Once dubbed “the pastor of campus” by President Leahy, William B. Neenan, S.J., was a much-loved member of the BC community, and his presence lives on at Boston College in innumerable ways. A beloved Jesuit from Iowa, Fr. Neenan held key posts at BC—including academic vice president and dean of faculties—but was also known for his uniquely personal touch throughout the University community, exemplified by his trademark “hello, friend” greeting to acquaintances and strangers alike. Perhaps no aspect of his great impact at the Heights was as profound as his “Dean’s List,” the annual reading list of 27 books curated by Fr. Neenan’s committee of one. For the better part of his 35 years at BC, the Dean’s List was a hallmark of campus life, with the school receiving some 10,000 requests a year for the list. Comprising a healthy balance of fiction and nonfiction, well-known and obscure works—even some by BC faculty and alumni—the list became an annual touchstone, keeping students, faculty, staff, and alumni connected and on the same page (or at least the same book). In honor of Fr. Neenan’s immense and ongoing legacy at Boston College, the Dean’s List tradition will be carried on as part of a new feature called the Beacon Book Club. Each issue, a leading member of the BC community will add a pertinent or favorite book to the list. For David Quigley, provost and dean of faculties, it marks an occasion to remember Fr. Neenan by returning to an author he loved.

You can find Father Neenan’s full Dean’s List here.