University ice rink named in honor of “century family”

pCANTON — Recognized as a “century family” by St. Lawrence University President William L. Fox, the Torrey family’s 100 years of involvement with the school is being recognized with their name being attached to the ice rink that members of that family have skated upon./ppOn Monday, the university announced that the ice rink behind the newly constructed walls of Appleton Arena will be known as The Torrey Rink, to acknowledge the family which hails from Montreal and first arrived on campus in 1920./pp“The renewed Appleton Arena extends a remarkable heritage in college hockey. It’s equivalent to the greatest sporting venues in America — Fenway, Wrigley, the Rose Bowl. There is none other like Appleton,” Mr. Fox, ’75, said. “Naming the ice of Appleton for a distinguished Laurentian ‘century family’ — with its presence on both sides of the St. Lawrence River — brings together a story set apart like none other.”/ppArthur ’24, who served as chair of the Board of Trustees, and Josephine Torrey ’24 entered St. Lawrence, nearly a century ago, in the fall of 1920, according to a news release from the university. /ppThey were the first of four generations of family members to attend the university, followed by their four children: David L. Torrey ’53, P82, GP’07, who served on the University Board of Trustees for 30 years; Barbara Torrey MacAllaster ’51; William “Bill” Torrey ’57, who was also a former St. Lawrence men’s hockey player, a National Hockey League general manager, an inductee to the Hockey Hall of Fame located in Toronto and recognized as one of the first “Legends of Appleton,” and Jane Torrey Stauffer, who graduated from St. Lawrence in 1962./ppA son of Barbara Torrey MacAllaster, David MacAllaster, was a university trustee for three years./pp“The naming of the ice rink inside Appleton after the Torrey family is a wonderful tribute to their 100 years of service and philanthropy to the University,” St. Lawrence University Trustee Bill Crombie ’69, member of the Appleton Advisory Committee and former member of the Saints Hockey team, said. “I have known members of the Torrey family since I graduated from St. Lawrence, and there is no better name to be enshrined on the ice of Appleton. I am so pleased that the donor decided to honor the family this way.”/ppOne major donor to the Appleton Arena renovation project, who wished to remain anonymous on their name and the gift amount because they want to keep the focus on the Torrey family and their contributions to St. Lawrence University, according to university spokesman Ryan Deuel, decided to use their gift to honor the Torreys, who have made significant contributions to the university as volunteers and philanthropists. /ppThe Torrey family has contributed to capital projects at the school to create the Diana B. Torrey ’82 Health and Counseling Center, the Sandy MacAllaster ’78 Soccer Field, The MacAllaster Room on the northside of Owen D. Young Library, and most recently the Legends of Appleton Room inside the renovated Appleton Arena. /ppThe completely donor-funded Appleton Arena project has raised $18.5 million and will provide St. Lawrence’s NCAA Division I men’s and women’s hockey programs with renovated and new state-of-the-art facilities, and will enhance the fan game experience, according to the news release. The building dedication and Legends of Appleton Weekend will take place on Feb. 7 and 8, 2020. /ppA second phase of the project will also expand Appleton to support the Saints’ NCAA Division III men’s and women’s lacrosse, field hockey, softball and the men’s and women’s rowing teams. Plans and construction drawings have been completed, including a nearly 5,000-square-foot Division III Strength and Conditioning area. /ppThe project is supported by The Campaign for Every Laurentian, the largest comprehensive fundraising initiative in the 164-year history of St. Lawrence University./p