Interview with: HAYLEY DENNING
Marist College
Poughkeepsie, NY
Transcribed by Lily Jandrisevits
For the Marist College Archives and Special Collections





Transcript: Hayley Denning

Interviewee: Hayley Denning
Interviewer: Gus Nolan
Interview Date: 27 September 2023
Location: James A. Cannavino Library

Topic: Marist College History

Subject Headings:
Denning, Hayley



Marist College Staff



Marist College (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)



Marist College-- Presidents
Marist College (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)--Social Aspects


Summary: Hayley Denning discusses her early childhood living in Europe before returning to
Dutchess County. She also talks about working in different offices in Marist College before
becoming an executive assistant in the president’s office. She then worked with three different
Marist presidents, Dennis Murray, David Yellen, and Kevin Weinman. She discusses their
different leadership styles as well as the developments she has witnessed over her career as a
member of the Marist staff.




Hayley Denning (
00:00
):
Thanks, okay.
Gus Nolan (
00:09
):
Okay. I'll sign the rest later.
HD (
00:11
):
Okay. Do I have to put my address in all that?
GN (
00:13
):
Yeah. Well, no, Marist College is good.
HD (
00:15
):
Okay, that's fine.
GN (
00:23
):
Wonderful. Good morning, Hayley. Today is Wednesday, September 27th, and we have the
unique opportunity of interviewing one of Marist College's long-time personnel staff, Hayley
Denning. Good morning, Hayley.
HD (
00:42
):
Good morning.
GN (
00:43
):
Haley, this comes in four parts [laugh].



2
Hayley Denning

HD (
00:47
):
Okay.
GN (
00:47
):
The beginning, the middle, the end. Early childhood, college education, coming to Marist, and
now the future. So, start at the beginning. Roughly, give us an idea of where you were born and
brought up and the family. And I'll stop you when I want more information. Okay?
HD (
01:08
):
Okay, sure. So, I was born in Poughkeepsie, Vassar Hospital.
GN (
01:12
):
Really?
HD (
01:12
):
I was. And then my dad worked for IBM, which was big at the time. So, we lived in France for
two years, in Amsterdam for three years when I was a kid. So, I came back in fifth grade.
GN (
01:27
):
Are you multilingual?
HD (
01:28
):
I'm not. I did learn Dutch while I lived in Amsterdam because I was in school. I was in the
International School of Amsterdam, so.
GN (
01:37
):


3
Hayley Denning

It was English too.
HD (
01:37
):
It was English, yeah. Most of the teachers were American, so.
GN (
01:41
):
Are you an only child or?
HD (
01:43
):
I am not. I have an older sister and a younger brother.
GN (
01:46
):
Oh, yes. Are you in still touch with them?
HD (
01:49
):
Yes.
GN (
01:49
):
Okay. Let's talk about your growing up. It's rather unique now, in those formative years going to
grade school did you have difficulty? You got on pretty well with school?
HD (
02:07
):
Yes. I was always a good student.
GN (
02:09
):
You were always a good student.


4
Hayley Denning

HD (
02:10
):
And then, after school, I had gotten a job, and then I started working--.
GN (
02:18
):
Well [ ] after school. What school are we talking about?
HD (
02:22
):
Oh, well after high school.
GN (
02:24
):
Oh. Let's get through grammar school [laugh].
HD (
02:26
):
Oh, okay.
GN (
02:29
):
What'd you do in grammar school? Did you-- you did pretty well in studies, but how about other,
any sports?
HD (
02:37
):
No, no sports.
GN (
02:38
):
No tennis, no swimming? No seriously?
HD (
02:43
):


5
Hayley Denning

Oh, no, no. Nothing. No sports, seriously.
GN (
02:46
):
Okay. How about hobbies? Did you collect stamps or--?
HD (
02:50
):
Bird houses.
GN (
02:54
):
Bird houses.
HD (
02:55
):
I collect bird houses. I still collect bird houses.
GN (
02:58
):
How many do you have?
HD (
02:59
):
Oh, I don't know. Maybe like, not that many, like thirty or so.
GN (
03:03
):
Thirty. Where do you live?
HD (
03:05
):
I live [laugh] I live in the town of Poughkeepsie between Poughkeepsie and Pleasant Valley.
GN (
03:12
):


6
Hayley Denning

In a birdhouse [laugh].
HD (
03:12
):
Yeah.
GN (
03:15
):
What about the arts? Did you sing? Did you draw? Did you do--?
HD (
03:22
):
I was in chorus. Oh. So, I did, when I lived in Europe, I played the guitar and I took guitar
lessons. And then when I came back up until middle school, I played the cello.
GN (
03:36
):
Oh, okay. Did you give it up? Because it's really in again.
HD (
03:40
):
I know. And that's unfortunate. I gave it up because my instructor was so adamant that I not give
it up because he thought I had a lot of talent. He even called my parents and told them that I
shouldn't give it up. But it was middle school and I had discovered boys, so I decided to give it
up.
GN (
03:56
):
That happens.
HD (
03:59
):
I know.


7
Hayley Denning

GN (
04:00
):
But if you kept it up, you wouldn't have to work here. You'd be on stage somewhere [laugh].
HD (
04:04
):
It's true. I was really good at it. I really enjoyed it. The cello, I enjoyed the cello even more than
the guitar.
GN (
04:11
):
I'm glad you brought that up, because we'll use it perhaps in a future day.
HD (
04:16
):
Yeah [laugh].
GN (
04:19
):
Well, games. Did you participate in any kind of-- well, two kinds of games, home games,
monopoly, cards, or anything like that?
HD (
04:31
):
Of course. Yes. Well, cards and games at home. We always played board games at home.
GN (
04:37
):
Oh, you did? Oh, okay.
HD (
04:38
):
And actually I do still with my children, and we play cards.


8
Hayley Denning

GN (
04:42
):
You do? Okay. You slipped that in there. I'm going to get to that later [laugh]. Then move on to
high school or where'd you go to high school?
HD (
04:51
):
Roosevelt in Hyde Park.
GN (
04:53
):
In Hyde Park, okay. Four years?
HD (
04:55
):
Four years. Yes.
GN (
04:56
):
Okay. How'd you get there?
HD (
04:58
):
School bus. And I lived out in Clinton Corners, so my school bus ride was like an hour in the
morning.
GN (
05:05
):
Really? What time did you have to leave, 7:30?
HD (
05:08
):
Yeah. No, before that, I think high school started around 7:30.


9
Hayley Denning

GN (
05:13
):
Oh, wow.
HD (
05:14
):
I think I caught the bus. Maybe it was forty-five minutes. I think I got the bus about quarter to
seven.
GN (
05:19
):
Okay. And coming home, was it dark when you came home?
HD (
05:23
):
Sometimes.
GN (
05:24
):
Especially in this time of year when things began to change. So, now we're already-- there's more
dark than light, you know, we've passed the--.
HD (
05:37
):
Yeah.
GN (
05:38
):
The autumn, whatever it is.
HD (
05:39
):
You're right.


