We are truly saddened by the passing of Congressman Gerry Connolly. The entire George Mason community joins me in expressing our deepest sympathies to his family. Congressman Connolly has been a staunch supporter of George Mason University during his tenure in Congress. He took a strong interest in our students, visiting often, and engaging our students in rich policy discussions. Connolly co-taught a course with former Congressman Tom Davis, who also served as Rector of the George Mason Board of Visitors, that provided deep insights into the Congressional process from both Democratic and Republican perspectives.
Connolly’s influence touched all parts of the university and enabled George Mason to be better stewards of the public trust. The Congressman was instrumental in George Mason’s research growth and achieving the top Carnegie R1 classification for a research university. He helped secure over $5 million in projects elevating George Mason’s national profile in climate research, youth suicide prevention, IT modernization and cybersecurity, professional nursing training, executive education, and workforce modernization.
Sincerely,
Gregory Washington
President