Opposing Counsel, Unified Hearts

At first, it was simply another case. 

As young attorneys based in Texas on opposing sides of a case in the early 1990s, they filed briefs and motions against each other for nearly two years. They spoke on the phone almost every day, but never met in person—until one day, when she walked into his office for a document production. “What was already a very complicated and difficult case suddenly became much more complicated because I discovered that opposing counsel—Sylvia—was even more remarkable than I could have known,” recalls Matthew Kerrigan ’82 with a smile. “But I knew the case had to get resolved before I could call her about anything other than the case we were working on for our clients,” he added. As soon as it ended, he asked Sylvia out to lunch. “Fortunately she said yes,” he adds. “And the rest is history.”

Fast-forward through three decades of marriage, and Sylvia and Matt are still collaborating—in their day-to-day schedules and in their lifelong plans. Together, they established a bequest to endow a professorship in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, with a preference for the department of environmental studies.

“We both love nature and the ocean, and we worry about the application of narrow technologies on what is such a vitally, inherently interdisciplinary world,” says Sylvia, a corporate attorney who is also a highly experienced scuba diver. “Through this professorship, we want to encourage scholarship that looks at the world from a holistic perspective.”

The professorship will be named in honor of Matt’s great uncle, William Murphy, S.J., BC’s 19th president who served from 1939 to 1945. “One of Uncle Bill’s early initiatives was to strengthen and improve education in the sciences,” Matt says. “So to be able to make this gift in a way that reinforces and pays tribute to that was just a great opportunity for us. We think that he’d be just delighted with the fact that something he prioritized back in 1939 is what this professorship will support.”

Matt remembers “Uncle Bill” coming to the house for dinner for family holidays, and he remembers visiting Fr. Murphy at BC when he lived in St. Mary’s. “That’s how BC first got on my radar,” Matt remembers. As Matt grew older, his dad would bring him and his brothers to campus for the annual BC-Holy Cross football games. “The one team that my dad most wanted the Holy Cross Crusaders to beat every year was the Boston College Eagles. So he had a friendly rivalry with my Uncle Bill about all of that, because Uncle Bill was an Eagle through and through!” Matt says. In 1978, Matt was admitted to BC and invited to join the honors program at the College of Arts and Sciences. “I really enjoyed my time in the honors program and made so many lifelong friends at the Heights,” he says.

Early in their dating relationship, Matt introduced Sylvia to campus and his BC friends. They immediately welcomed her into their circle. “Although we live far away in Texas, his friends are still close, kindred spirits,” says Sylvia. “I’m kind of an adopted Eagle,” she laughs.

“The professors at BC gave me the gift of an education and opportunities I can never repay. We hope to make a difference with this gift,” Matt says. “Over the years, BC has advanced, strengthened, and grown, integrating the curriculum with changes in the modern world and the modern economy. It’s our hope to play a small part in supporting that important effort.”

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.