10
Hayley Denning

GN (
05:39
):
I used to know the name, but at the moment it slips. Favorite subjects in high school, did you
major in science, or languages, math?
HD (
05:52
):
History.
GN (
05:53
):
History. Isn't that interesting? Yeah.
HD (
05:55
):
History is still my favorite. I love it. I love everything about history. When I go on vacations, I
love looking at old buildings or buildings that have like, you know, the plaques that say that,
built in--. I just picture it like--.
GN (
06:11
):
Oh, yeah. What it was like, you know?
HD (
06:12
):
Yes.
GN (
06:13
):
Do you have particular country? Do you know a lot about French history or American history?
HD (
06:18
):


11
Hayley Denning

No, I never really, I never took a class that was in any particular history. Although I did take a
class here once with Jerry White.
GN (
06:32
):
Yeah, Jerry White.
HD (
06:33
):
And I have to tell you, he was the most amazing history teacher because he spoke about it like he
lived there, [laugh]. He would talk about history when he was teaching that class. It was literally
like he was like telling you from his personal experience. He was amazing teacher. He was an
amazing teacher. I loved that. That was my very favorite class I've ever taken.
GN (
06:57
):
Did you ever take anybody else here?
HD (
07:01
):
I did take a few classes here. Not a lot, but I did take some, I can't remember who else I took.
GN (
07:06
):
Any with Lou Zuccarello?
HD (
07:08
):
No, unfortunately.
GN (
07:10
):


12
Hayley Denning

That would be another one who does that same kind of thing as Jerry White, and then Ed Cashin
before him.
HD (
07:17
):
It was amazing. I had never taken a class like that. He was literally acting like he spoke, like he
was there. Like he knew those people. I loved it. That was cool.
GN (
07:30
):
And then his music is in the same category. Well, he used to have a program, voices at the Mid-
Hudson or Mid-Hudson classics or something like that, you know, we have a whole collection of
his records out there.
HD (
07:49
):
I did not know that.
GN (
07:50
):
Yeah. Alright. Moving on, high school. Any particular subject that you liked? Well, history you
just talked about. Okay, let's-- how about, because of where you lived, you could hardly work
after school.
HD (
08:12
):
Right. I never worked after school because I could only do the late bus. I lived so far; you know.
And both of my parents worked.
GN (
08:22
):


13
Hayley Denning

Okay. So, how about the summers?
HD (
08:25
):
So, the summers I worked at a camp that was close to me. I was a camp counselor. I was a junior
camp counselor, and then a camp counselor.
GN (
08:38
):
Oh, moved up ranks.
New Speaker (
08:40
):
Yeah. So that was--.
GN (
08:42
):
Then working in the summer times, that kind of-- what was outside of camp work, I guess that
was kind of it. Because every summer they wanted you back.
HD (
09:00
):
Yeah.
GN (
09:01
):
So, you got into a certain rhythm about that. Okay. Then, move on. Do we go to college?
HD (
09:10
):
So immediately after high school, I actually got a job with social services. And then I was only
there for maybe a year. And then I got the job at Marist.


14
Hayley Denning

GN (
09:25
):
Oh. Let's go back a little bit, in college or high school did you do any secretarial work, keyboard,
master, or something like that.
HD (
09:36
):
Yes. So, in high school we had a, like a typing class. And then at that time, you know, because
that was a long time ago, they trained you to be like a secretary. Right. So, in high school they
did that. And I did, it was called an IBM Co-op Program. So, in my senior year of high school, I
went to school half the day, and I worked at IBM Poughkeepsie half the day.
GN (
10:01
):
Really?
HD (
10:02
):
As a secretary. They did this program from the high school. So, during this--.
GN (
10:08
):
How old were you then, 18?
HD (
10:09
):
Yeah, 17, 18. So I worked at IBM Poughkeepsie as a secretary for the afternoons.
GN (
10:19
):
Okay. Did you want to stay on there?
HD (
10:22
):


15
Hayley Denning

I did, but, you know, because IBM was very big at the time. I did. But they had a lot of people,
so they didn't, you know, hire.
GN (
10:30
):
They didn't direct you particularly. Okay. So then after that, you just take elective period subjects
in college.
HD (
10:42
):
Right. So, then I was going to, since I had, when I started at Social Services, I started taking
classes at Dutchess.
GN (
10:51
):
Oh, I see.
HD (
10:52
):
And then when I started here, I finished my Dutchess degree.
GN (
10:56
):
I see.
HD (
10:56
):
So, I got my associates. And I had also taken some classes here that like transferred to Dutchess
so I could finish up. Because I would, when I started working here, it was the month that I turned
21. So, I was still only out of high school a couple of years. So, when I started here, I just
continued doing classes at Dutchess and here until I got my associates.


16
Hayley Denning

GN (
11:25
):
Okay. What about your love life? You're 21 and you still have a boyfriend here and there?
HD (
11:30
):
Yes.
GN (
11:31
):
I don't want to get into the personal part of that. Just for the record.
HD (
11:35
):
Yeah, so I--.
GN (
11:36
):
I wanted us to know.
HD (
11:37
):
I actually just celebrated twenty-five years married to my husband, Jeff.
GN (
11:44
):
Oh, really?
HD (
11:45
):
We got married in 1998. And yeah, so that was after I was already working here because I started
here December of 1992.
GN (
11:57
):


17
Hayley Denning

Okay. Let's focus on that part. What was the genesis of your coming here? How did that
develop? Who did, you know, to be able to get through?
HD (
12:06
):
So, this is interesting. I was working for social services for a year and the county makes you take
a test like a, for whatever your job is. And I didn't do well on the test. And they said you're going
to have to switch positions because you didn't do well enough on that test. And I was like, okay.
And then they put me in a position I didn't particularly like. So, I started looking for a different
job and there was a job opening in financial aid. And so, I applied, and I came here. And at the
time, you know Corinne Schell?
GN (
12:47
):
I probably--.
HD (
12:49
):
I'm sure you do.
GN (
12:49
):
I know Tony Campilii [laugh].
HD (
12:52
):
Oh, Tony Campilii. Yeah. So, Corrine Schell, and at the time the director of financial aid, which
it's not financial aid anymore, but the director of financial aid at the time and Corrine Schell are
the ones that hired me.
GN (
13:07
):


