BUFFALO, N.Y. — Future young men at Canisius High School will be able to connect with other students at Jesuit insititutions, Canisius alumni and others thanks to a gift from a graduate of the class of 1967.
Michael Madden, founder of the BlackEagle Partners private equity investment firm, is giving back to his high school with a $2.5 million gift.
The money will go towards building and funding the new Madden Center for Global Learning on the school's Delaware Avenue campus.
Madden attended Canisius on scholarship after his family was unable to afford tuition due to his steelworker father being on disability. He also helped fund his tuition by working as a delivery driver after school.
Madden excelled both academically at Canisius and outside of school in the Golden Gloves boxing program. He graduated from Le Moyne College and then completed his MBA at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. The Madden School at Le Moyne College is also named in his honor.
The South Buffalo native then worked for a Wall Street securities firm, where he ran global investment banking before founding BlackEagle Partners.
“I consider myself very blessed with a wonderful family, strong personal relationships and some good fortune in my business career,” says Madden. “I also believe a major underpinning of my life has been the time I spent at Canisius. I applaud Fr. Ciancimino for his vision and I am grateful to have the ability to give back to my alma mater. The Center for Global Learning will enhance the opportunity for today’s Canisius students to interact with the global community and gain insight into the critical issues of our time.”
Construction on the Madden Center is expect to get underway in early 2022 and ready for use by September, 2022.
“Mike’s generosity is a testament to the kind of man he is,” says Canisius President Fr. David Ciancimino, S.J. “We are grateful for his leadership in this campaign, and for providing resources to enable the school to build on its 150 years of rich history and implement a bold vision of Jesuit education for tomorrow’s students.”
