Marianne and Charles ’70 CLAS Connolly

For many families, the Villanova connection runs deep. Siblings hear stories from campus, children are raised on University traditions, and they often follow those footsteps to Villanova. In fact, 12 percent of the Class of 2018 has at least one parent who is an alumnus/alumna, and an additional 17 percent of students has a grandparent, sibling, aunt, uncle or other relative who attended Villanova.

The Connolly family exemplifies this Villanova tradition. Marianne and Charles ’70 CLAS Connolly Jr. have 17 direct and extended family members who hold Villanova diplomas spanning from the 1930s to today. The Connolly’s three children—Marianne ’01 CLAS, ’07 MS, Charles III ’05 VSB, ’14 MBA and Katherine ’07 CLAS—and son-in-law Pat Smith ’07 VSB (married to Katherine) are Villanova alumni, and their love of campus inspired each sibling to hold their wedding ceremonies at St. Thomas of Villanova Church.

“We all have a great appreciation for what Villanova has done for us and the relationships we built there,” Charles said. “Even after graduation, I stayed connected with two of my favorite economic professors, Dr. Ed Mathis and Dr. Keisher Thanawala. They truly cared for their students, and I saw that same passion in the faculty when my children attended.”

Marianne and Charles have been loyal supporters of Villanova for many years through annual giving and volunteer efforts, as well as holding season tickets for Villanova Basketball. But, as their multigenerational Villanova family expanded over the years, they were inspired to start making a bigger impact in honor of their unique alumni legacy.

The Connollys’ first major gift in 1997 established The Charles P. Connolly and Joseph J. Toland III ’38 Endowed University Scholarship in memory of their fathers, who were both passionate about education. Their second brought the family’s love of theatre to the forefront. Made through the Connolly Family Foundation in 2003, the gift provided an endowment for the University’s Theatre program to enhance resources for classroom education and on-stage productions.

When considering their most recent gift, Charles and Marianne wanted to give back in a way that would complement the priorities of the University’s current capital campaign, For The Greater Great: The Villanova Campaign to Ignite Change. They consulted with their children on how the entire family could join in philanthropy to best make a difference now and into the future.

Ultimately, they decided to make a bequest with an additional cash gift to support the new Performing Arts Center, part of Villanova’s campus transformation along Lancaster Avenue. Charles recalls the impressive theatre performances he attended as a student, but the couple also recognizes the important need for a modern, dedicated space where student performers can thrive.

“Vasey Hall is the same theatre my father used. Villanova has a spectacular Theatre program but the facilities seat less than 200 people and the location is not convenient to those outside of campus,” said Marianne, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Theatre and actively volunteers with Villanova’s program.

The new Performing Arts Center will feature multiple performance spaces, classrooms and rehearsal space, dance and art studios, a scenery shop and offices for faculty and staff.

In recognition of their extraordinary generosity, the Connollys will be inducted into The Matthew Carr Society.

They are especially proud to continue to engage in philanthropy with their family of Villanovans. “It’s a statement of our love and loyalty to the University—and a dividend provided back for future generations,” Charles said.