18
Hayley Denning

I see.
HD (
13:08
):
And so, I was my birthday is December 7th and I turned 21. And then two weeks later I started
working here
GN (
13:20
):
December 7th, the day that will live in history.
HD (
13:21
):
That's right. Pearl Harbor Day.
GN (
13:25
):
Oh, yeah. Were you born yet?
HD (
13:28
):
I was not.
GN (
13:28
):
You were not born now. Oh, okay.
HD (
13:30
):
I was born in 1970.
GN (
13:32
):


19
Hayley Denning

Oh [laugh]. I get numbers all mixed up here in my head. Oh, God. You know, because I get, 9/11
confused as to what century it was in, you know? And sometimes, I don't know whether it was
this century or the other century [laugh], when you get to be 90, that happens [laugh]. The
genesis of you coming to Marist is there. But I want to make sure I don't get off the thing here. Is
anywhere along this time did you travel?
HD (
14:09
):
Yes. So, living abroad, kind of, you know, when I grew up, we lived in Amsterdam.
GN (
14:17
):
Yes.
HD (
14:17
):
But we used to do trips to like, you know, Paris or Portugal because we were close. Right. So,
my dad would take us on, you know, vacation.
GN (
14:25
):
Go to Paris? Oh.
HD (
14:27
):
So, we did a lot of different trips. So as an adult, I loved to-- oh, okay. So, as an adult, I loved to
travel. So, when I was 21, that first year I had started here. I did a trip to Austria, and Budapest,
Hungary.
GN (
14:51
):


20
Hayley Denning

Oh, wow.
HD (
14:52
):
Because I have friends in Austria.
GN (
14:54
):
Oh.
HD (
14:55
):
So, I went by myself to Austria and I went to Vienna. And then my friend lives in a town called
Lofer about a half hour outside of Salzburg. So, I did that. And then I did a trip to Budapest,
Hungary. And then from then on, I was like, I love traveling.
GN (
15:15
):
Do you?
HD (
15:16
):
I love it.
GN (
15:16
):
You still travel when you can?
HD (
15:18
):
I actually do, this past year I've been to Amsterdam and Paris.
GN (
15:22
):


21
Hayley Denning

Oh, okay.
HD (
15:24
):
But my husband and I, when we were thinking about getting married, I was like, you know,
instead of like spending all that money on a wedding, why don't we get married in Austria? So,
we actually got married in a town that town called Lofer, the Burgermeister, which is their mayor
didn't speak English. So, my friend translated our wedding vows [laugh]. So, him and I went to
Lofer. We got married there. And then, we took a train from Austria, from Salzburg, and we did
Venice, Florence, and Rome. And then we flew out of Rome and came home. And that was our
wedding. My dad did come to see us get married, though. He flew over and, yeah.
GN (
16:11
):
Okay, say something more about this husband. You know, you're married twenty-five years.
HD (
16:18
):
Yes.
GN (
16:18
):
You know him for twenty-six, I guess.
HD (
16:19
):
Well, yeah, it's funny. Maybe even longer. Let's see. We were--.
GN (
16:24
):
What was the year-- when did you bump into him, as it were.


22
Hayley Denning

HD (
16:27
):
So how, okay. This is another crazy thing. When I worked at Social Services, the woman I
worked for, her name was Theresa, and her son is my husband.
GN (
16:38
):
Really?
HD (
16:38
):
Yes. So, her and I were very close, and we would go once a month and we would go get a meal
and a couple of drinks. And one day, Jeff and his friend joined us for dinner and drinks. And him
and I exchanged contact information, and then we started dating.
GN (
16:56
):
Wow. That's a wonderful story. Yeah. How many children do you have?
HD (
17:03
):
I have two.
GN (
17:04
):
Two.
HD (
17:05
):
My daughter's a senior here. She's in the education program. She's in the five-year program. So,
she's, she'll get her bachelor's this year and her master's next year. And she'll be a teacher and my
son goes to Dutchess.


23
Hayley Denning

GN (
17:21
):
Oh, okay. What was your maiden name?
HD (
17:27
):
Friedman.
GN (
17:28
):
Oh, okay. Because the Denning was the husband and you took his name and that sounds Irish to
me.
HD (
17:35
):
It is. He's half Irish, half Italian. His dad's side was Irish and his mom was Italian. His mom's last
name is LaMorte. And we figured out that we think that she's related to Father LaMorte.
GN (
17:48
):
Oh, really?
HD (
17:49
):
Yeah. Somehow.
GN (
17:51
):
Oh, wow.
HD (
17:51
):
Richard.


24
Hayley Denning

GN (
17:52
):
What a small world.
HD (
17:54
):
I know it's so crazy.
GN (
17:55
):
Six degrees of--.
HD (
17:59
):
Separation.
GN (
17:59
):
Separation or seven, whatever it is [laugh]. Okay. So, you're right ahead of where I thought I'd be
by now. I mean, you give me how--.
HD (
18:11
):
I'm sorry.
GN (
18:11
):
You came to Marist and so you came to Marist, Dennis was the president?
HD (
18:18
):
Yes.
GN (
18:19
):


25
Hayley Denning

Okay. Let me get this picture of you. When you came to Marist, describe the scene. Okay. What
year was it?
HD (
18:29
):
It was 1992.
GN (
18:32
):
Dennis was here already then.
HD (
18:34
):
Dennis was already here.
GN (
18:35
):
Yeah. Okay, '92. The buildings were up. Some of them were up.
HD (
18:42
):
So, actually, and I was just thinking about this the other day because I knew I was coming here
and I was trying to picture what Marist looked like when I started. When I started the old
Fontaine was where the library was--.
GN (
18:58
):
I know.
HD (
18:58
):
Here. And the library was in that old Fontaine. Do you remember that?


26
Hayley Denning

GN (
19:03
):
Yes. Right.
HD (
19:04
):
So, and admissions was in Greystone.
GN (
19:06
):
In the bottom of Greystone.
HD (
19:08
):
In the bottom of Greystone. The Campus Green wasn't there? There was a parking lot.
GN (
19:13
):
A parking lot.
HD (
19:13
):
Yeah.
GN (
19:15
):
The dormitories were limited.
HD (
19:19
):
Exactly right. And so, when I came, the first year, when I was here, the first year, our
commencement speaker was James Earl Jones. And it was on Leonidoff Field. Do you remember
when commencement used to be over there?


