BOSTON -- In front of an audience of hundreds of Boston College High School faculty and staff, alumni, benefactors, board members, and community members -- with hundreds more watching a livestream of the event online -- Boston College High School President Grace Cotter Regan and Board of Trustees Chair Father Michael McFarland, SJ, announced that the school has received a historic $49 million gift from the Patrick F. Cadigan Family Foundation, established by late alumnus Pat Cadigan, for a new building on campus.

The Patrick F. Cadigan '52 Family Foundation Wellness Complex, a 50,000 square foot space designed by Boston architectural firm Eck MacNeely Architects, will be adjacent to McNeice Gym and overlook Murphy Family Stadium. The Wellness Complex will have its own separate entrance on the east side of the school and feature a 6,200 square foot state-of-the-art strength and conditioning area; a 3,700 square foot cardio space; a 1,000 square foot athletic training center; and an eight lane, 25-meter pool with 1 meter and 3-meter diving boards. It will also include a flexible classroom space, complete with a wellness kitchen, to help BC High students learn about and incorporate healthy, nutritious foods into their active lifestyles. Construction is anticipated to begin in January 2023.

This transformative gift -- the largest single gift in BC High's 159-year history, the largest ever to a Catholic secondary school in New England, and among the largest to a high school nationwide -- follows Cadigan's $12 million gift in 2012 for the construction of Cadigan Hall, BC High's center for arts and recreation.

"Pat Cadigan has left an indelible mark on BC High and our students," said Father McFarland. "Ten years ago, he transformed our fine arts program with a gift that enabled BC High to envision and build Cadigan Hall, a space that gives our students the opportunity to express themselves and deepen their relationships and connections with each other and with God. This latest gift will further strengthen the school's Jesuit mission of forming the whole person, intellectually, socially, physically and spiritually."

"Pat was someone who believed very deeply that living compassionately in service of others was a way of life," said Regan. "This gift is not just an investment in a physical space here on campus, but an investment in the formation of generations of young men. We are profoundly grateful for Pat and his family's enduring commitment to supporting student health and wellness. The Wellness Complex will continue to deepen our approach to relational teaching and learning, enhancing both the philosophical and physical aspects of a Jesuit, Catholic education."

Cadigan's daughter, Maria, was on hand to present the gift to BC High on behalf of the Patrick F. Cadigan Family Foundation, established in 2002 to help further her father's philanthropic vision and commitment to supporting the institutions that played a pivotal role in his personal formation and professional success.

"Dad felt a strong personal responsibility to give back to the schools that contributed to the man he became and to the success he achieved," said Maria Cadigan. "He always told me that his time at BC High truly formed him as a person. His Jesuit teachers, and the relationships and fellowship he had with his classmates, were powerful influences on him. They instilled in him the values and discipline needed to be successful in every aspect of both his business and his life."

"This gift is transformative in every sense of the word," said BC High Vice President of Advancement Kelly DeGregorio. "In 10 years, Pat has graciously gifted more than $60 million to BC High, transforming our campus and our community in the process. Scores of young men -- past, present, and future -- will benefit from his vision, his leadership, and his commitment to giving back to the place that helped make him one of the most successful businessmen and philanthropists in the country. Pat Cadigan is a true man for others."

Originally from Cambridge, Cadigan, the son of Irish immigrants, worked part-time at his father's bar to help pay for his education. After graduating from BC High in 1952 and Boston College in 1957, he went on to become one of Southern California's most successful businessmen, overseeing sales and marketing for the Electronic Engineering Company of California (EEOC) before becoming the company' s president and CEO for nearly 20 years, expanding it both nationally and internationally.

Cadigan retired from EECO after his wife, Barbara, was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and he later served as chairman and CEO of several public companies, including Gateway Communications, Inc., and Linear Instruments Corporation. Cadigan was also the largest private real estate holder in Orange County upon his death in April 2020.

In addition to his Jesuit education at BC High and BC, Cadigan received an MBA from Boston University, a degree from Harvard University's Advanced Management Program, and a master's degree and Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University -- where he studied under the late business philosopher Peter Drucker, and where he would eventually serve on its board of trustees. He also served on the foundation board at the University of California, Irvine.

Cadigan's gift underscores the student health and wellness priorities outlined in BC High's Vision 2026 Strategic Plan, which was announced in February 2022. It also comes on the heels of two major gifts from BC High alumni within the last 18 months.

In March 2022 BC High received a $2.5 million gift from alumnus John V. Murphy to build a new stadium and athletic facilities. Fundraising for the Murphy Family Stadium is already underway, and additional details on the project, including initial stadium renderings, are available on the BC High web site.

In October 2020 the school received a $5 million gift from alumnus Jack Shields to establish the Shields Center for Innovation. The Shields Center, which helps students prioritize entrepreneurial thinking and prepare for the rapidly evolving innovation economy, offers an innovation curriculum; provides students and alumni with networking programming and opportunities, including the ongoing virtual event series; and gives students, faculty, staff, and alumni access to hands-on experience in computer science, robotics and media.