Athletics Hall of Fame
Francis O'Donnell '57 was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981 for his outstanding basketball efforts. He collected accolades from local and regional sports writers and captured Saint Anselm Most Valuable Player and Student-Athlete Awards, as well as All-New England and All-Garden awards from Boston writers. O'Donnell co-captained the team his senior year.
Across 87 games on the Hilltop, O'Donnell scored 1,351 points and was the program's all-time leading scorer for a time. He made 431 free throws in his career, a record that stood up until the early 2000's. O'Donnell, who went on to try out for the Boston Celtics, led the Hawks in point scoring in 1955-56 and 1956-57.
O’Donnell would go on to coach wildly successful boys basketball programs at Bishop Bradley High School in Manchester. His teams posted two consecutive undefeated seasons in 1963 and 1964, compiling 63 wins and two State championships.
