Estate Gifts Transform the Heights

A Double Eagle’s Legacy: Patrick “Pat” Cadigan ’57, P’91

He made a lasting impression on the Heights during his lifetime. Now, a gift of $125 million from the Patrick F. Cadigan Family Foundation, the largest ever to Boston College, will shape the Heights for generations of Eagles.

Through this gift, Carney Hall will be transformed into a state-of-the-art facility and renamed Cadigan Hall. Once renovated, the building will become a center for engagement at the intersection of faith and scholarship and the second structure on campus with the Cadigan name.

Cadigan’s gift stands as a testament to his love for the institution that played such a pivotal role in his life. “He was a good man, an honest man, and a very strong Catholic,” says Dennis R. Delahanty, chief executive officer of the Patrick F. Cadigan Family Foundation and Pat’s friend for more than 30 years. Most of all, he adds, Pat was “proud to be a Double Eagle. Boston College was very dear to him.” 

“This gift symbolizes the high regard that he and his parents held for education and faith, and it will create spaces for great minds to come together for generations,” says Pat’s daughter, Maria Cadigan ’91. “It is exactly what my father would want.”

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Living Simply, Giving Generously: John T. Hayden ’70

He was an avid hiker known for boots held together with duct tape, a car that was worn out and rusty, and clothes he had owned for years. For John T. Hayden ’70, a San Francisco Bay Area attorney and real estate investor, appearances never mattered.

“John didn’t spend money on himself,” says Joseph Gillach, a friend of many years and trustee of Hayden’s estate. Instead, he adds, “he spent it on the people and places that mattered to him.” Boston College was among them. Earlier this year, the University received more than $55 million from John’s estate.

John, who passed away in 2024, transferred to BC as a sophomore. He then came into his own in the classroom and on the stage, appearing in theatrical productions throughout his undergraduate years. He was also an avid Eagles football fan who tracked game results long after graduation.

“The Heights always had a place in John’s heart,” Gillach remembers. “This gift is a reflection of what BC gave him.”

In recognition of John’s generosity, BC named the integrated science building John T. Hayden Hall and established the John T. Hayden Theatre Department Fund in his memory.

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Establishing a bequest at Boston College is easy—simply add a few sentences to your will. Your attorney or BC’s Gift Planning team can help guide you. Contact the Office of Gift Planning at 877-304-SHAW or at giftplanning@bc.edu to start the process, ask questions, and get personal support.