Carlesimo Golf Tournament and Award Dinner to Honor Father McIlhenny June 15
Rev. Bernard R. McIlhenny H'98 speaks at the 2016 President's Business Council Annual Award Dinner.The University of Scranton is proud to announce that the 2026 Carlesimo Golf Tournament & Award Dinner will be held at Canoe Brook Country Club on Monday, June 15. On this day, we will honor Rev. Bernard R. McIlhenny, S.J. H'98, Dean of Admissions Emeritus at The University of Scranton, with the Peter A. Carlesimo Award.
We are once again partnering with the Quandel Construction Group as the title sponsor for this event. Register for this year's event here.
About "Father Mac"
Rev. Bernard R. McIlhenny, S.J. H'98 arrived in Scranton in 1958 to serve as the fourth headmaster of Scranton Preparatory School, which at the time was owned by the University. While at Prep, he oversaw the school’s relocation to its present site. Fr. McIlhenny was appointed dean of admissions at the University in 1966. Known to many as “Father Mac,” his tenure as dean of admissions spanned 31 years, during which time he is credited with admitting more than two-thirds of the University’s living alumni.
In 1966, the University was all male and mainly comprised of commuting students with a small number of residential students. The campus was just beginning to develop. A special summer program that he attended at Harvard University in 1967 introduced Father Mac to the changing dynamic and future competition of higher education admissions to a “buyer’s market.” In his approach to promoting the University beyond the academic programs to prospective students, Father Mac emphasized the University's family-like atmosphere where students could receive personal attention and make friends for life, a fact that he witnesses presently during class reunions. His impact upon the University and its Athletics program cannot be overstated. He retired from admissions in 1997 and continued to serve the University as minister of the Scranton Jesuit Community.
A native of Philadelphia, Father Mac is a graduate of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School and St. Joseph’s University. He entered the Society of Jesus at the age of 18 and celebrated his 70th anniversary as a Jesuit in 2014. He remains an avid golfer and maintains close friendships with those alumni whom he knew during their student days. In 2009, the University dedicated the Rev. Bernard R. McIlhenny, S.J. Ballroom in The DeNaples Center in honor of Father Mac’s years of service to Scranton, and the University honored him with the President's Medal in 2016. Last fall, at the age of 99, he hit a hole-in-one, the second of his golfing career, and he celebrated his 100th birthday in March.
Founded in 1901, Canoe Brook Country Club offers 36 holes of championship golf. Recognized as a 5-Star Platinum Club of the World, the club has played host to a number of significant events, including U.S. Open and British Open qualifiers and the U.S. Women's Amateur.
Named in honor of the late Peter A. Carlesimo, former University of Scranton coach and athletics director, the Carlesimo Golf Tournament & Award Dinner celebrates athletics at The University of Scranton and honors a person who has made special contributions to athletics and Catholic education. The Golf Tournament and Award Dinner serves as a fundraising event to support and enhance the student-athlete experience at Scranton.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the event or sponsorship opportunities, contact Eric Eckenrode at eric.eckenrode@scranton.edu.
