Bob Hawthorn Squash Initiative

Join us as we honor former Squash Head Coach, Bob Hawthorn, for his 54 years of service to Fordham Athletics.

This story starts with Rev. Vincent Hopkins, S.J., who was the first moderator of Fordham Squash in the 1950s. Bob Hawthorn played on that team in the 1950s and became Fordham’s first Head Squash Coach when he was 25 and coached for over 50 years. Since Fordham did not have courts, the team held their practices at the New York Athletic Club at Central Park South. Fr. Hopkins helped Bob arrange transportation for the students from the Rose Hill campus to the NYAC. Fr. Hopkins also generously gave money to Bob to purchase racquets, sneakers, bags and warm-ups for the team. 

When Fr. Hopkins passed away, he left Bob Hawthorn a modest fund, which Bob continued to use to buy equipment for the team. This fund has long been depleted. Alumni have connected with one another to support the Squash team in a similar way, in honor of Bob Hawthorn. Anyone who had played for Bob knows that coaching Squash was always his true passion. 

We are happy to introduce the Bob Hawthorn Squash Initiative, with a goal of raising $100,000. All gifts towards this initiative will be used by the Squash Coach as an annual stipend to the support of the team, just as Fr. Hopkins funds supported the team in its early days. The alumni who were instrumental in establishing the fund have been interviewed by WFUV to reflect on how Bob influenced their lives.    As we reflect on our college squash and tennis experience, we think of the friendships with teammates and generosity of heart that Bob showed his players. Bob’s tenure, as a coach, was only a small part of the contributions he made to all of us. Bob’s example of service above self is constant. Teaching athletes about character, doing the right thing, and balancing athletics with academics, was a big part of why so many people stayed so connected. Bob was also the ultimate in making sure his alumni stayed connected to each other and to Fordham. We can honor him by contributing to this initiative and show the next generation of players some of the life lessons we learned from Bob.