27
Hayley Denning

GN (
19:34
):
Oh, yeah. Yeah. I walked up there, I was part of the faculty in those years.
HD (
19:40
):
Yes.
GN (
19:40
):
For like forty of them, you know [laugh]. So, oh yeah.
HD (
19:42
):
The campus was so completely different. Like, I think back, like even old Fontaine, like that was
like in Lowell Thomas before it got renovated. Right. And it was just, everything was so
different.
GN (
20:00
):
Oh yeah. There was a time when my office was in this Fontaine, we had a river view. I had an
office. I had public river view, then they built Lowell Thomas and I moved over there and I had a
view of Route Nine, which was a little different, you know [laugh].
HD (
20:18
):
And the downstairs of Lowell Thomas was like this.
GN (
20:21
):
Oh, yeah. Well, it was built on the pool.
HD (
20:24
):


28
Hayley Denning

Right.
GN (
20:24
):
The swimming pool. Oh, you weren't here yet for the swimming pool?
HD (
20:28
):
I was. And they had just built Lowell Thomas.
GN (
20:30
):
Oh, yeah. Okay. There was a couple of jokes about that. I was before-- when Linus was still
here. Well, he left in '78, I think. '79, that's when Dennis came.
HD (
20:45
):
Right, '79.
GN (
20:47
):
Yeah. So, they were so tired. A long time in the building Lowell Thomas, I remember at a
football game, they had this big parade of cars and things watching and simplistic, no doubt. But
a [ ] fun. And they had this car with a flag on it. The second annual laying on the cornerstone for
the Lowell Thomas [laugh].
HD (
21:09
):
Really?
GN (
21:09
):


29
Hayley Denning

Yeah. The kids marking it, you know, it took them so long to build it. But they had a problem
because of the water.
HD (
21:17
):
Yes.
GN (
21:17
):
You know? Our stream runs underneath that, you know? And we're lucky to this day that it
hasn't floated away.
HD (
21:24
):
Exactly. Or collapsed.
GN (
21:25
):
Yeah.
HD (
21:27
):
So different.
GN (
21:29
):
Yeah. I just wanted to make sure. I want-- I don't know where I'm going. Alright. It doesn't
matter because, we'll-- we're in a good time anyway. You came down on time and we can chance
to get some of these, we got you coming. The genesis of you coming to Marist, how do you
describe the campus at that site. So, there was no green as we have now.
HD (
22:03
):


30
Hayley Denning

No. Right. Old Fontaine was there.
GN (
22:07
):
Yeah.
HD (
22:08
):
The new Fontaine wasn't built.
GN (
22:13
):
No tennis courts yet.
HD (
22:14
):
No Tennis courts. No. That came much later.
GN (
22:16
):
There's a parking lot at the foot of-- going down to the river.
HD (
22:19
):
Yes. There's a parking lot. That's right, yeah.
GN (
22:23
):
Yeah. There was plenty of parking two miles away [laugh].
HD (
22:26
):
Exactly. Right.
GN (
22:28
):


31
Hayley Denning

So, that was part of it.
HD (
22:29
):
The Midrise was different. Like Midrise, Student Center, all that was different.
GN (
22:36
):
Yeah, okay.
HD (
22:39
):
The bookstore was still run by Marist.
GN (
22:42
):
Oh, yeah. Was it-- where was it?
HD (
22:47
):
It was down by the Midrise, but it was, was it down there? Where was that?
GN (
22:53
):
Was it up in the bottom of-- no, down.
HD (
22:56
):
No, it was, you're right. It was over by the post office.
GN (
22:59
):
Oh, right.
HD (
23:00
):


32
Hayley Denning

Right, right, right. That's right.
GN (
23:03
):
Yeah, okay.
HD (
23:06
):
That was so long ago. Right. So, I was 21. I turned 21 the month I started.
GN (
23:11
):
Okay. That was in--.
HD (
23:12
):
1992.
GN (
23:14
):
'92.
HD (
23:15
):
'92. Yeah, '92.
GN (
23:18
):
'92. Oh, okay. Okay. Yeah. Well, yeah, '92. This is '23, you know, so it is twenty and ten. There's
thirty years in that.
HD (
23:26
):
Yeah [laugh]. It's so crazy.


33
Hayley Denning

GN (
23:30
):
My memory sometimes fades as I start looking back at the changes that were made. On
graduation weekend, I introduced a fellow here who graduated something like '66, '67. Okay.
And his daughter also graduated from here. And this granddaughter graduated from here. So, I
had the three of them for interviews. And we talked about his graduation. His graduation was on
that campus like that. But while we were talking, they were putting up the stage down here on
the green, and he was talking about the difference.
HD (
24:14
):
Such a huge difference.
GN (
24:16
):
How you can compare the same college in his lifetime to see this is what he--.
HD (
24:23
):
It's so completely different. I mean--.
GN (
24:26
):
Okay. Well, I'm going to get back to that point soon. But first I want to get you into your office.
So, you're working for Campilii. You're not Campilii, but you're working in finance and what's
your next move?
HD (
24:43
):
So, I went from financial aid to the academic Vice President's office, which at the time was Marc
van der Heyden. So, I worked for Marc.


34
Hayley Denning

GN (
24:58
):
Did you live over there in Lowell Thomas?
HD (
25:01
):
Yes. Over in Lowell Thomas.
GN (
25:02
):
You worked in that building with him?
HD (
25:05
):
I did.
GN (
25:05
):
Where were you hiding? I don't--.
HD (
25:07
):
Do you not remember me because I remember you [laugh]?
GN (
25:11
):
That's-- wipe it out, wipe it out.
HD (
25:14
):
Yeah. So, I worked for Marc and then I worked for Artin.
GN (
25:20
):
Okay.


35
Hayley Denning

HD (
25:20
):
Because then Artin came. And then, after I worked for Artin for about a year, I went back to
financial aid in a different position. I was the loan officer because a lot of people got loans. And
then I did that. I'm not even--.
GN (
25:40
):
Did you have particular financial background for that, or--?
HD (
25:43
):
I didn't. I had some experience in doing it my first round in financial aid.
GN (
25:49
):
I see.
HD (
25:49
):
So, when that position became available, it was like better money.
GN (
25:54
):
How do you get to those? Do they list them, and you can apply for them?
HD (
25:58
):
Yes. So at that time, so this was way before banner and all that. Do you remember? This was a
long time ago. We used to get emails when a position was available. Like we would get emails
that you can apply for it.
GN (
26:13
):


36
Hayley Denning

I see.
HD (
26:14
):
That was a totally different system we used to use. So, then I had gone back to financial aid. And
then--.
GN (
26:25
):
Do you go for an interview for that?
HD (
26:27
):
Yes. I had to go for an interview. And I used to keep a notebook of all my-- so, you know, when
you start a new job, well, you probably don't know because you've been a faculty member
forever. But when you start a new job, you take notes on how to do things and, you know, so I
had a notebook that I-- from the time I started in the original financial aid office, I would write
notes on how to do everything. And then in every office, so when I went back to financial aid, I
had my notebook on how to do things in the financial aid office, you know, because I used to do
it. And so, I guess they liked that I had the notebook and--.
GN (
27:11
):
Oh, they were impressed.
HD (
27:12
):
They hired me back [laugh].
GN (
27:13
):


