Endicott College Unveils Completed Peter Frates Residence Hall
September 14, 2016 - During a dedication ceremony on Tuesday, Endicott College officially unveiled its newest residence hall on campus, Peter Frates Hall. The hall, named in honor of Beverly native Pete Frates, is complete and now housing 225 undergraduate students. The ceremony included remarks from Nancy and John Frates, Beverly Mayor Michael Cahill, Windover Construction President Lee Dellicker, and several members of the Endicott Community. To wrap up the ceremony, 1,500 Endicott students gathered for a record-breaking Ice-Bucket Challenge to commemorate the occasion. Tours of the new facility followed the event.
Beverly native Peter Frates is the former Captain of the Boston College baseball team and professional baseball player in Europe, who was diagnosed with ALS (commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) in 2012 at the age of 27. Since his diagnosis, he and his family have taken an active role in raising awareness and funds for ALS research. In 2014, Frates pioneered the Ice Bucket Challenge, raising more than $220 million in donations, which recently led scientists to identify a new ALS gene.
“Pete is not only a well-known local icon, he’s also the face of a worldwide fight to find a cure for ALS,” said Dr. Richard E. Wylie, Endicott College President. “We are beyond honored to name our newest residence hall after him, and we hope to warmly reflect his perseverance and optimism in our students, faculty, and staff. The Endicott community has been so lucky to meet the Frates family, and we thank them for all they have done to inspire us.”
The Peter Frates Hall features spacious triple rooms with community baths, as well as common lounge areas. The most prominent and inspiring feature is the tribute wall displayed in the hall’s interior entrance area, which depicts Frates’ personal and professional life as a collegiate athlete, loving son, brother, husband and father, and how his fierce competitiveness has allowed him to illuminate the world in a time of personal darkness. The tribute wall was designed and installed by White Light Visual in Beverly, MA.
For the commemorative Ice Bucket Challenge, 1,500 Endicott students – joined by staff members, including President Wylie – lifted blue and green buckets over their heads in a record-breaking show of support and recognition of the Frates family’s fundraising accomplishments. The previously-known record for the largest Ice Bucket Challenge group is 776.
The Peter Frates Residence Hall was designed by Siemasko & Verbridge and built by Windover Construction using a modular construction technique. The hall is located on the east side of campus near Brindle and Endicott Hall.
A groundbreaking ceremony which initiated the construction was held on campus last December.
Visit ALSA.org to learn more about how you can help in the fight against ALS.