Board President Daniel S. Connolly ’77
Q: What were the major factors considered by the Board in determining to go forward with the Consolidation and
Expansion project, and ensuing campaign?
When the Board of Trustees first purchased Graham House in 1972, it was always the vision that one day the school would
expand into the larger space. Some 40 years later, it became abundantly clear that the time had come to fulfill the promise
made by that purchase so many years ago. Our desire to address the developing programmatic needs of the classroom along
with having fully functional and regulation athletic facilities directly within the 89th Street campus, were the main factors
in moving us forward. As Graham House began to empty of tenants, and with the overall robust economic strength of the
school, the time seemed just right. The Campaign was launched to afford the current and historical Saint David’s community
the opportunity to play a pioneering and supportive role in this next phase of the school’s history.
“Saint David’s is the same school alumni love,
redefined for the twenty-first century.”
Q: What infrastructure was implemented to guide the expansion planning process?
As you might imagine, such an undertaking requires enormous coordination and careful attention to every detail. A
committee was established to meet on an almost weekly basis made up of members of the Board, the Administration and
representatives of relevant outside vendors, from land use advisors to construction managers. This committee worked in the
first instance to prepare the building for the construction project and then serve as an oversight to the process going forward.
Along the way, issues involving everything from the finances of the program to community relations were discussed and
addressed in a real-time fashion. Under the tireless leadership of Headmaster David O’Halloran, this committee has been
successful in addressing each of the issues as they have arisen over the many years of this project. Additionally, the Board
receives a detailed briefing on the progress of the project at every Board meeting and we receive constant input from our
many advisors.
Q: How does this project align with the school’s purpose; its mission and values?
Saint David’s, as a world class institution in