37
Hayley Denning

Yeah. Oh, okay. Now, who's they?
HD (
27:16
):
So, originally, the director and associate director of financial aid were Christine McCormick (?).
She wasn't here very long. And Corinne Schell, who's still here, they hired me originally. And
then when I went to academic Vice President, Marc van der Heyden--.
GN (
27:37
):
He interviewed you?
HD (
27:37
):
He interviewed me. He was wonderful. I really--.
GN (
27:42
):
Yeah. He was a remarkable guy.
HD (
27:43
):
Yeah.
GN (
27:44
):
He was such a gentleman, but--.
HD (
27:46
):
Always.
GN (
27:47
):


38
Hayley Denning

Yeah. And of course, that European twist, you know?
HD (
27:52
):
Yes.
GN (
27:53
):
And he had-- he was very nice to me being that I resigned [laugh], and then I withdrew my
resignation [laugh].
HD (
28:02
):
Really?
GN (
28:03
):
Yeah. Well, I was chair, and then I said, oh, I'm going to give this up. And I wrote a letter and he
says, fine. And now I came back the next day because I heard something had changed. So, I said,
I want to withdraw my thing. Fine, he said [laugh]. Because we got along pretty well, you know,
and okay. Then even I-- for two years I was Dean. So just for chance, he and Jeff DeLanning (?)
came to me and said, let's go, you got to take it, you got to take this thing because--. So, I said,
oh have Dennis call me. Dennis never called me [laugh].
HD (
28:43
):
No [laugh].
GN (
28:45
):


39
Hayley Denning

So, I agreed to do it. But then Dennis was very nice to me too. He went up to his office and he
was very supportive of me, you know. And he gave me a big increase in pay. I said, look, I'm
Dean and, oh what's his name? He was an English professor. He used to be chair. We didn't like
him too much. Sue Lawrence hated him actually [laugh]. Dr-- alright just that. His wife is also on
the staff. So, those two were-- so, when he stepped down they asked me to take it because I was
friends with everybody, you know?
HD (
29:30
):
Yeah. That's hard.
GN (
29:33
):
Well, yeah. But to accept, you know, every now and then I would write a review. Every year you
had to write a review. And sometimes, depending what the students say, you know, you had to--.
HD (
29:45
):
The evaluations. Yeah.
GN (
29:47
):
You had to reflect that in the report.
HD (
29:49
):
Right.
GN (
29:49
):


40
Hayley Denning

You know you do seem to favor some students. Oh, who said that? Well, I like to tell you, you
know, I'm not going do that. Okay. I'm talking, go ahead.
HD (
30:03
):
I'm sorry. No, go ahead. So, I started in financial aid. I worked for Marc and Artin. Then I went
back to financial aid. And then after financial aid, I went downstairs in Donnelly and worked for
Tom Daly, physical plant. Do you remember Tom Daly? Physical plant?
GN (
30:24
):
Yeah. Yes. Yeah.
HD (
30:25
):
So, I worked for him for a year and then Justin Butwell came. And so, then I worked for him,
you know, for also a bit. And then [laugh] and then I had my second child while I was working
for the physical plant office. And I left for five years when I had my children. And then, there
was an evening position in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, an evening secretary
position. So, I came back, and when I came back, at the time I was in the CWA Union. They
negotiated with Marist and Marist gave me all my time back. Which was ten years. So, they gave
me all my time back when I started back in School of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
GN (
31:21
):
That changed the picture, all of it.
HD (
31:23
):
It did. So, I got all my time back, and then I worked for Margaret Calista.


41
Hayley Denning

GN (
31:32
):
Oh, yeah, yeah.
HD (
31:33
):
And then--.
GN (
31:35
):
And social sciences.
HD (
31:37
):
Yeah. Social and behavioral. And then, I worked for her in the evening for maybe, I think maybe
a year or two. Maybe two years. And after there, Dennis hired me in the office of the president.
GN (
31:52
):
How'd you get in there?
HD (
31:54
):
So, I was looking to go from evening to regular, full, you know.
GN (
32:00
):
Children are now in grade school or something?
HD (
32:01
):
I'm sorry?
GN (
32:03
):


42
Hayley Denning

The children were in grade school.
HD (
32:04
):
Exactly. So, they were now in school full-time, so I didn't have to be home anymore. So, I
applied for an Eileen Sico.
GN (
32:13
):
Oh yeah.
HD (
32:14
):
And Eileen and Jean Talbot.
GN (
32:18
):
Oh, yes.
HD (
32:18
):
Yep. Eileen, Jean Talbot, and Elisabeth Tavarez, who used to work over there. The three of them
interviewed me. And then my second interview was with Dennis. And then I got the job. And
I've been in the office of the president now for about fifteen years. So, about half my time at
Marist has been in the office of the President.
GN (
32:43
):
And what different position? Is there a scale there? How about--.
HD (
32:49
):
There was, so right. There was, so I was--.


43
Hayley Denning

GN (
32:52
):
There was personal secretary.
HD (
32:54
):
Right, which Eileen. And then, so there has always been upstairs, three support staff. Right,
Eileen. And then remember Jean Talbot and Kathy McHugh used to work there. Do you
remember?
GN (
33:10
):
Not well. But then you were up there.
HD (
33:12
):
And then I went up there. Well, so me and Kathy Santiamo (?) in my office, her and I were both
hired for the office of the president at the same time, because Kathy and Jean Talbot both left at
the same time. So, Kathy's been there now fifteen years. So, we're both executive assistants.
GN (
33:35
):
Is that the term?
HD (
33:36
):
Yeah.
GN (
33:37
):
Who is his personal secretary?
HD (
33:39
):


44
Hayley Denning

So--.
GN (
33:41
):
Is that an expression?
HD (
33:42
):
Yeah. It's not really that way anymore because we do different things. Like, Kathy does his
calendar. Right. And then we kind of split the tasks that Eileen used to always do. Now we kind
of split them.
GN (
33:57
):
Oh, I see.
HD (
33:58
):
Yeah. And also in there is Emily Saland.
GN (
34:01
):
Okay.
HD (
34:02
):
She's in there as well.
GN (
34:03
):
Now. You said she does the calendar. She works with him personally about what's on deck. In
other words, some things academic and some thing's national and something.


