“A John Carroll education is a privilege few people are fortunate to attain, and I will be forever grateful that I graduated from John Carroll.” John Boler ’56, ‘96H

Bolers establish President’s Opportunity Fund
 
My parents dropped me off in front of Bernet Hall in the fall of 1952. I arrived with two suitcases and found there were no rooms for me or a number of other freshmen. I ended up with nine other students in the dormitory recreation room, where we lived for a few weeks, until we were finally assigned rooms.

This was one of the more traumatic experiences I endured during my college career. My generation went to school during the years of post-war prosperity. It was a tranquil moment in our nation’s turbulent history.

The friendships forged during those years remain my closest friends today. Virtually all of my John Carroll friends married their college sweethearts, including me.

My wife, Mary Jo, is a native Clevelander who graduated from St. Vincent Charity Hospital School of Nursing as an R.N. We met at a mixer at the hospital.

My time at John Carroll was wonderful. It was filled with hope for the future and the promise of stability, security, success and serendipity.

When Mary Jo and I made our recent gift to John Carroll, I told Fr. Robert Niehoff that I believe he should have a discretionary fund to move essential projects and objectives forward. The continuing growth and success of the university is among our important concerns.

A John Carroll education is a privilege few people are fortunate to attain, and I will be forever grateful that I graduated from John Carroll.     

Editor’s note: Mary Jo and John Boler are among John Carroll’s most generous and enthusiastic supporters. Mr. Boler serves on the university’s board of directors, and has been awarded both the university's Alumni Medal and an honorary doctorate. In June, the Bolers made a $2.5 million gift to John Carroll to establish the President’s Opportunity Fund. The fund is intended to enable JCU President Robert L. Niehoff, S.J., to allocate resources to academic programs, service projects, and capital improvements. In 1996, the Bolers committed $10 million as a challenge gift to encourage alumni and friends to support the university’s mission of Jesuit education. To celebrate their generosity, the university named the John M. and Mary Jo Boler School of Business in their honor. In 1994, The D.J. Lombardo Student Center – a key facility at the heart of campus life -- was named in memory of Mrs. Boler’s father and through the generous support of Mr. and Mrs. Boler and the Lombardo family.