affairs, in a prepared statement. “I’m thrilled by this gift and the support it provides for students and faculty, on whose behalf I extend my deepest gratitude to Jim and Mary Carroll.”