St. Francis College shares with BHB that Chancellor, past-President and alumnus Frank J. Macchiarola died Tuesday, December 18. Macchiarola was 71. After graduating from St. Francis in 1962, he returned to his alma mater as President in 1996.
“The college flourished under his 12-year tenure and Dr. Macchiarola relished the time he spent with current and former students,” the organization said. “As President, Macchiarola would continuously go through student transcripts, looking to help those that seemed to be struggling and to reward others who showed improvements. A constant sight in the hallways and often as a professor in the classroom, students, faculty and administrators universally referred to him as Dr. Mac.”
Under his leadership, the College completed a $40 million fundraising campaign that resulted in construction of the Frank and Mary Macchiarola Academic Center, a 35,000sf building with a 3-floor library, black box theater, HDTV studio and multimedia classroom. That money was also used to build the Anthony J. Genovesi Center, a multipurpose athletic facility that hosts home volleyball matches, intramurals, lectures and special events.
Dr. Macchiarola held a number of other positions in public and private roles, serving for five years as New York City Public Schools Chancellor under Mayor Ed Koch. He also served five years as Dean of Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law where he also taught. He was a professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business and at City University of New York (CUNY) for more than 20 years. Dr. Macchiarola was President and CEO of the New York City Partnership, Inc., Deputy Director of the New York State Emergency Financial Control Board for New York City and Chair of the Advisory Committee of the Columbia Business School Community Collaboration.
Mayor Bloomberg appointed Macchiarola to serve as chair of the New York City Charter Revision Commission. He mediated the 2003 strike of Local 802 Musicians Union against the League of American Theaters and Producers; chaired the New York City Districting Commission, which drew City Council District lines for the 1991 election; and acted as special referee in the case that drew New York State congressional lines for the 1992 election.
Dr. Macchiarola will be waked at St. Francis College at 180 Remsen Street on Wednesday, December 19 and Thursday, December 20 from 2-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. A funeral mass will be held Friday, December 21 at 10 a.m. at The Cathedral-Basilica of St. James on Jay Street and Cathedral Place in Brooklyn (one block North of Tillary Street). The burial will take place following mass at Holy Cross Cemetery, 3620 Tilden Avenue.
He is survived by his wife Mary T. Macchiarola, his three sons and seven grandchildren. He is also survived by brothers Joseph, James and Henry.
