October 1, 2004
A legacy of community service and leadership is honored at Emmanuel College as it dedicates the new Jean Yawkey Center

New multi-functional building offers state-of-the-art facilities for a student population which has tripled since 1999

BOSTON - In honor of a woman whose philanthropy helped transform Boston, Emmanuel College will officially dedicate its newly opened student center as the Jean Yawkey Center on Friday, October 1 at a ceremony attended by notable Boston luminaries and more than 700 guests. Guests at the ceremony include Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Yawkey Foundation Executive Director and Trustee John Harrington, and Frank and Maureen Wilkens.

The new center was funded in part through a generous $5 million gift from the Yawkey Foundation, whose endowment was created by the late Jean Yawkey and her late husband Tom Yawkey, owners of the Boston Red Sox. The Jean Yawkey Center serves as a central gathering place for the Emmanuel community, offering enhanced dining, recreational, athletic and meeting areas, and houses the Jean Yawkey Center for Community Leadership.

Mrs. Yawkey's legacy for supporting social and civic causes is at the core of Emmanuel College's mission to prepare students with the skills to succeed and to develop the social conscience to make a positive difference in the world.

Emmanuel College, the fastest growing college in New England, welcomed its largest incoming class in history in the fall of 2004, with more than 500 new traditional undergraduate students arriving on campus. The College is now fully coeducational and total undergraduate enrollment has tripled since 1999.

"We are deeply grateful for the generous support from the Yawkey Foundation and enormously proud that Jean Yawkey's name will be associated with Emmanuel College for many future generations," said Emmanuel College President Sister Janet Eisner, SND. "What better way to promote community leadership among our students than to permanently honor a woman who used her gifts of wealth and humility to improve our society?"

Sister Janet Eisner stated that the Jean Yawkey Center for Community Leadership would enable Emmanuel College to build upon a strong foundation of service and further its volunteer efforts. The Jean Yawkey Center is the 'living room' of the College, providing a place where the community can gather for many activities and it is the focal point for community outreach.

The Jean Yawkey Center for Community Leadership focuses on developing service opportunities and leadership skills for Emmanuel students and also builds connections with the young people of the city of Boston through after-school and summer programs. This center continues and strengthens Emmanuel's vision - to educate students who understand the importance of being contributing members of society - and is a lasting tribute to Jean Yawkey and her generosity.

"Emmanuel College practices everyday what Jean Yawkey stood for and practiced in her own life," said John Harrington, Executive Director of the Yawkey Foundation. "The college's history of serving the people of the Boston and its longstanding relationship with the Boston Red Sox make this an ideal partnership."

The College will also honor Frank Wilkens and Maureen Murphy Wilkens '56, whose generous gift to the college helped to fund the project. In recognition of this gift, the facility's atrium is named the Maureen Murphy Wilkens Atrium, where the dedication's reception will be held.

About Emmanuel College
Emmanuel College is a Catholic, coeducational liberal arts and sciences college founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1919. Emmanuel is one of the fastest growing colleges in the region since becoming coeducational in 2000. Emmanuel prepares students with the skills to succeed in tomorrow's world and the social conscience to make a difference in that world. At Emmanuel, students become engaged learners and develop leadership skills through participation in campus life. They are critical thinkers, ethical decision makers and contributing members of society. For more information, visit www.emmanuel.edu.

About the Yawkey Foundations
The Yawkey Foundations were established over twenty years ago to further serve the family's many charitable goals. Since the deaths of Tom and Jean Yawkey, the Foundations' Boards of Trustees have continued the Yawkeys' generous legacy, contributing to organizations large and small that share the Foundations' charitable objectives.