Stephen P. Skinner, a Class of 1977 alumnus and former member of the board of trustees, has committed $10 million to Holy Cross to strengthen academic excellence and expand access and affordability for students.
The gift will create three endowed professorships and a scholarship fund, providing $3 million each for the Skinner Family Professorship, the Elizabeth Ann and John C. Savage Professorship, and the Dorothea A. and Irwin J. Skinner Professorship, and $1 million for the Skinner Family Scholarship. Together, these funds will provide lasting support for attracting and retaining outstanding faculty and helping ensure that a Holy Cross education remains accessible and affordable to all students.
For Skinner, a principal with Boston-based management consulting firm Public Consulting Group, LLC, the gift represents both gratitude for the education he received at Holy Cross and a commitment to future generations of students.
“Holy Cross has always punched above its weight in producing successful and influential graduates. But Holy Cross students are not only successful in their chosen fields, they are always figuring out ways to give back, to be ‘men and women for and with others,’” said Skinner, citing a guiding principle of Jesuit education. “What better legacy can anyone have than to contribute to that?”
“Stephen Skinner's extraordinary generosity reflects the very best of what it means to be a Holy Cross graduate,” said Holy Cross President Vincent D. Rougeau. “Through this gift, he is not only honoring the mentors and experiences that shaped his own education, but ensuring that future generations of students will have access to the same transformative academic opportunities. We are profoundly grateful for Stephen’s continued partnership and his enduring commitment to academic excellence and student access at Holy Cross.”
Beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, Holy Cross professor of economics Victor Matheson will become the Dorothea A. and Irwin J. Skinner Professor of Economics, recognizing his distinguished scholarship, teaching and service.
A renowned expert in sports economics, Matheson is one of the field’s most-cited scholars and a sought-after expert by national and international media on the economics of sports, stadium financing, public subsidies and major sporting events. His research has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court and state legislatures and has helped shape public understanding and policy debates around the economic impact of professional and collegiate sports.
“We are deeply grateful for Stephen Skinner’s generous gift, which allows us to recognize Professor Victor Matheson as the Dorothea A. and Irwin J. Skinner Professor of Economics,” said Provost Elliott Visconsi ’95. “Professor Matheson exemplifies the transformational impact of a liberal arts education. His pioneering scholarship has shaped national discourse, while his commitment to exceptional teaching and undergraduate research demonstrates the very best of Holy Cross.”
Skinner is a long-time supporter of Holy Cross. In 2023, he endowed the Nancy Savage Skinner ’79 Fund for Experiential and Integrative Learning in the Creative, Performing and Liberal Arts in memory of his late wife. The gift expands opportunities for students and strengthens Holy Cross as a destination for the creative and performing arts.
