Catherine H. '71MA and Hugh J. McCabe '49 Endowed Scholarship

The McCabe family’s legacy at Iona University spans four generations and includes 12 family members, dating back to 1949.

Hugh J. McCabe ’49 was among the thousands of returning World War II veterans who took advantage of the G.I. Bill and became the first in his family to attend college. Iona’s founding mission of providing a college education to first-generation students fits Hugh perfectly. A member of the Cornelian Honor Society, Hugh received his BBA in Finance from Iona in 1949. Two years later, he returned to Iona to work in the Admissions Department. From 1954-1978, he was the registrar at Iona until his sudden passing in 1978.

Catherine “Cay” Henry McCabe married Hugh in 1949 and, together, they raised seven children. She was a wife, mother, professor, counselor, friend, and a longtime resident of New Rochelle, NY. While the older children were in school and the youngest were in pre-school, Cay earned two master’s degrees, one in Theology at Manhattan College and one in Pastoral Counseling at Iona. She had also begun her career as a professor of Religious Studies at Iona, which would span more than 30 years and touch the lives of generations of students. Cay retired in 1994 and passed away in 2011.

Cay and Hugh participated in the social movements of the 1960s. They found a way to balance their family, careers, and studies while still being active in their church, Holy Family in New Rochelle, and their community. The relationships that Hugh and Cay formed pushed them to become active in social movements, and their involvement in the movements in turn informed their parenting. Cay and Hugh had a wonderful partnership, including working at the university they loved, Iona. It is their dedication to Iona that led to awards and scholarships established in their names.

Since the 1979 commencement ceremonies, the Hugh McCabe Award for Social Justice has been presented annually to a faculty, administrator, or staff member who embodies an exemplary commitment to social justice. Award recipients have demonstrated through their work and contributions their exceptional dedication to social justice in building a more just and peaceful world.

In 2002, The Catherine H. ‘71MA and Hugh J. McCabe ’49 Endowed Scholarship Fund was established at Iona by their children, Hugh J. McCabe III ’71, ‘76MBA, Thomas J. McCabe ’73, Mary McCabe Walsh ’76, David J. McCabe ’80, Lawrence D. McCabe ’84, and Catherine R. McCabe ’85. Mary’s husband, William Walsh, was also a 1976 graduate of Iona, and it is where they met. The scholarship is awarded annually to a deserving student who attends high school in New Rochelle. Both Cay and Hugh were scholarship recipients.

In 2013, the Catherine H. McCabe Award for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching was established to honor faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional teaching, a concern for students and colleagues, sensitivity to the University's mission, and a commitment to high standards in both professional and personal life.

All seven of Cay and Hugh’s children graduated from Iona. In 2012, David’s oldest daughter, Courtney (Davis), began a third generation of Iona graduates with her degree, and Hugh’s granddaughter, Haylen (Warner-Bauer), became a fourth-generation graduate in 2022.

Iona connections and commitments remain strong for members of the McCabe family, even long after graduation. Hugh was a faculty member and acted as interim associate dean of the School of Business before retiring. Dave was a member of Iona’s Board of Trustees for 13 years until 2019. He was also a member of the Alumni Board. Cathy is a current member of the Board of Trustees and serves as the Vice-Chair of the Advisory Board for Iona’s Gaels Go Further Mentoring Programs and is a Mentor in the program.