45
Hayley Denning

HD (
34:14
):
Right, right.
GN (
34:15
):
So, she keeps her eye on what's happening.
HD (
34:17
):
Yes. And then we, you know, we meet as a staff every week. So, we go through the calendar, we
go through emails that need to be responded to, events that he's invited to.
GN (
34:27
):
I see.
HD (
34:28
):
You know? Yeah.
GN (
34:29
):
I interviewed Eileen Sico.
HD (
34:31
):
Yeah. Yeah.
GN (
34:33
):
Did you ever read it [laugh]?
HD (
34:34
):


46
Hayley Denning

We used to-- I worked for Eileen. So, Eileen hired me. She was--.
GN (
34:38
):
Well, when I interviewed her, I did one of these things about, you know with Dennis, are you
24/7 on the job? And she said, no, not really. He has his vice presidents if he's in Europe or
someplace else. And he calls them first and so on.
HD (
34:55
):
Right.
GN (
34:56
):
So, I said, okay, so what about your job? So, one of the things she said is that she, all the time
gets a call from a parent about some problem. Well, this one about a daughter who couldn't get
on campus. So, I said, I'm sorry, there's no room. So they went, well, I'm going to call every day
to the president to see if I can get my-- she said, every day you call, you know, I'm going to be
here. And I'll answer it. And I'll tell you the same thing. There was no room for Jesus in the inn
[laugh], and there's no room for your daughter on campus. But when there is, I'll let you know.
HD (
35:32
):
Oh my God. I love that.
GN (
35:35
):
That's, you know, it's kind of a funny story out of the highest place, you know, in terms of--.
HD (
35:41
):


47
Hayley Denning

It's true. We get calls and emails.
GN (
35:44
):
Yeah, I bet.
HD (
35:45
):
But, you know, we're kind of the first line, right? Like, I answer the phone and most of the time,
I have to tell you, honestly, most of the time when parents are calling, it's because they've
already spoken to other people and they're frustrated and they really just want somebody to listen
to them. And to validate what they're saying. Right, they want somebody to hear them. They feel
like people aren't hearing them. They're shuffling them off. The answer's no, that's it. You know,
but that's not what they want. They want somebody to listen and be compassionate. And I get
that, because when I call somebody, I want them to listen to me as well, right. So--.
GN (
36:25
):
I interviewed the director of security, the older fellow, and--.
HD (
36:30
):
Joe Leary?
GN (
36:32
):
John.
HD (
36:33
):
John Gildard.


48
Hayley Denning

GN (
36:34
):
Yeah. And one of the stories he had is that one of the kids was a terrible behavior in terms of--
well, one of the problems, security has, most of them were kids with parking, it seems, you
know? And so, this kid had, you know, run up almost a hundred tickets.
HD (
36:53
):
Oh my God.
GN (
36:54
):
Didn't give a damn about anything. So, the mother comes in because they can't register until the
fines are paid, you know? And so, she comes in and says, you know, what am I going to do? He
was too irresponsible, I understand. Well, why can't you? So, John says, look, I'll take these
ninety-nine or put them in my drawer, and you pay this one. But if he gets another one, these
ninety-nine are here [laugh] you know.
HD (
37:20
):
Yeah.
GN (
37:22
):
So, they-- I mean, I can hear what you're saying. You know, somebody who's sympathetic, make
a deal with them.
HD (
37:28
):
It makes the biggest difference. It almost immediately deescalates that. You know, because they
really just want you to listen.


49
Hayley Denning

GN (
37:37
):
Let me see. I want to get something else here that's most important. We talked about the changes
at Marist. You've seen so many changes, but in a sense, some things are the same.
HD (
37:53
):
True. That's a very good point.
GN (
37:55
):
And what do you say? How would you say is the same?
HD (
37:58
):
I would, well-- I know one thing that has changed, but is also kind of the same as the sense of
community. When I first started, Marist was significantly smaller.
GN (
38:12
):
Yeah.
HD (
38:12
):
Like you know--.
GN (
38:14
):
Donnelly was the center of many things.
HD (
38:15
):


50
Hayley Denning

Exactly. Like, there was much, there was very-- like a strong sense of community, but there was
also a smaller community. So, you almost knew everybody. When you would go over, remember
when we used to have fun day? Remember?
GN (
38:31
):
Yeah.
HD (
38:32
):
So, you'd go to fun day and you would know pretty much everybody. That of course has changed
significantly because we're so much bigger now. But I feel like everybody still has that same
sense of community. Right? Like, even when I left for those five years, I would still consider
Marist mine. Like I would defend it at, you know what I mean? Like, I always felt like it was
part of my community. And it, you know, even when I didn't work here. And then when I came
back, it was still the same, my community. And I still feel that way. So, even though it's bigger
and you don't know as many people, I still feel like it's-- you have that sense of community here.
I always have felt that.
GN (
39:14
):
Yeah. Drastic difference in the students. Or is there something similar about always saying
Marist seems to draw the wrong kind of like students? I don't know how true that is, but--.
HD (
39:26
):
The same kind of students?
GN (
39:27
):


51
Hayley Denning

Yeah. Well, there's a certain simplicity. I mean, they still hold the door for you like, you know,
which is a real, you know, kind for a guy like me [laugh].
HD (
39:37
):
No, you're right though.
GN (
39:38
):
Yeah. So that kind of, but, what is your experience? Well, you deal more with the parents, I
guess. So, the kids.
HD (
39:46
):
Well, so in, so I have to tell you, in all the different offices on campus that I've had, I have dealt
with every constituency. So, in student financial services, I dealt with parents and students
because of financial aid. In the academic vice president's office, I dealt mostly with faculty,
mostly faculty and vice presidents. And then in the physical plant office, I dealt mostly with
staff. And because people call physical plant for different issues. Correct. So, I would deal a lot
with like, the different staff on campus and also parents and students.
GN (
40:25
):
Where were you housed when you worked for the physical plant? Was it in Donnelly or--?
HD (
40:31
):
Yeah, in Donnelly. I worked for the director of physical plant.
GN (
40:34
):


52
Hayley Denning

Oh, okay.
HD (
40:38
):
And an unusual part about that is those years ago, the director of physical plant, his assistant,
which was me at the time, used to go to-- do you know what B and G meeting is? So, the board
of trustees have different committees. One of them is buildings and grounds. And way back
when--.
GN (
41:00
):
Jack Gartland.
HD (
41:01
):
Yeah. Right, okay. So, way back when, there used to be a weekly buildings and grounds
meeting, and it would happen in the boardroom, which used to be in Lowell Thomas.
GN (
41:14
):
Yes.
HD (
41:14
):
And so, the chair of the buildings and grounds committee from the board, which at that time was
Mike Duffy, and Dennis would run this meeting, and the director of physical plant's assistant
would take the minutes. So, I used to always go to those meetings and take the minutes, which
was always very interesting to me.
GN (
41:33
):


