Standing Ovation: Performing Arts Center Renamed for Jacqueline Moloney

Chancellor Emerita Jacqueline Moloney ’75, ’92 has always supported and valued the performing arts programs at UMass Lowell.

Her love of the arts was fostered in her home as a child, when she learned to appreciate the importance of music and the fine arts.

“The arts are essential to our development as students and people, and I’ve always been grateful to those who choose to enrich our lives with their talents,” Moloney says.

In recognition of Moloney’s many contributions to UMass Lowell throughout her career, the university has renamed Durgin Hall on South Campus the Moloney Performing Arts Center.

“It’s an honor to have this building named for me,” says Moloney, who was “deeply touched” by the recognition from Chancellor Julie Chen, UMass President Marty Meehan ’78 and the UMass Board of Trustees.

The renaming also was endorsed by Lowell philanthropist and longtime UML supporter Nancy Donahue, whose $2 million gift to the university in 2022 funded a major renovation of the 48-year-old concert hall. Donahue says Moloney’s commitment to the arts and humanities during her tenure as chancellor inspired her to make the donation.

“This building is just one of the many major improvements she has made to enhance the access and enjoyment of a variety of performances, not only for the university but for the Greater Lowell community,” Donahue says. “We all owe her a debt of gratitude for expanding the availability of the arts to us all, and this honor is a fitting acknowledgement of her efforts and dedication.”

Moloney says she is grateful for their longtime friendship and for Donahue’s inspiration as a philanthropist and supporter of the arts.

The university will hold a formal dedication of the Moloney Performing Arts Center on Oct. 17; a student concert in the newly dedicated center will follow.

Home to the Music Department, the piano-shaped building features a 1,000-seat concert hall, a 225-seat recital hall, 30 rehearsal rooms, six sound recording technology studios and numerous classrooms. The concert hall has been updated over the past year with energy-efficient LED stage and house lighting, a state-of-the-art sound system and new seating, including nine wheelchair-accessible spaces. The building’s entryway from Wilder Street is also being improved.

During her tenure as chancellor, and before that as executive vice chancellor to Meehan, Moloney led the university’s 2020 Strategic Plan, which resulted in significant enrollment growth, increased diversity, dramatic revitalization of campus infrastructure, nationally recognized climate change initiatives, expanded research expenditures and a successful fundraising campaign. Moloney was also recognized on numerous occasions for the deep community and business partnerships developed under her leadership.

“Jacquie and I worked hard to reinvigorate this campus with new and renovated buildings,” Meehan says. “It’s only fitting that this building, which is such a focal point for the university and the community, bears her name.”

Moloney, who currently serves as a member of the School of Education faculty, recently visited the performing arts center. Despite being the middle of summer, music filled the building, as the Mary Jo Leahey Symphonic Band Camp was underway for more than 100 local high school students.

“It’s phenomenal to see these young people have this opportunity,” says Moloney, who makes an annual gift to the camp.

Moloney’s philanthropic support of UML began more than 30 years ago when, as Dean of Online and Continuing Education, she started a scholarship fund with a $25,000 endowment.

“When I was in college, I received a $200 scholarship, which went a long way to make college affordable,” says Moloney, a first-generation college student from Tewksbury, Massachusetts. “I was touched that there were people who cared about me and my future and were willing to help me to realize my dreams.”

“My husband (Ed) and I think it’s important that we pay this generosity forward to the next generation,” she adds. “When we give, we feel that it brings hope to people about their future.”

During Moloney’s tenure as chancellor, the university embarked on its first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, Our Legacy, Our Place, which raised more than $165 million — far exceeding its goal of $125 million. Moloney and her husband made their own personal contributions by establishing the Moloney Student Scholar fund, the Moloney Family Endowed Scholarship and the Jacqueline F. Moloney Endowed Founders Fund for the Honors College. 

“An important goal of mine was to create a campus community of faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters of the university who are passionate about the work we do here and invest in it,” Moloney says. “One of my proudest accomplishments has been to grow our alumni and engage them in supporting the transformation of the university. Many of them, when they come to campus, are in awe of what we’ve accomplished.”

Together, Meehan and Moloney were committed to building the music program in the College of Fine Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences. One of their first moves, she recalls, was purchasing new uniforms for the marching band, which hadn’t had new uniforms in 25 years.

“It was a small gesture,” Moloney recalls, “but the arts are often the underdog when it comes to funding. We wanted to make a statement early, and we went on to invest a great deal in new faculty, new facilities and support for the programs.”  

The university soon hosted its first music and theater performance for the community, which Moloney says left local leaders such as Donahue “so impressed by all of the investments we were making in the performing arts.”  

In 2015, Moloney’s first year as chancellor, the Music Department launched the Chancellor’s Celebration of the Arts, an annual showcase for student actors, designers, musicians, visual artists and creative writers. The event was renamed the Nancy L. Donahue Celebration of the Arts in 2022.

Chen looks forward to inviting many more members of the UMass Lowell and Merrimack Valley communities to enjoy music performances, lectures and other events in the Moloney Performing Arts Center.

“Jacquie has always been an enthusiastic supporter of the arts and a friend to the greater Lowell community,” Chen says. “This tribute is a testament to her and all she accomplished over the years at UMass Lowell.” 

Today, there are approximately 470 undergraduate and 50 graduate students enrolled in the Music Department, which has 17 full-time faculty and 45 adjunct faculty.   

Countless performers, composers and technicians have honed their talents in the Moloney Performing Arts Center. In addition, the venue has hosted such musicians as Billy Joel, Wyclef Jean and Melissa Manchester.

Moloney notes that the music program also has been a valuable source of music educators for schools across the region. Music education alum Anthony Beatrice ’07, ’12, for instance, is executive director for the arts for Boston Public Schools.

“That’s another way of keeping music alive,” Moloney says as the sounds of the Symphonic Band Camp spill from the concert hall into the building’s lobby. “That, to me, is a gift that this university gives to our community: the gift of music.”