It’s time to meet the individuals who made the new Student Complex come to life at Saint Anselm College. Roger L. Jean, a Saint Anselm alum of 1970, along with his wife Francine, generously donated the largest contribution ever made in the history of Saint Anselm College.

Born and raised in Manchester, N.H., Roger Jean made the decision to attend Saint A’s as a full-time commuter student while also working 30 hours a week. Despite the fact that he did not have the opportunity to live on campus, Jean was still closely invested in the college and the monastic community.

Following his graduation, Roger met Francine while they were both employed at Utica National Insurance Company in Burlington, Massachusetts in 1980. Over the course of his career, Roger became employed in several different profit and non-profit agencies in the United States and Canada where he was able to gain his financial successes. Although Roger and Francine were involved in countless programs throughout their careers, they always made time to be involved in the Saint Anselm Community. Roger has been a member of Saint Anselm College’s Board of Trustees since 1998 and Francine has become just as enamored with the college as her husband. She stated, “Everyone has always been so welcoming, and when I saw the depth of commitment to the college not only from the monastic community but also from the administration, the faculty and the students I was really amazed. . .I know this is not unique to Saint Anselm, but here it is special.”

The Jeans’ donation of six million dollars was announced by President Steven DiSalvo in a momentous ceremony celebrating the official commencement of the student complex’s construction in October 2016. Nearly a year and a half later, the Roger and Francine Jean Student Center Complex is finally opening up its doors to the Anselmian students and staff.

The plan to expand and renovate what was originally known as the Cushing Student Activities Center has been a work in progress for several years now. The original building constructed back in 1960 was part of a larger campaign to facilitate growth in the student population on campus. In efforts to double the student enrollment to 1,200 by 1970, six new buildings, including the Student Activities Center, the Geisel library, and the cafeteria hall were constructed on Saint Anselm grounds. Four years later, the Student Activities Center was dedicated to Richard Cardinal Cushing, archbishop of Bostonston – a friend to the Benedictine community and a well respected benefactor of Saint Anselm College. Cardinal Cushing’s donation of $500,000 was instrumental to the growth and construction of Saint Anselm’s Abbey Church in the early 1960s. In honor of the cardinal, who died in 1970,  honor, the college fittingly named the Cushing Student Center after him.

However, since the project has been under way, college authorities made the decision to rename the student center in recognition of Roger and Francine Jean.  Although Cardinal Cushing will no longer be seen as the face of the Student Center, the administration has ensured that his name will be honored and recognized, whether inside or outside of the new facility.

The decision to embark on this substantial expansion and renovation project was necessary in order to accommodate the growing population of students and staff at Saint Anselm. According to President Steven DiSalvo, “The Student Center Complex is going to serve students in many different ways; socialization, personal reflection, learning… It really will become the center of life here—it physically sits in the center of everything, in proximity to residence halls, to the dining hall, to academic buildings. It’s going to attract students from all over campus.” Roger Jean agreed with this sentiment. He began, “It’s important that we call it a complex—because between connecting the Student Center to Stoutenburgh and including the bookstore and so many other things into one big community place, students can spend a good amount of time there—studying, volunteering, doing it all in one location. It should be a magnet for students.”

Impassioned to reinvent student life on campus, Roger Jean was adamant about creating a place that would accommodate all students. When asked his reason for generously giving $6 million to Saint Anselm College, he explained, “While a student at Saint Anselm, I lived in Manchester with my parents.  I worked 30 hours per week. I did not have a solid campus experience. My hope is that this will provide students a better campus experience than what I had.”

In addition to providing a place where commuter students can become easily integrated into social events at Saint A’s, overall, Roger Jean hopes that the Student Complex will allow the college an opportunity to grow to its full potential. He states, “For me, this is a catalyst for the college to challenge itself to identify what it truly wants to be in the future.