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News of Alumni: Onyx Alumni Association
Several alumni gathered in the Ruesch Hall History Hallway with John Gabriel “Gabe” Smith ’54 (third from left) on December 7 for the unveiling of a new display honoring Gabe, Gonzaga’s first African-American graduate. Earlier this fall, the Gonzaga community, in an effort led by the Onyx Alumni Association, dedicated an entrance to Buchanan Field to Gabe. Pictured here are (l-r) Leon Andrew ’93, Michael Casey ’86, Gabe Smith ’54, Devon Leary ’06, Walter Hill ’83, Arthur Joiner ’02, Kenny Perry ’81, Thomas Bryant ’97, William Miner ’68, Ronald Sharpe ’83, Rinaldo Washington ’91, and Reginald Taylor ’85.
“I love the fact that our boys are able to look at a living example of someone who faced adversity," says Mr. Leary, who is Gonzaga's Assistant Dean of Students and also chair of the school's Diversity Committee. "That's why Gabe’s story is so important—he is a real person, an alum, someone who's connected to the students, who can tell a first-hand story about his life and the things that he went through."
“I love the fact that our boys are able to look at a living example of someone who faced adversity," says Mr. Leary, who is Gonzaga's Assistant Dean of Students and also chair of the school's Diversity Committee. "That's why Gabe’s story is so important—he is a real person, an alum, someone who's connected to the students, who can tell a first-hand story about his life and the things that he went through."
Celebrating 200 Years of Jesuit Education in the Nation's Capital
