1月17日, 2006, BG电子失去了一位伟人和一位亲爱的朋友，他对学院使命的不懈奉献将永远不会被遗忘.

弗朗西斯·J. 蒙哥马利 was the epitome of a Christian gentleman. He was born on March 18, 1913, in Santa Monica, Calif.他就读于洛约拉高中，后来从洛杉矶的洛约拉大学毕业. He studied at 乔治town University, 也, and served in the United States Navy during World War II. 他是洛杉矶商界60多年来的中坚力量. 蒙哥马利长期担任蒙哥马利管理公司的首席执行官.这是一家位于西好莱坞的家族房地产管理和开发企业.

最重要的是, 弗朗西斯·蒙哥马利是一个以强大而快乐的热情爱上帝和他的教会的人. 他是马耳他的骑士, a Knight of the Holy Sepulcher, 也是BG电子理事会的创始成员, 在过去的30多年里，他为学院的发展投入了大量的时间和金钱. In recognition of their outstanding generosity, 弗朗西斯, 还有他的妻子, 马里恩, were inducted in 1998 into the 圣骑士勋章. 阿尔伯特大帝的会员资格是保留给学院最慷慨的捐助者.

Mr. 蒙哥马利 was instrumental in the very foundation of the College. Through his good offices, 麦金太尔枢机邀请BG电子进入洛杉矶大主教管区，并批准了这所新机构. 回顾方济各多年来对学院的帮助，校长 托马斯·E. 狄龙 , 说, “He helped us in countless ways, 但我最感激的是他的良言良策.“弗朗西斯在学院留下了持久的遗产，并与他的儿子一起延续至今， Mark E. 蒙哥马利, now serving as a Governor of the College.

A man of many talents and interests, Mr. 蒙哥马利是一个狂热的户外运动者，喜欢徒步旅行等活动, 狩猎, 滑雪, 钓鱼, 高尔夫球, 甚至是航空业. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, 马里恩 Harkins 蒙哥马利, and three of their dear children, 塞西莉亚, 乔治, 保罗·蒙哥马利. He leaves behind three cherished children, Mark (and Irene) 蒙哥马利, 伊莱恩(和比尔)米尔斯, 玛丽·蒙哥马利, 也 as three grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial was offered for Mr. 蒙哥马利 at his parish of St. Victor’s 在西好莱坞. Pastor Emeritus Monsignor 乔治 Parnassus, a longtime friend of 弗朗西斯 蒙哥马利 and of Thomas Aquinas College, presided at the Mass at which the Thomas Aquinas College Choir sang. 在他的布道中, 帕纳萨斯主教讲述了弗朗西斯·蒙哥马利是如何坚定地坚持他的天主教信仰的——即使在最近几十年的许多动荡中——以及他在BG电子是如何做到的, he delighted to find the attitudes, 信仰, 以及“更好的时代”的观念……如此之多，以至于他不仅慷慨地为学院捐款, he also asked his friends to join him in supporting it.”

Following the funeral Mass, 彼得DeLuca, TAC联合创始人, 致悼词, noting at the outset that “弗朗西斯 would not have wanted praise; he would have asked instead for prayers for the happy repose of his soul.”

BG电子为失去一位亲爱的朋友而悲痛不已, 它也从他的美好生活中得到安慰，并从我们主的应许中得到安慰:“行真理的，必来见光。, 好显明他所行的是出于神”(约翰福音3:21)。.

(Thomas Aquinas College 新闻letter， 2006年春季)

 

An interview with 弗朗西斯·J. 蒙哥马利

Conducted January 29, 1998

 

Q. 首先告诉我们你在商业房地产行业的背景.

A. My grandparents acquired a lot of land in the Los Angeles area, going way back into last century, and we still have some of it. One part of it is Sunset Plaza, a shopping center on Sunset Blvd. 在西好莱坞. My father developed it back in the ‘30s and ‘40s, and I helped him. In the last 10 or 15 years, that property has developed into a fashionable place, with seven different restaurants, and several high-end shops.

