Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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10 JUNE/JULY 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME One of the purposes of the Campus Crossroads project that opened in 2017 was to use the renovated Notre Dame Stadium for more than just six or seven football games a year. Last fall it included a Garth Brooks concert that was telecast on CBS, and this summer England's famed Liverpool Football Club will head to the United States as part of their pre-season preparations to play in three of the most iconic sporting venues in the U.S. Jurgen Klopp's men will visit Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, July 19 — with Borussia Dortmund the opponent — Fenway Park in Boston July 21 and Yankee Stadium in New York City July 24. "Pre-season tour is an important time of the year for our first team to prepare for the upcoming season while also providing the opportunity to bring the first team to our fans around the world," said Billy Hogan, Manag- ing Director and Chief Commercial Officer of Liverpool F.C. "We're heading to three incredible locations this year. "Each of the stadiums has their own deep-rooted heritage similar to our own and we'll face three great opposition teams." While in the USA, the club will also take an active role in key local commu- nity projects in each of the three locations visited. "This is a perfect event for Notre Dame in that it combines iconic sport brands, celebrates a sport that is of great importance to us as evidenced by our four NCAA soccer titles [1995, 2004 and 2010 by the women and 2013 by the men] and addresses the growing international reach of our university," Notre Dame director of athletics Jack Swarbrick said. "We look forward to hosting Liverpool F.C. and invite its fans from throughout North America and the world to visit us for the match against Dortmund." Notre Dame To Host International Soccer The "Mr. Notre Dame" moniker has to be earned over the course of time and through immense service and contributions to the uni- versity, from an Edward "Moose" Krause to a Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C. Charles F. "Chuck" Lennon Jr. was one of those rare figures. The associate vice president and ex- ecutive director of the University of Notre Dame Alumni Association for 30 years, died May 4 at age 80. "Few people have so enthusiastically stood for and represented Notre Dame like Chuck," said Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., the university's presi- dent. "He was a fount of optimism, knowledge and love for his alma mater who will be dearly missed. Our prayers are with [wife] Joan and his family." Under Lennon's leadership, the Notre Dame Alumni Association was among the first to offer continuing education programming — includ- ing the Hesburgh Lecture Series and Excellence in Teaching program — and to initiate commu- nity service programs that have been emulated throughout American higher education. Lennon also led in the creation of the Black, Hispanic, Asian Pacific and Native American alumni groups and expanded the roles for women, senior, young and international alumni within the association. It also developed the web- site FaithND.edu, created a career development program for graduates, and established new com- munications and networking forums for alumni engagement. During Lennon's tenure, the number of clubs grew from 151 to 276, including more than 60 internationally, upon his retirement in 2011. "Chuck Lennon's impact on the Notre Dame family cannot be overstated," said Dolly Duffy, who succeeded Lennon as executive director of the association. "He was a passionate, innova- tive leader who built an organization that set the standard for alumni associations in higher education. "More importantly, Chuck's kindness, gener- osity and warmth made him a dear friend and mentor to countless alumni and friends across the country and around the globe." A native of Joliet, Illinois, Lennon earned his bachelor 's degree from Notre Dame in 1961 while he played baseball for three seasons and received a monogram. He earned a master's de- gree in guidance and counseling from the univer- sity in 1962 and served in the Notre Dame ath- letics department from 1961-66 as an assistant basketball and baseball coach and an assistant ticket manager. He also served for two years as the university's coordinator of research and sponsored programs. After leaving the university, Lennon held ex- ecutive directorships with the Mental Health Association of St. Joseph County, the South Bend Model Cities Program, the Community Develop- ment Agency, the Department of Redevelopment and the Housing Allowance Office. He was presi- dent of the St. Joseph Insurance Agency from 1978-81 and served for 13 years as a member of the South Bend Community School Corporation Board of Trustees. Lennon taught a management course at the graduate and undergraduate levels in Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business. He re- ceived the Alumni Association's Armstrong Award in 1989 and the Notre Dame Presidential Award in 1993. In 1992, he was presented with the Irish Clover Award by the Notre Dame student body. He received the Professional Development Award for Mentoring Minorities in 2001 from the Coun- cil for Advancement and Support of Education. Lennon is survived by his wife, their children Sean, Molly, Brian, Colleen and Kevin — three of whom graduated from Notre Dame — and 16 grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial was held May 14 in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Lennon served as the associate vice president and executive director of the University of Notre Dame Alumni Association for 30 years. PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH MEDIA Chuck Lennon: 1938-2019