‘He was a force of nature’

Tom and Joan Dolan — Tom Dolan Sr. ’62, MA.Ed. ’63, with his wife, Joan ’60, MA.Ed. ’74.

Tom Dolan Sr. ’62, MA.Ed. ’63, loved to tell the story of the time he arrived at Clark University to seek admission as a student. He’d completed two years at Holy Cross before interrupting his studies to serve in the U.S. military in California and Germany. On his return in 1960, a Holy Cross dean suggested that Clark actually might be a better fit for him.

Dolan immediately drove to campus, spied a student walking across the green, and asked for directions to the admissions office. “At Holy Cross, they would have led you by the hand to the office, or at least pointed out how to get there,” he recalled in a 2012 interview. “This student turned to me and said, ‘Why do you ask?’

“What a great question!”

His endless fascination with, and affection for, Clark and Clarkies led Tom Dolan to earn two degrees here and embark on a 42-year career that saw him become an indefatigable champion and inspired evangelist for the university — a legacy he continued adding to long after he’d retired in 2004. When he died last week at the age of 87, his loss was felt across generations of this community, many for whom he was the face and spirit of Clark.

“Nobody outworked Tom. He did a lot more for Clark than his bosses, including the presidents, ever knew. Because he’d worked in both admissions and advancement, he understood how those two areas reinforce one another. I was always amazed by the details he knew about the people he was dealing with. Tom not only knew where someone’s child was attending school, he’d also remember that the child had struggled with math and he wanted to know if they’d been able to improve their grades. He had crib notes about everyone, but with his incredible memory, I’m not sure he needed them. He knew everybody’s story.”

— Jim Collins, retired Clark senior vice president

“I knew Tom for 39 years, and considered him like a second father (which is saying a lot as I had a wonderful father!). Tom was charismatic and had a charm about him. He was friendly with all, no matter your ‘rank.’ I learned so much from him, a man of great wisdom and grace — and watch out for that Irish twinkle in his eye. He made true friends in his fundraising days. For him, it was about getting to know the people, their pets, their histories. He truly cared.”

— Laurie Kennedy Yvanauskas, Tom’s former longtime assistant

“We were close friends for 63 years from the time he arrived at Clark in 1960. We were teammates on the basketball team, and he was tough — I remember a practice when things got crowded under the basket and I wound up on the floor thanks to a Tom Dolan elbow. My wife Elaine and I had so many good times with Tom and Joan, and I spoke at his retirement dinner. Tom, without a doubt, was the greatest employee in the history of the university, in terms of his commitment, his dedication, and his effort. I can’t imagine anyone who did more for Clark. “

— Barry Epstein ’62

As a student, he made the most of his time at Clark, which included earning varsity letters in baseball, tennis, and basketball, where his rugged build, competitive streak, and “sharp elbows” not only earned him the team captaincy but made him a one-man scarlet-and-white wrecking crew under the boards. That pugnacity would later help him successfully beat back cancer several times, persevering through the disease, surgery, and strength-sapping treatments.

“Tom Dolan could have been anyone he wanted to be. He could have been Bob Cousy, but he chose to support Clark Athletics instead. He could have been a lawyer, but he chose to be ‘the law’ at Clark instead. He could have been Tip O’Neill, but he chose Clark politics instead. Tom mentored a host of Alumni Association presidents and Clark trustees, and I wouldn’t have been able to do either without his encouragement and support. Tom was the guy who taught you that it wasn’t only important to know who was at the meeting, it was important to know who wasn’t there, and why. He remembered everything, honored everyone, and his spirit was everywhere at Clark.”

— Larry Hershoff ’71

After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees (he later earned a law degree at Suffolk University), he joined the Clark admissions team and would go on to hold seven distinct jobs at the university, including leadership positions in admissions, alumni affairs, advancement, and the administration, capping his career as senior vice president. “When someone asks what I did at Clark,” he was fond of saying, “I usually say I held every job at the place except two: being president, and running the boiler room.”

