Massasoit Names Brockton Library in Honor of President Emeritus Burke

Transformative gift from the Burke Family will fund modernization, sustainable technology, and campus archives.

BROCKTON, Mass (March 18, 2026) – The Massasoit Community College Board of Trustees voted unanimously to name the Brockton campus library in honor of President Emeritus Dr. Gerard F. Burke. The designation recognizes Dr. Burke’s decades of visionary leadership and a transformative philanthropic gift from the Burke Family.

“Naming the library in honor of Jerry is a fitting tribute to a leader whose dedication to Massasoit helped shape the College’s enduring culture of access and opportunity,” said Massasoit President Bill Mitchell. “Everyone who walks through the doors of the Dr. Gerard F. Burke Library will find the resources and sense of community needed to achieve their goals.”

Located within the Student Center, the Dr. Gerard F. Burke Library serves as the academic heart of the campus. The Burke Family’s gift allows Massasoit to modernize this vital hub by introducing modular study spaces, revitalizing campus archives, and enhancing its technology circulation program with sustainable, solar-powered tools.

“The Dr. Gerard F. Burke Library is intentionally designed so that every visitor sees themselves represented in the materials and feels welcome in the open, airy environment,” said Mitchell. “The Burke Family’s generosity ensures we can sustain this center of curiosity, collaboration, and discovery for generations to come.”

Each year, more than 6,000 Massasoit students rely on the library’s vast collection, which includes 20,000 physical volumes, more than 650,000 digital books, and more than 80 research databases. The library is also home to The Grove, a vibrant gathering space launched in 2022 that hosts dozens of student-led events and faculty workshops annually.

This investment complements Massasoit’s Transformation Through Renovation Project, a $52 million capital initiative currently modernizing the College’s Science and Health Sciences buildings. While that project advances state-of-the-art STEM facilities, the Burke Family gift ensures the College’s central learning hub evolves in tandem with these new academic spaces.

About Dr. Gerard F. Burke

President Emeritus Gerard “Jerry” Burke served as Massasoit’s third president from 1983 to 1996, having previously served as dean of the College beginning in 1982. In 2026, Massasoit named him to its Emeritus Class as President Emeritus, honoring his transformative impact on the institution. During his time at Massasoit, Burke successfully grew and transformed the College. In 1985, he facilitated the merger with the Blue Hills Technical Institute, which became Massasoit’s Canton Campus. Additional accomplishments include the creation of the Academic Resource Center, the development of new academic programs, the expansion of student services and counseling, the addition of daytime continuing education courses, and investments in Warrior Athletics – helping lead to three NJCAA national championships during his presidency. In the face of economic challenges, the College under his leadership secured two federal Title III grants that infused the College with much needed funding that further shaped Massasoit’s future.

Before joining Massasoit, Burke was a professor of history at Boston State College, his alma mater. During his 16-year tenure at Boston State, he served in several faculty leadership and governance positions. His career began in the Boston Public School system before serving in various roles for the U.S. Congress and U.S. Department of Labor while pursuing a master’s degree from Georgetown University and Ph.D. from American University. Burke valued community and civic service, having been elected to the Brockton School Committee and the Plymouth County Commission, and served on the boards of several other organizations. Burke and his wife Rosemary were also active in numerous philanthropic activities including serving as foster parents to more than thirty children.