By Ivy Pribish
When Jack Grinold made a $1 million donation to the athletic department in the spring, he said he hoped it would inspire further donations to the athletic program.
His hopes were fulfilled last week, as the Athletics Department announced Sept. 19 that George Makris, a former athlete and NU alumnus, donated $250,000 to the department.
The donation has been earmarked to support the endowed George P. ‘ Helen C. Makris Family Scholarship fund. The scholarship is given annually to a member of the football or baseball team and allows the recipient to attend the university and play for the Huskies during his academic career.
Makris, a member of the NU graduating class of ’48, was an all-star athlete in his academic days, earning three varsity letters and exceptional reputations in football, baseball and hockey. As an alumnus, Makris remained close to the university, eventually returning to work for the Athletics Department, where he was an employee for 32 years.
Whether working on campus or not, Makris has had a presence at NU for sometime. His significant athletic achievements were officially immortalized when he was inducted into the Northeastern Hall of Fame in 1983. In various capacities, Makris has maintained close involvement with the athletic department for over 68 years.
Makris has been a part of various campaigns throughout the years to raise money for ambitious athletic endeavors, such as fundraising on Matthews Arena, Parsons Field and Solomon Court. Although this scholarship has been in place for several years, Makris donated the additional $250,000 to be used for the advancement of NU athletics, according to the Northeastern Voice.
Athletics Director Peter Roby said Makris’ generosity was met with great appreciation, especially within the Athletics Department itself. Roby said he was particularly grateful for another large donation that could inspire generosity toward the Athletics Department.
“Anytime you get a gift of that magnitude it means a lot,” Roby said.
Roby added that Makris is a trusted staff member, privy to intimate knowledge regarding the department. The fact that Makris strongly supports athletics, and is even willing to donate his own money to support athletic programs, sends a positive message to other members of university staff and alumni, Roby said.
Although the donation likely came as a surprise to much of the NU community, Roby said, the suggestion and planning of the contribution went on for several months before the announcement was made. According to Roby, the donation, like any monetary gift, involved an extensive planning process for which much thought had to be put in – including to what or whom the money would go.
“[The planning] took a lot of time and conversation,” he said.
In the case of Makris’s recent gift, the quarter of a million dollars is going to aide in the growth of his already existing scholarship fund, according to the Voice.
With the added funding, Roby said the program would expand and be able to support many generations of Husky athletes.
The recent donation of Makris, similar to Grinold’s earlier gift, is particularly significant because of the donor’s status, not only as a Northeastern alumnus, but as a current staff member. As director emeritus of the Athletics Department, Makris is still heavily evolved with sports at Northeastern. Makris told the Voice that he hoped his donation would spur further donations from outside the athletic department.
“I hope that my act will inspire other alumni
