Winter 2006 the - Western New England University

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Enjoying the Dance of Life BY MARY MAZZAFERRO Al LaRiviere ’51/H’95/H’01 Whether at a board meeting or on the dance floor, at 88 years of age he projects an awesome presence, not because of his sheer physical stature, but through his luminous personality and boundless energy. From convocation to commencement, when Alfred A. “Al” LaRiviere walks in the room, the room takes on a new dimension. Longtime secretary of the Board of Trustees, Alfred A. LaRiviere has signed over 25,000 diplomas, was named Alumnus of the Year in 1983, and was recently awarded the only Honorary Skookum Award. The Western New England College LaRiviere Legacy Three of seven children: Alfred LaRiviere Jr. G’77 Francis LaRiviere ’78/G’84 Monique LaRiviere ’87 Two sons-in-law: Bryant Hersh ’77 Stephen Rourke G’81 And the legacy continues: grandson Andrew Rourke is currently a freshman. In 1951 Al LaRiviere was a member of the last official class to graduate from Northeastern College—Springfield Division, the predecessor of Western New England College. Since then, Western New England College has proudly honored Al as an alumnus not once, but twice, awarding him an honorary doctor of laws degree in 1995, and an honorary baccalaureate degree along with other members of the Class of 1951 in 2001. Al began his relationship with the College in 1939, enrolling in the part-time evening program. His education was interrupted for seven years by military service in WWII and in postwar Japan where Al, in his typical fashion, could not help but become involved in building a church in Kagoshima, Japan. “Wherever I go, I like to serve people,” says Al, “that’s what it’s all about.” A Man in Motion As a former member of the Student Council, Al recognized early on that the key to building affinity among recent graduates from both institutions was to create an autonomous alumni association and he became its first president. He recalls, “We used to meet informally at the homes of other alumni like Ray Meyers (’51/G’64/H’01). Initially, we had some resistance from Northeastern graduates, but eventually they came around to the idea. We said, ‘We’re a college now, we can’t continue to be allied with Northeastern.’ I always felt that this is my school; my love is here.” While building a career and growing his family, which would include seven children, Al’s ‘can do,’ good-natured attitude made him one of the most sought-after members of nonprofit boards and professional associations in the region. In addition to the Western New England College Board of Trustees, of which he has been a member for over three decades, Al has served as chair of the Board of Trustees for Mercy Hospital; as a charter member and president of the Credit Union Employees Retirement Association (CURA), a statewide organization; as a board member of the Chamber of Commerce; and as president of the Springfield Rotary Club. He has been active in his town government and in the school district of Ludlow, MA, and he organizes fundraising events for his church parish. In 1983 he received Springfield’s most prestigious honor for community service: the Pynchon Award. “Work like you don’t need the money. Love like you’ve never 10 Communicator Winter 2006
In Step with the Future Spending the majority of his career at the Western Massachusetts Telephone Workers Credit Union (now the Freedom Credit Union) in Springfield, Al retired as president at the age of 78. He became a skilled lobbyist who worked with local and state politicians to enact into law the Massachusetts Share Insurance Corporation (MSIC) for state-chartered credit unions, the first such law in the United States. It was his foresight that Western New England College would have to lobby the governor to purchase additional land that has been one of his greatest contributions to the evolution of the College. As a result of 15 years of lobbying, in 1992, Al and then President Beverly Miller brought the issue to then Governor William Weld and convinced him to allow the sale of 54 acres to Western New England College. Among Al’s proudest achievements from his association with the College are his being appointed to the Board of Trustees and having the LaRiviere Living and Learning Center named in his honor in 1999. He is still amused to hear students passing by him on campus refer to “going to LaRiv.” Al recalls, “The first time I heard a student call it that at a Trustees’ meeting, I thought a couple of my friends were going to fall out of their chairs.” “Al LaRiviere’s generosity, involvement, and ongoing interest in every aspect of the College demonstrate the extent to which he practices total commitment. He and Marian are the College. How fortunate we all are to benefit from their wisdom, love, caring, sense of humor, wit, and friendship.” —Anthony S. Caprio, President An Ideal Partner At Al’s side at College events such as the annual LaRiviere Living and Learning Center picnic for residents, and supporting him at home throughout the years, has been his partner in life and on the dance floor, Marian LaRiviere. The couple recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary surrounded by family and friends from the College, among them President Anthony S. Caprio. Al believes he is living proof of the power of education to transform lives and improve our society. “Getting involved with the Alumni Association has made a big difference to me. You’ve got to be willing to be a part of it and that includes financially,” says Al. He asserts, “We have a great faculty whose members really are interested in our students’ education. We have had some great presidents. The reason why things are growing at this school today is because of Dr. Caprio’s leadership. Success is a matter of evolution. If we’re not moving, we’re stagnant. We can’t afford to be stagnant. We understand that it takes time for ideas to reach fruition and that’s what makes this a great campus. “There are three pieces to this campus: the Student Senate, the Faculty Senate, and the Board of Trustees. To be successful, we need all three pieces working together.” Al is the perennial alum who contributes to the College on an annual basis and has also established several scholarships. He and Marian have established the Alfred and Marian LaRiviere Alpha Lambda Delta Endowed Merit Scholarship, the Alfred and Marian LaRiviere Endowed Scholarship, and the newly created Alfred and Marian LaRiviere Endowed Music Scholarship. John M. “Jay” O’Brien III ’74, chairman of the Western New England College Board of Trustees, has served with Al for over 20 years. He views Al as an inspiration to the Board and the entire College community. He says, “Al has so much energy, it’s absolutely remarkable. I consider him the best type of alumnus—he has given his time, his talent, and his financial support. He’s a joy to be around. Despite his success, he’s not aloof, he’s a regular guy who loves the College and energizes people around him.” ■ Trustee Thomas Burton ’70, President Anthony S. Caprio, and Marian and Alfred LaRiviere at the opening of the LaRiviere Living and Learning Center in 1999. “The Dancing LaRivieres” are often the life of the party at College events. been hurt. Dance like nobody is watching.” Mark Twain Winter 2006 Communicator 11
Page 1 and 2: The Winter 2006 A PUBLICATION FOR A
Page 3 and 4: Contents 4 COVER What Ever Happened
Page 5 and 6: Letters to the Editor Beverly Dwigh
Page 7 and 8: Have you ever wondered what ever ha
Page 9 and 10: Linda Peters, Ph.D. G’96 Program
Page 11: On a bright, sunny afternoon in May
Page 15 and 16: STUDENT SPOTLIGHT MIGHTON, the foun
Page 17 and 18: LY LIGHT Rich Elliott ’96 protect
Page 19 and 20: Keeping Kids Safe Nationally-recogn
Page 21 and 22: Graduate Degree Programs for Teache
Page 23 and 24: spiration They even joke about putt
Page 25 and 26: ETICS B Y KEN CERINO in a healthy b
Page 27 and 28: nes on kend 2005 Legacy Gathering B
Page 29 and 30: GRAD to GRAD John M. O’Brien III
Page 31 and 32: Alumni Go Out to the Ballpark The e
Page 33 and 34: online retailer. She resides in Col
Page 35 and 36: JAMES SEEKELL (MSCJA) was recently
Page 37 and 38: NEW ARRIVALS Zachary James Mavlouga
Page 39 and 40: From the Archives Off-Campus Progra

Winter 2006 the - Western New England University

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