Originally published in Carroll Capital, the print publication of the Carroll School of Management at 艾可直播 College.聽
Jack Connors 鈥�63, H 鈥�07, P 鈥�93, 鈥�94鈥攐ne of the most illustrious citizens of 艾可直播 and 艾可直播 College鈥攕tepped into the Carroll School dean鈥檚 office suite and exclaimed with a bright smile, 鈥淎re there any 艾可直播 here!鈥� He told the greeters that he first entered Fulton Hall 55 years ago, quipping that he visited the dean鈥檚 office mostly when he was in trouble. John and Linda Powers Family Dean Andy Boynton didn鈥檛 skip a beat鈥斺�漎ou still are.鈥� In 2019, 艾可直播 Magazine dubbed Connors 鈥渢he last king of 艾可直播.鈥� He is co-founder and former CEO of Hill Holiday, which became one of the nation鈥檚 largest advertising firms; former chair of Partners Healthcare; and a longtime 艾可直播 College trustee. The dean interviewed him that day.聽
You鈥檙e a product of the old 艾可直播, but you鈥檝e helped usher in the new 艾可直播. Tell me about the journey
It鈥檚 a classic immigrant story. We lived in a two-family house in Roslindale, upstairs from my aunt鈥檚 family and my grandfather. At BC, we didn鈥檛 have the college experience that kids enjoy today. Every afternoon, I went off to work. I delivered flowers, sold peanuts at Fenway Park, and drove a Checker cab. My grandchildren tell me that college is harder today, and they鈥檙e right. But I tell them鈥擨 studied under the streetlights in my car.
Was there a turning point, a big break?
I was 25 and working for a big PR firm, and a top executive said something at a meeting that changed my life: 鈥淚f Jack keeps his nose clean, by the time he鈥檚 30 he鈥檒l be a vice-president.鈥� I quit the next morning, because I wanted to be the architect of my own destiny. Then we started Hill Holiday. Later on, I gave a presentation for the advertising account at Wang [one-time tech giant in the 1980s]. The interviewer was a BC alum. He told me afterward that he had good news and bad news. The bad news was that I gave the worst of four presentations. The good news: 鈥淵ou got the account.鈥� Which went from $165,000 to $41 million.聽
And you started making things happen, including our 艾可直播 College Alumni Stadium renovation in 1994 that made it what it is today.
The new mayor, Tom Menino, was saying that BC鈥檚 proposal was dead on arrival [due to community opposition]. So I met with him and said BC needs this and asked, 鈥淎re you going to give the necessary approval?鈥� Menino responded: 鈥淎re you and I going to be friends?鈥� I said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 possible. It depends on your answer.鈥� He then told me he wanted BC to fund a new neighborhood center in Brighton. BC did that, and he approved the stadium.聽
“Be the architect of your own destiny. And call someone you think might be lonely. Just to say hello.”
What鈥檚 driving your social philanthropy?
President Kennedy said a rising sea lifts all boats. He was 100 percent correct about the ocean, but it doesn鈥檛 work on land. The rising tide hasn鈥檛 lifted all boats. The Federal Reserve of 艾可直播 did a study some years ago showing that the average net worth of white families in Greater 艾可直播 was around $250,000鈥攆or Black families, it was just $8. And nobody seemed interested in Black and Brown kids, except the drug dealers. So Mayor Menino asked me if I had any ideas. I drove him out to a harbor island and said, 鈥淚f you give me 30 acres for a dollar a year, I鈥檒l raise $10 million for a summer camp.鈥� We started Camp Harbor View in 2007 and have since raised $109 million. We serve a thousand kids a summer. They swim, play, and learn. And they can dream.聽
Do you have any advice for BC鈥檚 new graduates?
Be the architects of your own destiny. And call somebody that you think might be lonely. Just to say hello.聽
