EAST WALNUT HILLS - Purcell Marian High School is one step closer to its field of dreams thanks to a $1 million pledge from Harry and Linda Fath.
Harry Fath, a real estate entrepreneur, and his wife, Linda, are making an impact in Cincinnati with their recent pledge to Purcell Marian High School in support of an upcoming field complex.
The East Walnut Hills school acquired the properties at 2926 Woodburn Ave. and 1619 De Sales Lane last year, making the vision of an on-campus field closer to reality.
Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Fath are alumni of the school but have been supporters of Cincinnati’s Catholic inner-city school initiative (CISE) for decades. Since the 1980s, CISE has worked to overcome income inequality and poverty through access to quality Catholic education. Harry Fath is an emeritus trustee of CISE. More CISE students matriculate to Purcell Marian than any other Catholic high school.
Fath said in a press release that the primary purpose of his gift is to energize others to support Purcell Marian and the field complex fund.
During his gift consideration process, Fath talked with one of the school’s most celebrated graduates, Roger Staubach, class of 1960. Staubach, a standout quarterback for the school, went on to be a Heisman Trophy winner at the U.S. Naval Academy. After graduation, he served a tour of duty in Vietnam before going on to play for the Dallas Cowboys. He would make four Super Bowl appearances with the Cowboys as quarterback, winning two Lombardi Trophies.
The Faths' $1 million gift is the first seven-figure commitment to this project. With this pledge, the field complex fund is off to a strong start but will need additional support from alumni and the community to bring the vision to life.
“This school has shaped so many of us through lifelong friendships and leadership in our communities. This is more than just a field for our school. This is bigger than athletics. This is confidence in our growth and a trusted investment in what we are accomplishing with our students in and out of the classroom,” said George Fisher, Purcell Marian High School board president. The 1988 graduate of Purcell Marian is the CEO of Cavalier Distributing, named after the Purcell Marian mascot.
The field complex, currently in the planning and development phase, is part of an overall strategy by Purcell Marian to boost enrollment and position itself as a school of choice for area families. In addition to Purcell Marian’s use for athletics and extracurricular activities, the field will be an asset to the broader Cincinnati community with plans for hosting soccer, football, and lacrosse teams and tournaments, and welcoming nearby students from St. Francis de Sales, a K-8 Catholic CISE grade school with whom they share a parking lot.
Architects for the Purcell Marian project are MSA Design + MSA Sport.
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