[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 65 (Thursday, May 9, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3323-S3324]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO FATHER JONATHAN

 Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor a 
remarkable leader, Father Jonathan DeFelice, who will retire as the 
President of Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH, this June.
  Father Jonathan, as he is known to his beloved students and college 
community, has devoted his adult personal and professional life to 
Saint Anselm College. He lives and works at Saint Anselm in community 
with his fellow monks of the Order of Saint Benedict, who founded the 
college in 1889. Under his leadership, Saint Anselm College has become 
a nationally ranked liberal arts college and model for other 
institutions of higher education on ways to expand civic engagement and 
community service among all members of the campus community.
  Originally a native of Bristol, RI, Father Jonathan attended 
Portsmouth Abbey School for high school and completed his undergraduate 
career at Saint Anselm in 1969. He joined the Order of Saint Benedict 
in 1973, and 1 later was ordained a Roman Catholic priest. Shortly 
thereafter, Father Jonathan returned to Saint Anselm, where he served 
in the administration, holding a variety of positions, including dean 
of freshman students, assistant to the academic dean and dean of 
students. The capstone of his years of work for his alma mater was his 
appointment as its president 24 years ago.
  Father Jonathan believes that student development requires pursuing 
both academics and extracurricular activities. Building on that 
philosophy, he helped oversee the creation of the New Hampshire 
Institute of Politics, established at Saint Anselm College to

[[Page S3324]]

educate citizens and encourage political and civic participation in the 
United States and abroad. Since its creation, the Institute has hosted 
hundreds of State and local leaders and international visitors and 
helped many new American citizens celebrate at five naturalization 
ceremonies. Every 4 years, Saint Anselm College becomes a main setting 
for national politics when it hosts numerous activities surrounding the 
presidential primaries.
  Father Jonathan has also made service a priority for his students. 
Today, the college's student-led Meelia Center for Student Engagement 
manages more than 40 partnerships with New Hampshire non-profits, such 
as the Big Brother/Big Sister program. Father Jonathan built on that 
work by founding the State version of Campus Compact, a national 
initiative that works in cooperation with private sector partners to 
incorporate community service into college curriculum. Campus Compact 
New Hampshire is made up of 23 college and university member 
institutions in the state.
  Father Jonathan has given back to the State by serving as chair of 
both the New Hampshire Colleges and University Council and the New 
Hampshire Higher Education Commission. He was a founding member of New 
Hampshire's Forum on Higher Education and, most recently, was appointed 
by Governor John Lynch to serve as director of the New England Board of 
Higher Education.
  Throughout his tenure, Father Jonathan's commitment to higher 
learning has been a valuable asset to New Hampshire. With community 
service and civic engagement as cornerstones of his presidency, Father 
Jonathan has created a lasting and significant connection between the 
State of New Hampshire and the Saint Anselm College community.
  I thank Father Jonathan for his service and his commitment to 
improving higher education in New Hampshire.

                          ____________________