Dear alumni, friends and members of the Saint Joseph’s community,

Homecoming Weekend in September was a tremendous success! In this inaugural issue of the Saint Joseph’s College Magazine, I’d like to share my reflections on what made it successful and what makes Saint Joseph’s so special.

The weekend began for me the day before its official start, when we welcomed 11 new members to our Board of Trustees – eight of whom are alumni. These alumni represent some of our finest graduates, spanning a period from 1970 to 1988. It’s great to have their perspective on the past, along with their enthusiasm for the future.

On Friday, class members spanning three decades joined the Homecoming golf scramble – the highest attendance ever. My first official act as President 10 years ago was to play in the golf scramble. Although my golf skills have not improved since then, my excitement about Saint Joseph’s and its alumni has increased manyfold.

On Saturday, I enjoyed seeing the diverse Homecoming events as I ran around campus – literally – in the cross country alumni/student 8K race. Among the many runners were Allen Riley ’76, who helped create the cross country trails
more than 30 years ago, and Jeff Crocker ’86. Jeff and his wife, Debra ’86 have a son, Joe (named after the College), who is now interested in applying to Saint Joseph’s.

Before the race, Ray Ruby ’05 and I ran over to Mahaney diamond as a warm-up. The baseball diamond was alive with more than 40 alums and their fans on a glorious fall morning. It was an inspiring sight to see Steve Osborne ’01 and Charlie Furbush ’08 on the same field at the same time. Steve is one of our many baseball legends at St. Joe’s and played for the New York Yankees
farm team. Charlie’s standout year is detailed in the profile of baseball coach Will Sanborn on pages 16 and 17 of this magazine. The profile shows the spirit of Saint Joseph’s and the leadership of Will Sanborn.

On Saturday afternoon, the College dedicated the McSween Wing of Alfond Hall. Mr. and Mrs. McSween were generous donors to Saint Joseph’s,
and Andrew McSween was deeply devoted to his sister, Sr. Dolores Sablone, who taught and served as an administrator at Saint Joseph’s. The McSween’s gift to the College acknowledged the important role that his sister played in his life (see
more on page 31).

Homecoming Weekend concluded with Mass followed by a brunch in honor of the Walton Street Society, whose members graduated 50 years ago or more. Once again, I was impressed with the intergenerational aspect of the weekend. Corinne Lappin ’48, at 101 years old, attended, as did Terri Riley Morris ’50 – who had joined me and about 175 other people during freshman orientation for
a “Fun Run” sponsored by the Sebago Striders, the College’s new running club.

I feel truly blessed to be the President of a college that has graduated such wonderful students over the years. During Homecoming Weekend, I welcomed people who graduated many years ago, as well as alumni who graduated six months ago. What an exciting, talented and friendly group of people – all of whom stand witness to a great past, a very successful present, and a bright and promising future!

David B. House
President, Saint Joseph’s College