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The Robert L. Ardizzone '63 Funds for Faculty Excellence
By Kathleen Madaus
"Quiet strength, intelligence and leadership;" these are hallmarks of the character of the late Robert L. Ardizzone '63, as expressed in a eulogy delivered by Michael Toner, his classmate and friend.
These are the same traits which engendered the idea for the Robert L. Ardizzone Funds for Faculty Excellence recently established in Ardizzone's memory. Pam Jones, Ardizzone's long-time companion, says that Holy Cross and its faculty were a central focus in Bob's life—from the time he arrived on campus in the autumn of 1959—until his untimely death in August of 2005. For this reason, Pam and her brother, Michael Jones, and his wife, Dodie, have created two funds at Holy Cross that will benefit the work of faculty.
Frank Handler '63 was a life-long friend of Ardizzone's. Both men joined the Navy after graduation, and then pursued careers in New York City. Handler says that Ardizzone, who founded the private investment advisory firm, Litchfield Global Advisers, Inc. in 1994, liked to "grapple with problems and had a great curiosity about things."
Michael Jones, a professor and member of the Development Office at Bowdoin College, says Ardizzone was a strategist who knew that a college's success depended on the quality of its faculty, and that he was "delighted with Holy Cross' accomplishments" and knew that "the lifeblood of the College is its faculty." The Jones family was certain that Ardizzone would be pleased with their choice to pay tribute to him in this way, by contributing to faculty resources.
With Tom Flynn '85, director of capital giving, the Jones family designed funds that would benefit junior faculty in two ways, through a faculty research grant and a summer research fellowship. The research grant will provide direct support to junior faculty members from any discipline, via a competitive application process monitored by the Faculty Committee on Fellowships, Research and Publication. The other component of the Fund, the Robert L. Ardizzone Summer Fellowships for Junior Faculty Scholarship, will provide a summer stipend to help a junior faculty member bring a research project or scholarly work to completion.
The Funds for Faculty Excellence commemorate the spirit of intellectual curiosity, love of scholarship, and devotion to Holy Cross so inherent in the character of Robert L. Ardizzone. Anyone interested in supporting this initiative can contact Tom Flynn at (508) 793-2359 or tflynn@holycross.edu.