Gayle Benson donations help Catholic high schools

By Eva Jacob Barkoff
Contributing writer

Students, faculty and staff at Archbishop Rummel High School received an early Christmas present last year on Dec. 1 when New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson donated $5 million to the Metairie school. It was a twofold event, with Archbishop Gregory Aymond presiding over a special Mass to commemorate the school’s 60th anniversary.

The donation was made possible by the Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation.

“The Foundation’s gift establishes an endowment for our school that will help us make Catholic education more accessible to young men,” said Marc Milano, Rummel’s head of school. “We are grateful to Mrs. Benson for this gift that will benefit our school for years to come, and we look forward to expressing our gratitude.”

Katie Gremillion, director of admissions at Rummel, said the $5 million is the largest single donation in the school’s history.

“The gift will be used specifically to fund an endowment with a long-term goal to raise money to fund Rummel’s tuition-assistance program to make Catholic education more accessible to young men,” Gremillion said.

Bensons gifted other schools
Other area high schools have received similar donations from the Benson Foundation, including $10 million to Brother Martin and $5 million to Jesuit.

The Brother Martin donation was given in the fall of 2012 and was allocated over a span of 10 years, said Ryan Gallagher, the school’s principal.

“The donation was used to establish the Brother Nicholas S.C. Building Endowment,” Gallagher said. “It’s part of the St. Aloysius Century Foundation, which supports Brother Martin and is the largest single gift the school has received. It provides the financial support necessary to maintain and enhance the school’s state-of-the-art buildings and facilities for years to come.”

The endowment is named for Brother Nicholas Geisenberg, a brother of the Sacred Heart for 78 years, who spent 40 years at Brother Martin as a teacher and moderator of the Parents Club.

In honor of their gift, the center of the school’s student life center is named in honor of the Bensons, Gallagher said.

Tom Benson was a 1944 graduate of St. Aloysius High School, which consolidated with Cor Jesu High School in 1969 to form Brother Martin.

In 2019, Jesuit received its donation as part of the school’s “Minds and Hearts Enlightened Campaign.”

Christian Bautista, Jesuit’s director of institutional advancement, said the school’s gym and athletic facilities were renovated as part of the campaign. The gym is now named the Gayle and Tom Benson Arena.

“Because the Benson Arena is used for so many athletic, community and school functions, the renovations supported by Tom and Gayle Benson have added immeasurable value to the life of the school,” Bautista said. “We were one of the last schools in the area to air-condition our gym, and we were also able to add video boards, new lighting, improved seating and, along with the help of many other donors, we renovated our athletic training facilities and locker rooms.”