Local Man, Late Student Leaves Behind $11 Million Gift For Villanova University

VILLANOVA, PA — Villanova University has received a massive gift of $11 million that will support their College of Professional Studies, the Italian Studies department, and the new Falvey Library at Vic Maggitti Hall.

The donation came from the late Bernard John Lucci, who took 10 classes in the university's senior citizen enrichment program late in his life.

“Mr. Lucci’s restless pursuit of knowledge and humble generosity stand as a remarkable example to us all," Villanova President Peter M. Donohue said in a statement.

The university chose the specific beneficiaries of Lucci's donation based on his various passions and personal connections to the school.

Lucci, who lived in nearby Jeffersonville, egan taking classes at Villanova in 2005, specifically in Italian culture and language. His family had immigrated to the United States from Italy.

He died at age 86 in 2023.

The donations mark some of the largest in Villanova's history, specifically the $5 million earmarked for the College of Professional Studies. The school named the program which Lucci participated in after him, as it is now the John Lucci Senior Citizen Personal Enrichment Program.

The donation also established an endowed chair in the Italian Studies program, also named for him, as well as a special dedicated space within the new library that will serve as a "central hub" for graduate and doctoral students.