Two St. John’s University alumni with long and continuing ties to the school have bestowed the largest donation in the institution’s 152-year history.
And the $20 million gift from Peg and Peter D’Angelo to the construction of the future Health Sciences Center will benefit generations of New Yorkers through its training of nursing students.
Peg D’Angelo, a member of the school’s Board of Trustees, graduated in 1970 with a degree in education, according to a press release from St. John’s. Peter D’Angelo, president of Caxton Alternative Management, a private investment company, earned his MBA in 1978 and served on the board beginning in 2003. He was elected chairman in 2011 and chairman emeritus in 2016.
Both also have honorary degrees from St. John’s. And they have endowed a scholarship for mathematics students seeking careers in education and a chair in the School of Arts and Humanities.
Peg D’Angelo is the past chairwoman of Catholic Charities of Long Island and has served as a trustee at the Church of St. Anne in Garden City, LI, and Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead, LI.
The D’Angelo Center, opened on the Queens campus in 2009, is modeled after the Great Hall on Ellis Island that welcomed immigrants to the United States. The five-story multipurpose academic facility is a popular hub of student life and activity on campus.
“St. John’s University holds a special place in our hearts,” the D’Angelos said in a statement. “We are excited about its direction, investment in the health sciences, and unwavering commitment to be a place that turns opportunity into outcomes for hard-working students who want to make a difference in the world.”
When completed by the fall 2024 semester, the 70,000-square-foot Health Sciences Center will host the school’s bachelor of science in nursing program. The D’Angelos’ endowment dedicates $15 million to the $106 million cost, and directs $5 million to the university’s most critical needs.
At the D’Angelos’ request, it will be named for St. Vincent de Paul, a 17th-century Catholic priest who ministered to the needy.
“The center’s state-of-the-art simulation facilities will allow students to learn in a safe, realistic, clinical environment before they begin clinical rotation assignments at off-campus sites,” said Simon Møller, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “The generous support of Peg and Peter D’Angelo will help make this happen.”
“The D’Angelos not only give their time and talent to St. John’s, but have been sage trustees and extraordinarily generous benefactors as well,” said the Rev. Brian Shanley, president of the university. “Whether in brick and mortar or in the foundational Vincentain values they emulate, they demonstrate exceptional devotion to alma mater and a real spirit of supportive service to generations of students at St. John’s. I am grateful to the D’Angelos for their extraordinary philanthropy and for all that they do for St. John’s.”
