Centennial Park to Be Named in Honor of President Kerry Healey
The Babson College Board of Trustees has announced that Centennial Park will be named Kerry Murphy Healey Park in honor of the College’s thirteenth president and first woman leader. Scheduled to open this May as Babson commemorates its 100 anniversary, the new park will be home to Babson’s iconic World Globe and Fountain of Flags and will celebrate the school’s long-standing commitment to internationalization and global impact.
The Kerry Murphy Healey Park is being fully funded through philanthropy. The initial construction phase and the restoration of the Babson Globe were made possible through the generosity of alumnus and trustee Robert Weissman ’64, H’94, P’87 ’90, and his wife, Jan Weissman P’87 ’90. Subsequent gifts from alumni, faculty, parents, staff, and friends totaling more than $3.5 million have enabled Babson to name the park in President Healey’s honor.
Healey, who will step down in June of this year after serving six years as president, deepened the College’s commitment to global leadership, creating the Global Scholars Program and taking Babson to the world through online education, new physical locations, and the establishment of Babson Connect: Worldwide, an annual global entrepreneurship conference. Today, Babson attracts students from more than 80 countries and has an international network of more than 41,000 alumni in 119 countries.
“We are pleased to honor Kerry’s many contributions to Babson with the naming of Kerry Murphy Healey Park,” said Board of Trustees Chair Marla M. Cappozi MBA’96. “The naming of the park is a fitting tribute to Kerry’s legacy, including her advancement of Babson’s mission to educate entrepreneurial leaders who create great economic and social value—everywhere.”
Located in Babson Park, a section of Wellesley, Massachusetts, Kerry Murphy Healey Park will showcase two beloved campus landmarks—the Babson World Globe and the Fountain of Flags. Each pays homage to founder Roger Babson’s global mindset and the international nature of the Babson community. Babson commissioned the World Globe in 1947 to “impress upon students and other viewers an appreciation of the world as a whole.” The World Globe, originally located adjacent to Coleman Hall on Map Hill, is undergoing extensive renovations and is being relocated to Healey Park, which will be in the center of Babson’s campus. The park also will include a statue of Roger Babson and a Centennial walkway with historic markers describing each decade of Babson’s first 100 years.
“The fact that so many members of our community stepped forward to help honor Kerry by naming this beautiful new park reflects the high esteem and deep appreciation we all share for her positive impact on Babson’s future,” said vice chair of the Board of Trustees and chair of the Advancement Committee Craig R. Benson ’77, H’03.
The park will be dedicated in May 2019 and is designed by Finegold Alexander Architects. The construction manager for the project is the Lee Kennedy Co.
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