His jobs meant traveling around the country and overseas with his late wife, Joan ’60, MA.Ed. ’74, to preach the Clark gospel and secure gifts that would prove essential to the university’s growth. He always took care to credit Joan’s calming and friendly presence for counteracting “my Irish malarkey” as he forged relationships and charmed donors from Worcester to Washington state — and anywhere else he believed needed an infusion of Clark goodwill. “Whenever we traveled to alumni events on behalf of Clark, it was Joan everyone loved to see. I’d walk into a room and people would start hiding their wallets,” he quipped. (The couple’s sons, Tom Jr. ’79 and Brian, MBA ’87, are, of course, both Clarkies.)

Among Dolan’s many accolades, the Clark athletic field house on Beaver Street was named for him and Joan, and he earned membership into the Clark Athletic Hall of Fame. He also enjoyed two “firsts.” He was the first member of the administration to be named an honorary member of the Clark faculty; and on the occasion of the 50th reunion of the Class of 1962 (whom he good-naturedly, and often, touted as “the greatest class in the history of Clark”), he was presented with the University’s first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Tom was both competitive and compassionate – and he knew everybody. He understood the Clark ethos, and he not only knew what made Clark special and unique, but he conveyed it so well. And he did so not only to those of us who are unified by the fact that we attend Clark, but also to our spouses and friends. He made them feel a part of it. And there was no one prouder of Clark. Tom used to talk about wanting to extend the clock tower high enough so that Clark could be seen from every place in Worcester.”

— Peter Klein ’64

“I met Tom Dolan in the late 1960s when he worked in the Clark Admissions Office, and then teamed up with him again as an alumni president in the ’80s. Tom devoted his life to making Clark a welcoming, intellectually interesting, and diverse university. His five-decade commitment to Clark as a graduate, administrator, fundraiser, and energizer/promoter will never be equaled. He was a ‘people connector’ of the highest order. He truly embodied the values and spirit of Clark and will be missed — but never forgotten.”

— Joe Gardner ’68

“We called him Captain during our days on the basketball team, and when he went to work for the university, he became the ultimate goodwill ambassador, visiting cities all around the country to stir up love for Clark. He’d stay with me and my wife, Amira, when we hosted Clark functions in Miami, and he took great care with every detail. Tom was known as ‘Mr. Clark,’ but I think that may even be an understatement.”

— Maurice Donsky ’62

Over the years many shared their personal stories of Tom Dolan’s special relationships with Clark trustees, staff, students, and faculty — remembering his wit, his kindness, his positivity, and his unrelenting devotion to his alma mater. There were the “creampuff dinners” he and Joan hosted for students in their West Boylston home (so named for Joan’s homemade creampuff desserts), and his penchant for early-morning breakfasts to hash over Clark business with any and all takers of his invitations. He is also at the center of countless photos taken at Reunion celebrations, always smiling, his long arms slung around the shoulders of fellow Clarkies as they share the joy of the moment.

“I always called Tom my “Clark dad.” When I was president of the Alumni Council, I made a presentation to the Board of Trustees. Afterward, Tom gave me a big hug and said, ‘I’m so proud of you.’ It was something my father would have said, and it meant so much to me. Tom was also an incredible fundraiser because he knew what mattered to people and how to keep them engaged. We once met for breakfast to discuss a gift I wanted to make to Clark. I told him the figure, and by the time I was done with my muffin and orange juice the number was one and a half times more than that!”

— Elyse Darefsky ’79

“Tom was a force of nature. He had an incredible knack for remembering even the smallest details about people’s lives, and he excelled at communicating his support and care for others. He was absolutely passionate about Clark and used every opportunity to first and foremost build community. He lived his saying that you build friends first, and fundraising will follow. Clark and the world are a much better place for having his presence, and he will be sorely missed.”

— Vicki Grey ’81

His classmate and longtime friend Barry Epstein ’62 noted that Tom insisted he was guided in life and career by the four things he held dearest: friends, faith, fortitude, and family.

Perhaps there’s one more “F” term to include in Tom Dolan’s mantra. The one inscribed on the seal of the institution that he couldn’t have loved any more deeply had he laid the bricks of Jonas Clark Hall himself. The one he always used to conclude the thousands of personal notes he wrote to thank Clarkies for their generosity, congratulate them on their successes, console them in their grief, and remind them of their enduring connection to Clark University.

Fiat Lux.

Reunion of Clark alumni from the 1960s — Tom Dolan, front right, at a reunion — organized by Barry ’62 and Elaine ’65 Epstein — of Clark alumni from the 1960s.

‘He was a force of nature’

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