For any current student at Marist College, it’s clear that the Murray Student Center is named after none other than the college’s current president, D.J.M. himself. The names of the other buildings aren’t so apparent.

From Champagnat, named after Marcellin Champagnat, founder of the Marist Brothers — a fact that any student who’s been a member of Campus Ministry at any point knows — to Lowell Thomas, named for one of the most distinguished radio commentators, authors and journalists of the twentieth century. All of the buildings on campus are each connected to a figure important to the Marist community.

Named for the Marist Brothers

Marist was founded by the Marist Brothers, a Catholic order dedicated to education and service, in the early 1900s. The college began as a location for training young men to become future brothers, but expanded the scope of its education to college-level courses and earned its four-year charter from New York State in 1946. Since then, various buildings across campus have been named for members of the organization, whose mission the college was founded on. Many of the early buildings were also constructed by the Marist Brothers themselves.

Leo Hall

Named after Marist Brother Leo Brouilette, who was responsible for obtaining Marist’s original charter to begin offering college courses in 1929. At this time, it was called the “Marist Normal Training School.”

Donnelly Hall

Named after Brother Nilus Donnelly in 1962, who oversaw the construction of 12 buildings on the Marist campus, including Champagnat, Sheahan, Leo Hall, and Fontain. President Murray once called him, “literally and figuratively one of the key builders of Marist College.”

Champagnat Hall

Champagnat Hall was completed in 1964 and named for Saint Marcellin Champagnat, a French priest who founded the worldwide community of Marist Brothers.

Sheahan Hall

Opened in 1962, Sheahan Hall was named for St. Peter's Church in Poughkeepsie, the original church of the Marist Brothers and the college.

Named for the College

When Marist was first founded, it was called “Marian College,” after Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Brother Michael Flanigan said, “When St. Marcellin founded us, he named it the ‘Little Brothers of Mary’ and to shorten that, the French would refer to us as ‘Les Maristes,’ meaning the Marists.” Eventually, the name changed to Marist Brothers of the Schools, which the name Marist College now reflects.

Marian Hall

Marian College became Marist College in 1960, and Marian Hall still carries the college’s original name.

Named for the Benefactors and Honorees

To have a building named in someone’s honor, that person generally has to donate greatly to the college, or that person’s family contributes a great sum of money. Over the past few years, four North End residence halls have been named for alumni who have gifted generously to the college—thus securing the naming rights of these buildings, which include McCormick, O’Shea, Ward and Lavelle Halls. In addition, various buildings throughout campus are named in honor of those who had a significant impact on Marist and the surrounding area through philanthropy and business.

James A. Cannavino Library

In 2000, the James A. Cannavino Library opened in honor of Cannavino himself, a former

senior vice president at IBM. Cannavino donated $3 million to build the $25 million library.

Dyson Center

The Dyson Center, home to the school of Management and Behavioral Sciences, was named in honor of businessman Charles H. Dyson and his wife Margaret. The building opened in 1990. Charles’ son, Rob Dyson, is a longtime member of the college’s Board of Trustees.

Hancock Center

In 2011, the Hancock Center was completed and named for Marist Board of Trustee member Ellen Hancock. Hancock worked at IBM for nearly 30 years in both vice president and senior vice president roles, as well as at Apple and was CEO of Exodus Communications.

Lowell Thomas Communications Center

Opened in 1987, The Lowell Thomas Communications Center was named in honor of one of the most distinguished adventurers, authors, journalists and radio personalities of the early 20th century. Lowell Thomas received an honorary doctorate from Marist in 1981, and memorabilia from his travels and work can be found throughout the academic building.

Named for the Presidents

Of course, there’s no better way to honor the head of the college than to name an entire building after them, so their legacy can live on as long as Marist — or the buildings themselves — stand.

Fontaine Hall

Brother Paul Ambrose Fontaine, FMS, was the founding president of the college. The current academic building, Fontaine Hall, was opened in 2000 to honor the college’s first leader. The original building, located where the Cannavino library now stands, was constructed in 1956 and served as a dining room and study space for the Marist Brothers.

Foy Townhouses

The townhouses were named after Dr. Linus Richard Foy in 1982, who became president of the college at age 28 in 1958. The Foy Townhouses are now sophomore housing for students. At the time, Foy was the youngest college president in the U.S. “Although he left the Brothers in the 70s, Richard Foy was the president before Dennis Murray and was a brother when he was named president,” Brother Michael said.

Murray Student Center

In 2016, the most central building on campus was renamed the Murray Student Center, in honor of Dr. Dennis J. Murray, who has been president of the college for nearly four decades.

The Namesakes: A Historical ‘Who’s Who’ of the Marist Buildings

Named for the Marist Brothers

Named for the College

Named for the Benefactors and Honorees

Named for the Presidents

MARIST CIRCLE