53
Hayley Denning

Oh, I see. That's, I mean, they used to kid about Dennis measuring the size of the grass, you
know [laugh].
HD (
41:42
):
Can I tell you, he would notice everything. So, he would, like, on his way into the office in the
morning, he would first sometimes drive around campus. He would just drive around and look at
everything. And anything that he saw that he thought needed attention, he would come into the
office and call the director of physical plant. Or he would say, get him on the phone for me. I
want to talk to him. And he would say, I was down here and I saw this, or, you know, whatever.
And like, he would do that often.
GN (
42:15
):
Yeah. I just mean it was a joke among the faculty. I mean, it was like thousands for wall, none
for defense, and nothing for the faculty, you know, and in other words, we didn't get salary
increases, but we got better grounds.
HD (
42:39
):
That's true. You know, he was very, very focused on grounds.
GN (
42:42
):
He did a good job on it.
HD (
42:44
):
He really did. I mean, it's a beautiful campus.
GN (
42:47
):


54
Hayley Denning

Okay, talking about the students, are they changed very much. And we started to talk about you
meet them in different categories. But they're much richer in a sense that the cars they drive now
are much better than the cars they used to drive.
HD (
43:06
):
I agree with you. I agree with you. But also, it's more expensive to come here.
GN (
43:12
):
Yeah. That's true. Sounds like the freshman class two or three years ago, 10% were in the first--.
HD (
43:21
):
First gen.
GN (
43:22
):
First gen. Yeah. It was-- so it takes a lot of money to come here and many of them have a lot of
money, but nevertheless, there's a certain simplicity about it. I mean, we're not Harvard, or we're
not Vassar.
HD (
43:37
):
Exactly. I agree. I think that the, the caliber of students has pretty much stayed high. You know
what I mean?
GN (
43:45
):
Yeah. Oh yeah. I mean, you have to go to class here.
HD (
43:50
):


55
Hayley Denning

You have to.
GN (
43:50
):
Yeah. You can't live in the dormitory, you know, and take a C or something like that for a--.
HD (
43:56
):
Exactly.
GN (
43:58
):
Touchy question. You worked really the office for three presidents almost.
HD (
44:05
):
Yes. I did.
GN (
44:07
):
How would you describe the atmosphere between the seriousness of it and a certain relaxation,
and, you know, joy to be there kind of an exciting--. You know, I would see all three, even
before that I was with Linus and I was with Paul Ambrose, you know, so I come back here '46, a
hundred years ago. But let's just take your first president was Dennis, right?
HD (
44:45
):
Yes.
GN (
44:46
):


56
Hayley Denning

And the contrast that, maybe with, well, the next two. How would you compare the seriousness
and the, you know, the kind of atmosphere of business, business is there relaxation there, go
ahead.
HD (
45:04
):
So, Dennis is the most serious. Right. He's always been that way. He's very meticulous. He's
very, he micromanages more. Right. He's involved in every single thing, but he is also extremely
professional. Right. Always very, you know, by the book or, you know, that's always been the
way he is. I would say that the most serious has always been him. Although he has some
lighthearted moments, of course.
GN (
45:37
):
Yeah. He has a sense humor.
HD (
45:39
):
Marilyn has a better sense of humor [laugh].
GN (
45:43
):
Okay. Well, that's true.
HD (
45:46
):
So, then David was, so David, I always thought was very nice. He was nice. He ran it so
differently that it was-- I don't know. He was never really a great fit, you know what I mean?
Like Dennis, Marist was his life. He was always committed to Marist. He would go to
everything. He would write, he would have speeches. He was very, he always had everything


57
Hayley Denning

written out. So, he was always prepared. Where David really didn't want to be here as much. You
know--.
GN (
46:22
):
I learned a couple of things, the dedication of it, all this to Jeff DeLanning (?), you know, he
came for the first five minutes--.
HD (
46:30
):
And then he left.
GN (
46:31
):
And then he left.
HD (
46:32
):
I know even his own, like holiday parties, he would leave. He would leave. He just didn't want to
be here. And it was obvious to everybody. And, you know, we would get feedback working in
that office. Like, you know, it's odd to me that he didn't stay or he didn't go to that, you know,
but that was, he was just not really the right fit. Then of course, Dennis came back, and then we
were back to--.
GN (
46:59
):
Strict.
HD (
46:59
):
Strict, yeah. And then--.


58
Hayley Denning

GN (
47:01
):
Only two or three years, right?
HD (
47:02
):
Right. Exactly. And then, and now it's Kevin. And I have to tell you, I love Kevin. He's different
than Dennis in a lot of ways, but also similar. He's similar in the fact that Marist is his life. He is.
He goes to everything. He's involved with everything. He goes to like, everything, all kinds of
sporting events and the theater programs, our branch campus in Florence and Dublin and Madrid.
Like, he's very involved now. He's a younger president. So, I feel like he relates a little bit more
to the students than Dennis did. Dennis was kind of, you know, older. And also he's on social
media, right? So, he is definitely more relatable and he's not as rigid maybe as Dennis was.
Dennis was rigid and it worked. You know, he created the Marist that's today. And Kevin is not
as rigid, but the Marist today is evolving, right. Into a more techie and younger--.
GN (
48:14
):
I think, you know, with Kevin's adopting the Marist spirit, a learning with--.
HD (
48:20
):
He absolutely is.
GN (
48:21
):
The Marist brothers kind of thing, you know?
HD (
48:24
):


59
Hayley Denning

He absolutely is. So, he's like a combination, right? Like he's a combination of a young more
relatable president. And also, the Dennis part of being so committed to Marist. Right? So, he's
like the best combination of the two.
GN (
48:40
):
He was good to find. One of the board members, John Klein, who was a student of mine, you
know--.
HD (
48:47
):
He was, I love John Klein, brother John.
GN (
48:51
):
Oh, yeah. He's, in fact, I'm in touch with him often enough. I interviewed him.
HD (
48:58
):
Did you?
GN (
48:59
):
Yeah. One time Dennis didn't want me to interview board members, but I broke the rule once he
left [laugh]. And so-- but John is a good friend of mine, lives in Esopus, and I've been there to
lunch. And so, yes. But he is in the same ilk in saying that he read the applications of people who
said they wanted to be interviewed. He said, once he read Kevins, he said, this is the guy.
HD (
49:34
):
Really?


60
Hayley Denning

GN (
49:35
):
Yeah. He says, there was something about his letter, and his interests, et cetera, that really tied
him to make him say, you know, I'd really like to see him come.
HD (
49:46
):
Another thing about Kevin is he is very genuine.
GN (
49:49
):
Yeah. As far as his personal life, he lives down in Bridgeview still.
HD (
49:58
):
He does.
GN (
49:59
):
Yeah. Is the family coming here eventually, you think?
HD (
50:03
):
So, his wife actually just moved here, so, the last year he was kind of going back and forth to
Amherst because his daughter was a senior in high school.
Speaker 2 (
50:14
):
Oh, okay.
HD (
50:14
):
But now she went to college this year, so they sold the place at Amherst. And his wife moved
here. So, now they live here permanently.


