Haehn Campus Center

Haehn Campus Center (HCC), Top Row: 1996 (left) and 2007. Bottom Row: Alumnae Hall, undated; McGlynn’s, 2011; and O’Connell’s, undated. (click thumbnails for larger images)

The building of the Haehn Campus Center was done to fill a need for social space; the campus needed a multipurpose building that would become a center of student activity. The building would also be the primary intramural facility.

Before construction began, a phone-a-thon was conducted around campus to gain input and feedback about the center. The majority of the students surveyed were in favor of the building. The estimated cost for the new Student Center was around $6.5 million, a cost that would be funded by a capital campaign. The building project was also awarded $600,000 by the Kresge Foundation, a private fund created by Sebastian S. Kresge, and $1 million donated by William and Virginia Clemens in honor of CSB Presidents S. Colman O’Connell and S. Emmanuel Renner. Another donation of $1.5 million was given by Sylvester (Shorty) and Jacquie Haehn, after whom the new center would thus be named.

Construction began in 1995 and included the following:

• athletic training facilities
• volleyball/ racquetball courts
• aerobic fitness center
• lounges
• dining room
• night club

The $7 million Haehn Campus Center (HCC) was opened  on January 9, 1996 and is connected to the Claire Lynch Gymnasium and Murray Hall. It was dedicated on Saturday, September 21, 1996, as part of a weekend celebration that also included the inauguration of Mary Lyons as the 12th president of the College on Sunday, September 22. Sr. Mary Catherine Holicky did the blessing of the Campus Center, and speakers included President Mary Lyons and Susan Mundale, the Chair of the Board of Trustees.

The HCC houses McGlynn’s, one of four places to eat on the two campuses, and O’Connell’s, originally the campus coffee shop. McGlynn’s, with cafeteria-style dining, was named to honor the McGlynn (Bakeries) donors; several McGlynn family members served on CSB’s Board of Trustees. In the winter of 2010, McGlynn’s was remodeled to feature memorabilia from all 11 CSB sports teams to create an ambiance similar to a sports bar. The menu and hours were also expanded to satisfy students’ late-night cravings. The new menu featured items such as burgers, subs, and daily/weekly specials. O’Connell’s was named after Sr. Colman O’Connell, who served as the President of the College from 1986 to 1996. This space had originally been anticipated as a night club which served alcoholic beverages, much like Brother Willie’s Pub at St. John’s, but this was decided against. O’Connell’s remained simply a place to study with fountain drinks until 2001. Then it was decided that O’Connell’s would be converted into a coffee shop, a project led by senior Natalie Wills. $7,000 renovations went underway, being funded by the St. Ben’s Senate.

In 2021, two years after the coffee shop in O’Connell’s closed, the CSB Senate allocated $120,000 for further renovations. The new space included two high-tech conference rooms which could both be combined to host up to 26 people. Both restrooms were updated and two new uni-sex bathrooms were installed. The study space features booths, tables, comfy chairs and a ‘living room’ where students can congregate to watch shows, presentations or host open-mic nights.

Today, the HCC remains a center that brings students together with a variety of interests, building a strong sense of community.

Selected Bibliography

• Hageman, Diane, “McGlynn’s sports new CSB athletics motif,” CSB/SJU Newsroom, December 9, 2010. 
• Meyer, Carl. “Haehn Campus Center opens,”The Record, February 15, 1996, p. 3. 
• “Announcing the J-Term Opening of the H.L. Haehn Campus Center,” The Independent, December 7, 1995, p. 5.
• Barbosa, Frank, “O’Connells: Dance Club, Soda Fountain,” The Independent, November 16, 1995, p. 1.
• Oseid, Tammy “Haehn Campus Center to Open,” The Independent, November 9, 1995, p. 1.
• “CSB Public Affairs Office “$600,000 Awarded to Saint Ben’s,”  The Independent, April 12, 1995, p. 4.
• “Haehn Center benefits,” The Independent, March 30, 1995, p. 19.
• O’Connell, Colman, OSB. “Bold and Visionary Leadership,”Saint Benedicts Today, Winter 1994, p. 2.
• Oseld, Tammy, “Women Building Community Honor Newest Additions to CSB,”  The Independent, September 22, 1994, p. 1.

See also

• Haehn Campus Center – CSB Facilities
•  Schwinghammer, Adam, ” Hamen addresses Senate, Senators discuss O’Connell’s renovation plan,” The Record, February 12, 2021. 
• What’s in a Name? Buildings at the College of Saint Benedict Named after Sisters
• Nancy Hynes Women’s Center is dedicated, 2007.
• McGlynn’s Closes, 2009.
• McGlynn’s Reopens, 2010.
• Sister Nancy Hynes Institute for Women’s Leadership moved to Mary Commons, 2012.
• Institute for Women’s Leadership Moves to Murray Hall, 2013.

Special thanks to Sara Trent ’08 for drafting this text.