January 30, 2014
Veritas Medal awarded to Michael A. Ruane ’71 & ’13Hon.
College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. ’80 award him the Veritas Medal during the dedication
of the Ruane Center for the Humanities.
Providence College bestowed its highest award for outstanding devotion to the College, the Veritas Medal, on Michael A. Ruane ’71 & ’13Hon. during the dedication of the Ruane Center for the Humanities on October 5.
As College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. ’80 and John F. Killian ’77, chair of the Board of Trustees, slipped the medal’s blue ribbon over Ruane’s head, a crowd of 1,200 rose in ovation.
“It is an honor of great distinction that I am happy to receive,” said Ruane. “No honor compares to this medal.”
Ruane was a member of the PC Board of Trustees for 13 years and served as chairman from 2004-2012. He is the owner, chairman, and managing partner of TA Associates Realty, a company he founded in Boston in 1982 that has become one of the largest real estate investment advisory firms in the country.
The 63,000-square-foot Ruane Center was built with a leadership gift from Ruane and his wife, Elizabeth. It opened in September as the home to the Department of Western Civilization Program, the Liberal Arts Honors Program, and the English and history departments.
During the ceremony, Father Shanley called the Ruanes “the most generous benefactors in the history of Providence College. We would not be where we are today without their generosity and their leadership.”
The Ruanes have donated to the Ruane Atrium of the Concannon Fitness Center, supported the women’s ice hockey team, and established an endowed chair in the School of Business, the Michael A. Ruane Endowed Chair for Innovation in Business Education.
The Veritas Medal has been awarded just 16 times since 1960. The last recipient was David R. Gavitt ’89Hon., the late PC athletic director, men’s basketball coach, and BIG EAST Conference founder, who received the honor in 2007.
The dedication of the Ruane Center took place during St. Dominic Weekend. The keynote speaker was historian and author David McCullough.
