In celebration of an alumnus’ generous legacy, Farmingdale State College (FSC) recently held a dedication ceremony and tour to unveil 10 beautiful, newly renovated Athletics Department team rooms in his honor, in the Nold Hall Athletic Complex  

Frank Geremia, who served in the U.S. Army from 1945 to 1947 in Germany, earned an associate degree in mechanical engineering technology from FSC in 1962 and went on to a successful career at Grumman, as well as some international consulting and work with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). 

Even into his 90s, Geremia also enjoyed running, especially on the Nold Athletic Complex track where he frequently interacted with FSC’s student athletes. 

“An avid runner, Frank loved the track team,” said Matthew Colson, FSC vice president for development alumni engagement. “Many graduates remember Frank fondly, as he would walk the track in the morning.” 

Geremia’s true dedication to his alma mater was revealed in 2021 with his posthumous gift of $1 million in support of FSC’s student athletes and honors scholars.  

“Knowing the impact FSC had on Frank is simply amazing,” said Tom Azzara, director of athletics. “Over the years Frank was present at so many athletic games and frequently used the track. Despite that we never knew just how much the College meant to him.” 

To date, Geremia’s philanthropic support have funded the Frank Geremia ’62 Honors Scholarship for Business, the FSC Honors Program, and most recently the installation of 275 custom wood lockers, each complete with a safe and name plate for FSC’s student athletes. 

“Today marks the significance of the lockers and that Frank understood that for you,” Colson said to the many student athletes in attendance. “The locker room is where you celebrate your win. It’s where you heal your wounds after defeat. It’s where you develop lifelong friendships. You build a community along this journey of college athletics—and Frank understood that. We are so grateful for this gift, the largest gift to Farmingdale athletics.”  

“I’m sure Frank would be absolutely thrilled, this is what he wanted, and we made sure he got it,” said Barbara Benevento alongside her husband Paulie, Geremia’s longtime friends and neighbors, and executors of his estate. “He just loved Farmingdale, loved the College, we could come here and run on the track up until he was unable to. He was always involved with the college and came down to watch the teams, the basketball games. He would always tell us about running track and how proud he was.” 

The Beneventos recalled Geremia’s unbelievable intelligence, financial acumen, fun sense of humor, and kindness. 

“I hope future students realize how important it is to be an alumni and to remember where you came from, and the goodness of other people,” she added. 

Student Athlete Perspectives: 

“As a student athlete, we spend a lot of time in the locker room hanging around with our teammates, so it means a lot to us and now it feels like home,” said Men’s Basketball Team Captain Jevon Santos, ’25, a sports management major. “Over my time here at FSC I’ve seen many projects and improvements to the Athletics Department, and I think the locker room project is one of the best. It will not only add to the experience of our current student athletes but will also help to recruit future Rams. I want to thank the Geremia family for their generous donation.” 

“I definitely think that as a team, it brings us closer and it makes us want to work harder,” said Markella Moutafis, ‘27, a liberal arts major and member of FSC’s women’s lacrosse team. “And once you have that great team bond you just want to go out on the field, and it makes you want to win.” 

“I feel like everything starts in the locker room,” said Olivia Cassese, ‘27, a sports management major and member of FSC’s women’s lacrosse team. “Your environment has such a huge impact on your attitude and how you perform. So being able to walk in here and see such a welcoming environment, it makes us better for when we go out there. And we end up performing better because we have such a great place to be. Now it feels so upbeat, and bright, and open.”  

“Frank’s donation that funded our new custom wood lockers for our teams is already having an impact on our athletes and the reaction from recruits has been overwhelming,” agreed Azzara. “His legacy will now live on forever and our student-athletes cannot be more thankful.” 

View more photos of the The Frank Geremia '62 Team Rooms Dedication Ceremony on our Flickr Gallery. 

---