Inducted in 2001
Financial Services Executive
Member, Prep Board of Trustees (1969-1977)
Father of Three Prep Graduates

Since 1841, the story of Fordham Prep has been punctuated by the efforts and achievements of remarkable individuals: extraordinary young men who have gone on to become leaders in every field of human endeavor, staff who have worked tirelessly for the greater glory of God, teachers whose lessons have never been forgotten, and administrators who have seen to it that the whole enterprise has stayed on course. Among this litany of the most notable figures in the school’s history are those to whom the Prep will always owe gratitude for nothing short of its very existence. Had it not been for their vision when it was needed most, the story of Fordham Prep would not just be different — the story of Fordham Prep would simply not be. Counted among these is Gerald C. McNamara, whose vigilance at the helm of an effort supported by other alumni and friends of the school would ensure that the Prep would endure.
 
Born in 1923, Gerald McNamara grew up near West Fordham Road in the Bronx and attended St. Nicholas of Tolentine Grammar School before entering the Prep in the fall of 1937. His mother, Helen, was a homemaker, and his father, Charles, would work his way up through the ranks of the Edison Electric Company from collections clerk to vice president. During his Prep years, Helen and Charles’ only son was a boxer, a swimmer, and a member of the Art Club. But “Mac” seems to have best known among his peers for his wit. As recalled by his classmates, McNamara made all their classes “overflow with a fine, Christian humor” — in other words, Gerry was quite the character.
 
After graduating from the Prep in 1941, McNamara attended Fordham College and spent time in the US Armed Forces. He married Kathleen Daly, whom he met when they were both grammar school students at Tolentine. Together, they raised seven children: Christine, Gerald, Kerry Ann, James, John, Kathleen and Regina. Though the family would settle across the Hudson in Saddle River, New Jersey, all three of the McNamara boys followed their father to Fordham Prep, Classes of 1972, 1975 and 1979.
 
McNamara had a successful career on Wall Street, eventually rising to the chairmanship of G. A. Saxton & Company, a New York brokerage house. He also served on the board of G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
 
In the late 1960s, at a time when the Prep was at a crossroads in its history, Gerald McNamara put his vast financial expertise in the service of his beloved alma mater. First, it was clear that the school had outgrown Hughes Hall, its home since 1890 when it was still the Second Division of St. John’s College. Construction of a new facilities was long overdue. Second, the late ‘60s also marked the legal separation of the Prep and the University for the first time since their founding as a single institution back in 1841.

Sink or swim, the Prep was it on its own.
 
With the school facing so many extraordinary decisions, Gerald McNamara and Martin Gately, Class of 1933, stepped in to serve as co-chairmen of the massive, multifaceted funding drive that faced uphill odds from the beginning. Groundbreaking for the “New Prep” took place just after Thanksgiving in 1969, and construction started in February 1971. The project was arduous and full of unexpected turns, especially when the original estimate of $3.5 million erupted into a final cost of $7.5 million — a staggering amount for the day. More than once during the tumultuous decade of the 1970s, the Prep was close to closing its doors forever.
 
Many people, including fellow Hall of Honor members Robert Abplanalp, Class of 1939, and former governor Malcolm Wilson, Class of 1929, worked to keep the school afloat.  There were fundraisers and campaigns of every description including high-profile events headlined by entertainer Bing Crosby and comedian Bob Hope. The school also caught a few lucky — some would say miraculous — breaks involving a bankrupt lending institution and the FDIC.

Bottom line: the Prep survived.

But none of it would have been possible without McNamara’s initial, successful push to get the “New Prep Building” built. In gratitude for his efforts, Fordham Prep’s library is named the Gerald C. McNamara Library.
 
Gerald and Kathleen remained close to the Prep and to many Jesuits over the years. They would found the New Jersey Chapter of the Catholic Laymen’s Association, and hosted early meetings at their Saddle River residence.

The McNamaras were known for their appreciation and support of the arts — opera, in particular — so much so that they had a box at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City for many years.  Gerry was also a self-taught oil painter. As recalled by his daughter Christine, on family outings to Spring Lake, he would often take his easel down the beach, away from most of the beachgoers, and paint quietly for hours. Over the years, he won several awards at local art shows. Gerry and Kathleen were also avid collectors of American art and owned works by Norman Rockwell, Frederic Remington, Charles Russell and Thomas Moran, among others.

Gerald C. McNamara passed away in March of 1977.

A "Man for Others," Gerald McNamara gave back to Fordham Prep not only financially, but also with his time and extraordinary talent for finance. Since 1972, generations of young men have been able to sit in the McNamara Library — central to the architecture of Shea Hall — thanks to a man who remains a central figure to the Fordham Prep story.