To the Editor:

I read your article, “Hellenic College-Holy Cross Expectations Gone Awry” by Prof. Dan Georgakas. I was Registrar and Director of Admissions from 1968-71 at Hellenic College (HC). I left a position at Northeastern University to go there. Other lay people left their college positions to go there, professors and administrators; I believe we were brought there just to get it accredited.

After 3 years and accreditation, the lay people were let go! A hardship! The clergy and some of the student body staged a “faux” strike.

I never saw a serious attempt to turn Hellenic into a viable institution- known at that time to only a few- we started to assemble a small student body. It appeared to be a good choice with 52 acres of land, etc. Many Boston collegiate institutions would have loved having that type of facility, land wise, etc.

I believe the clergy there wanted to keep it a “private” club!

Ironically, the Boston Celtics trained there! We brought them!

We had a basketball team that got a little notoriety. I got one of the players in Sports Illustrated “Faces in the Crowd.” People were starting to hear about Hellenic.

Anyway, there was no strong desire to develop the college. I anticipated a loss of accreditation a long time ago. I believe an opportunity was lost!

A lot of small established colleges are phasing out due to today’s costs. It’s time to move on. The concept of a Hellenic college is long gone. That situation pretty much ended my college administration experience unfortunately.

The seminary must survive as we need priests! If they keep the seminary, they have to teach the clergy how to speak better Greek! As I understand it!

Thank you!

Regards,

William Pappas

Weymouth Heights, MA