61
Hayley Denning

GN (
50:24
):
His son is out west some place.
HD (
50:25
):
His son is also, his son just graduated from college, but stayed out in Colorado. And that's where
his daughter is.
GN (
50:33
):
Oh, okay. Question, what was the glue that kept you here?
HD (
50:43
):
It's a great working environment, I have to say. I compare it to being at social services, which is
kind of a depressing job and clientele, right? And being here, it's, and I have to say, it's not like I
get paid a lot of money because I really don't. But I love being here. I love being in an
educational environment. I love how it looks. It's beautiful here. And then there's also perks,
right? Like, just being able to go to like, see a theater show or go to a basketball game. It's just, I
love, I've always been comfortable here. Maybe because I was young when I started. I felt like I
was only like a year older than the graduating seniors. Or the same age as the graduating seniors
when I started here.
GN (
51:31
):
You kind of grew up with the college.
HD (
51:33
):


62
Hayley Denning

I kind of grew up with it and I always thought it was a community and I just always felt
comfortable.
GN (
51:38
):
Yeah. Yeah.
HD (
51:39
):
I never wanted to leave.
GN (
51:42
):
Yeah. Well, I was going to ask, one other point I was going to ask, you know, and you just hint
at it there is the--you don't get paid a lot of money, but there's something more important than
money. You like to come here.
HD (
51:55
):
Exactly. Exactly. It's the environment. It's everything about it. And also, now that I'm older, of
course my children get an educational benefit. So, my daughter's a senior here and that's a, you
know, all four years has been covered by Marist, so.
GN (
52:12
):
Yeah. Oh, that's wonderful. Well it's getting near time to go to your next meeting, but before you
go, is there something I didn't bring up or we didn't bring up that, why did [ ] put this in the
notes? What would you like to add that we didn't touch on?
HD (
52:34
):


63
Hayley Denning

That's a good question.
GN (
52:36
):
We can wait a little bit more and think about it.
HD (
52:39
):
Yeah, I'm not sure what, did you, you pretty-- well I think I've talked a lot, so you probably
covered it.
GN (
52:45
):
That was the idea [laugh]. I talked myself too though.
HD (
52:48
):
Yeah, right. I don't know. I would say like this, your project is archiving, like what it was like
here, right?
GN (
52:57
):
Yeah.
HD (
52:57
):
So, I think that, I mean, we did touch on that. It's a sense of community, but it has changed also a
lot. Right? It's gotten so much bigger. I don't know if that's actually, we already touched on it.
I'm not sure what else there would be. I don't know.
GN (
53:13
):


64
Hayley Denning

Well, the thing about this archive is that when the history is written of it, it's not what the
historian says. We have the recorded statements and it's like you're 150th person to be
interviewed, you know? I've been doing this for twenty years.
HD (
53:30
):
Yeah.
GN (
53:31
):
And so that's--.
HD (
53:33
):
You know, what we didn't touch on a lot is the people that were here a long time ago, like Tony
Campilii. Right. Like those people, a lot of them graduated from here and stayed. And that I
think helped with the sense of community because they were here already and they just stayed
here. Right. Like Tony Campilii was one, Corinne Schell who hired me was one. She graduated
and she's been here ever since. So, like a lot of people like that, like now they're gone. Most of
them are gone. Right, like--.
GN (
54:07
):
Okay, well let me go through a list too. Did you ever hear of Jeptha Lanning?
HD (
54:11
):
Yes.
GN (
54:12
):


65
Hayley Denning

Larry Sullivan.
HD (
54:13
):
Larry Sullivan.
GN (
54:13
):
Richard LaPietra.
HD (
54:14
):
Yep. And Joe Belanger.
HD (
54:17
):
They're all Marist graduates.
HD (
54:20
):
I know. And I knew Joe Belanger and Andy Molloy.
GN (
54:25
):
Andy Molloy. Right. Okay. And so, you know, there's a long history and tradition of Marist
staying on.
HD (
54:33
):
Exactly.
GN (
54:34
):
Linus Foy before that. And Paul Ambrose.


66
Hayley Denning

HD (
54:39
):
Right. And I met Foy too. I had met him too because he was here all those years ago.
GN (
54:47
):
Well, Paul Ambrose wrote the charter, the letter for the charter for Marist College. He did it on a
regular typewriter, not an IBM electric. He did it with carbon paper and he did it with two fingers
[laugh]. He didn't have a secretary, you know, I mean, this--primitive.
HD (
55:05
):
I know.
GN (
55:06
):
This, you couldn't believe that that's how this thing started.
HD (
55:09
):
Exactly.
GN (
55:10
):
From the roots up, you know, and now they're talking about the hundredth anniversary.
HD (
55:13
):
Yes.
GN (
55:14
):
You know, which is-- I won't be here for it, but I tell you what, it's really a wonderful story.


67
Hayley Denning

HD (
55:20
):
You'll be here [laugh]. It's 1929, right?
GN (
55:23
):
Yeah. So, yeah. So, that's where we are. Well, I kept you longer than I thought I would. It's only
10:33.
HD (
55:32
):
Thank you so much.
GN (
55:34
):
Oh, it's my joy.
HD (
55:34
):
This was fun.
GN (
55:36
):
Well, it wasn't supposed to be. It's serious [laugh]. I'm like, Dennis, I want this thing to be--.
HD (
55:40
):
That's right. By the book.
GN (
55:43
):
We get on time and then--.
HD (
55:44
):


68
Hayley Denning

You know, as serious and meticulous as he is, he created the campus the way it looks.
GN (
55:49
):
Oh yeah.
HD (
55:49
):
It's amazing. The buildings. He always has had a vision. Always.
GN (
55:54
):
Yeah. Marc van der Heyden when I interview with him--.
HD (
55:58
):
I love Marc.
GN (
55:59
):
Said, you know, one of the problems with Dennis was that he didn't share his vision, you know,
what he was doing. He kind of kept to himself.
HD (
56:07
):
That's true. That's actually a very good point.
GN (
56:10
):
Yeah, and if he had shared it, he would've been more lovable.
HD (
56:14
):
I agree with you.


69
Hayley Denning

GN (
56:15
):
You know, so, more loved, you know. Always liked, but not necessarily loved as you might say.
You know?
HD (
56:23
):
Right. Very good point.
GN (
56:24
):
Okay. Tell Kevin, I'm sorry I kept you as long as I did.
HD (
56:29
):
No, it's totally fine.
GN (
56:30
):
Yeah. Well stay here a little longer. We'll have a drink [laugh].
HD (
56:33
):
Yeah. Do you want me to turn that off?
GN (
56:35
):
Yes, please.



Denning, Hayley Cover Pages.pdf
Denning, Hayley September 27, 2023.pdf