FAIRFIELD — Fairfield University’s newest residence hall, which is named after the late president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis E. Gerald Corrigan PhD, will open in fall 2026. Corrigan was an alumnus and trustee emeritus for the university.
Corrigan, a graduate of the university, is being honored posthumously for his generous philanthropy and enduring ties to Fairfield and Jesuit higher education. Corrigan’s leadership extended across both the private and public sectors. From 1980-1984, he served as president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, before becoming the seventh president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York from 1985-1993. Following his retirement from the Fed in 1996, he joined Goldman Sachs as a managing director and partner. He was later appointed as the first non-executive chairman of Goldman Sachs Bank USA.
Widely credited for his swift actions following the 1987 Black Monday stock market crash, Corrigan wisely advocated that the Fed reassure markets that it would provide whatever liquidity was necessary to stabilize the financial system.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Fairfield University in 1963. He continued his education at Fordham University, earning master’s and doctoral degrees in economics.
On the significance of the dedication, University President Mark R. Nemec, PhD said: “Naming Corrigan Hall in his honor recognizes not only his extraordinary professional achievements, but also his steadfast support of Fairfield and belief in the transformative power of Jesuit Catholic higher education. It is especially fitting that this residence hall, where students will live and learn in community, will carry forward his legacy.”
Corrigan’s legacy
In 2022, Dr. Corrigan passed away at the age of 80, leaving a legacy in finance and higher education.
“Jerry exemplified the very best of a Jesuit education — marked by intellectual rigor, principled leadership, and a life dedicated to the common good,” Nemec said. “Throughout his distinguished career in public service and global finance, he remained deeply connected to Fairfield and its mission.”
Dr. Corrigan’s legacy at Fairfield grew alongside his distinguished career. In 1981, he received the University’s Alumni Professional Achievement Award. Through his generosity, in 2004 the annual Zedillo Scholarship was established, named in honor of his friend Ernesto Zedillo, economist and former president of Mexico.
In 2007, he established the E. Gerald Corrigan ’63 Chair in the Humanities and Social Sciences and Scholarship Fund, in support of student-faculty research and scholarship. The program supports a faculty chair position and eight student scholars each year. Professor of English Emily Orlando, PhD, currently holds the Corrigan Chair.
Inspired by the mentorship he received as a student, the Zedillo Scholarship and Corrigan Scholarship Fund were Dr. Corrigan’s way of giving back. Each year, he welcomed the scholars to his offices at Goldman Sachs, and today, his widow, Cathy E. Minehan, HonD, continues that tradition by attending the annual Corrigan & Zedillo Scholars dinner.
Corrigan’s philanthropy also honored family: the Mary Hardy Corrigan Reading Room, located on the second level of the DiMenna-Nyselius Library, was named in tribute to his mother.
Having served on the Fairfield University Board of Trustees for a total of 14 years between 1986 and 2008, Dr. Corrigan was named a trustee emeritus in 2009.
Corrigan Hall
The site of Corrigan Hall holds a unique place in campus history. Opened in 1979, the original building was called the Center for Financial Studies and operated as a conference center before being repurposed into classrooms and faculty offices for the Charles F. Dolan School of Business. The east wing currently houses the Dept. of Marketing and Communications’ Media Center, as well as the John Charles Meditz College of Arts and Sciences’ Film, Television, and Media Arts program.
Located near other sophomore residence halls and the Dolan School of Business, the new two-story sophomore housing option will be home to 186 students. Featuring three-person bedrooms with private en suite bathrooms, Corrigan Hall will also have a spacious lobby/lounge and shared kitchen.
“My husband’s daughters and I are so pleased and excited about the addition of Corrigan Hall to the beautiful Fairfield campus,” said Cathy Minehan. “Jerry would have loved it, as he often praised the campus as both a remarkable living and learning space.”
