For BC Students, Father Neenan is a Go-To Man
u
BYBECCA
S ~ W vice president and special Over time, 15 such lun- year," he says. "It's a great
SPECIAL=BIR
assistant to the president cheon clubs,with students honor to be invited." Over
While a dining hall at the HeightsComing from a fama t Bostoxi College fills
with bustling students ily interested in social
trying to grab a bite to questions and political
eat between classes, Rev. issues, Neenan chose the
William Neenan, S.J., Jesuit path because of his
makes his way through interest in Social justice.
like ideas, intellectual
the maze of tables toward
an empty seat. "Hello, life, and university life,"
friends.Would youmindif he said. "The community
I join you for .lunch?"
asped attraded me, and
Clad in a dark blazer 1 wanted to do what God
andtie, andwitha twinkle wanted me to do."
He traces his family
in his eye, the Jesuit situ-.
ates himself at the table, roots back to Ireland and
breaks apart an over- the years of the Great
sized cookie into several Famine; in 1852, three
chunks; and says, "let me Neenan brothers lefttheir
tell you a little bit about native town of Doneraile,
myself' while offering Co. Cork, and landed in
cookie pieces around the Virginia Beach. A few
years later they headed
table.
But Father Neenan west, settling in Keokuk,
offers more than just Iowa. On a trip to Iieland
cookies. The usual lunch in the early 1980s,Father
conversations revolving Neenan paid a visit to
around' classes and stud- his relatives in Doneraile
ies -and lack of sleep are where he found the. hapreplaced with talk of tismal record of his greathometowns, Boston ac- grandfather &om 1820He visited two families
cents, and what it really
meto be a sports fan. of relatives during his
St~dentsleavelunch~ithvisit and said he felt at
a different sense of being home when he took a trip
full, after hearing m&y to the Neenan farm. "I
'Neenan philosophies" knew I was at home because the Neenan sheep
on life.
This gregarious priest resembled Uncle Frank,"
is a well-known figuri. he said with a laugh.
Neenan uses his sharp
among BC students. Born
and raised in Sioux City, wit and his Midwestern
Iowa, he attended St. Lou- roots to connect with stuis University, the s e c o h dents on campus. In 1981,
oldest Jesuituniversity in he started up a luncheon
theUnitedStates."Iwent club for students from
there for pre-law, met different geographical
some Jesuits, and ended I backgrounds with the
UD becomine
a Jesuit-" 'original arid the elite"
"~
he said.
being the IowafNebraska
He h a s had a distin- luncheon club. "I found
$shed academic career, many people on the East
teachine: for 14 vears at Coast are challenged in a
the u&versity i f Miihii lan&age way, &d to be
gan before beinginvited to with people from the Midbe t h e k t Gasson Profes- west who speak English
sor in'Economics at BC in accurately is comforting,"
1979. He was appointed he says with a Neenanian
dean of the university's smile. The purpose of the
club is twofold, he said:
, ,College of Arts and Sciences in 1980, a position T o r people from the area
he,held for six years, then to get to know each other
served; as vice president better, and to make fun of
f?r Il'years, and is now everyone else."
'
'
;
,
r
from all over the country,
have emerged to meet
once semester, Bporting
names like the MoKanNoDakSoDak and Peach
clubs.
Nick Deming, a senior
and a member of the
NorCal luncheon group,
first met Neenan as a
freshman.
"The luncheons are
amusing because Fa- ;
ther Neenan ian't from
California, but he tries
hard to make us feel very
comfortable. There are
many students from my
high school and our main
rivalback home, so it's fun
every time we get together
because the rivalry is rekindled; Father Neenan
l i e s to egg it on a bit and
get everyonelaughing. He
does a greatjob ofbringing
the group together."
"Aside from beinggenuinely interested in the
lives ofstudents here,hels
also a genius," said Ryan
Heffernan, a recent BC
graduate. "Father Neenan
has read more books in a
year than I have in a lifetime. So he's always good
for a random f a d or for an
answer to a hard-to-solve
question."
Neenanis widelyknown
on campus because of his
annual "Dean's List of
Recommended Reading,"
comprisingnovels,biographies,histories, and books
he considers a good read.
The idea of the list cameto
him when he was Dean of
A&S andwaslooking for a
way toget theattention of
incoming freshmen.
This accomplishedman
and priest and teacher
also serves as the adviser
to the a cappella group
"The Acoustics" and celebrates Mass on Sundays
in St. Joseph's Chapel on
Upper Campus. He also
stays a part of students'
lives once they leave BC.
"Iofficiate at about seven
to eight BC weddings a
2
the past 25 years, he has
officiatedat more than 150
weddings of BC alums.
When asked about his
hopes for the future. Neenan leans back in his chair,
hands claspedand in deep
thought. "1hope BC will
do well in the ACC, and I
also hope I willcontinue to
be welcomed by students
and continue to enjoy my
role as a grandfather to
students."
Becca Shaw is a member of the class of 2007 at
Boston College.