我父亲在1950年离开了公司，我和哥哥继续在那里开发产业. My brother passed away about 10 years ago, and his son, 弗朗西斯 S. “Frenchy” 蒙哥马利, is now President. 而我们的业务是拥有和管理一些房地产, 仓库建筑, 等等......, Sunset Plaza is our main business.

Q. How did you first become involved in Thomas Aquinas College?

A. My daughter was at the University of San Diego in 1968, and I met one of her teachers, 迪克·乔治。, who was involved in starting Thomas Aquinas College. 通过他, 我遇到了这群人, and was in on the deal from 1969, 当时他们打算在圣拉斐尔创业.

Q. 你为什么选择加入BG电子而不是其他学校?

A. 我父亲同父异母的哥哥是19世纪晚期旧金山的副主教. 我父亲鼓动把耶稣会带到洛杉矶来接管圣. 文森特的. 我毕业于洛约拉大学，所以我一直对天主教教育有一种本能的联系. Then I got onto the Board of Immaculate Heart College in 1964, and soon discovered that it was a pretty corrupt place. I resigned in 1968 with a public letter of resignation, which prompted their attorney to threaten to sue me, but I had supported all of my allegations, 所以他们没有. Immaculate Heart lasted about seven years after that and then folded. 所以那时我对天主教教育产生了很多怀疑.

Fr. 约翰·霍尔，S.J. ——就是那个在克劳德·德·拉·哥伦布被封为圣徒的过程中出现奇迹的人——告诉了我那段时间, when I had asked him where should I send kids to college, not send them to any Catholic college. 他的理由是，天主教大学教授的东西和公立大学教授的东西是一样的, and while a student can reject those things in the public college, they are inclined to accept it in a Catholic college. This is on the average, I must say.

我过去常常和BG电子的那些人争论，他们不应该麻烦地开办一所新学院, but to stay in the colleges in which they were, and continue doing their own good. But they rejected that concept, 说他们在那里做的任何好事都会被其他教授取消. The net result would be a loss, they 说. 他们说服了我.

Q. 你当时对学院的成功有什么期望?

A. I figured it was a good bet. These people were good people and good teachers, 他们让我相信，他们可以一起为教育做出更多的贡献, 分别比. 我认为BG电子经历了不止一个奇迹.

例如, 罗恩·麦克阿瑟 had set July 9, 1971, as the make-or-break date. They had 24 students lined up, and they needed another $150,000. Ron called me on July 9, and 说, “弗朗西斯, we did not make it. We’re gonna have to call the kids and tell them it’s off.我总是拖拖拉拉的，所以我对他说:“你为什么不等一个星期呢??于是他照做了. 与此同时, along comes [fellow Board of Governor member] Ed Martin, and he raised the difference. 一周后，我们拿到了钱——而且是那些从未给过我们钱的人给的. That’s kind of miraculous.

If you hang around long enough, you can see it’s got God’s support. 我很高兴，也很有机会和这个地方联系在一起.

Q. 你认为书院对社会及教会生活有何影响?

A. The worse the Church gets, 对思想直率的天主教徒的需求越大——这种需求的增长与教会的质量成反比. If anybody will make an impact, it will be because of people coming from Thomas Aquinas College, along with other people who are like-minded. People coming out of the College now will have the opportunity, 30或40年后, in taking up the battle cry successfully.

Q. Has the College influenced your own spiritual life in any way?

A. 哦,绝对. This place emanates spirituality. That’s why so many enter the 宗教生活 在他们离开之后. You just sort of absorb it. Of course, there is good reason for that. You’re isolated from most of the temptations of the world.

Q. You have been wonderfully generous to the College over the years. How would you describe your commitment to it?

A. 与世界上其他地方相比，这里的大学生活对生活来说是如此重要. It’s a big thing in my life. People thank me for what I’ve done for the College. I can thank them just 也.