For more than 50 years, the All-College Honors program has embodied what is best about Canisius University. It brings outstanding students to Western New York and engages them in exciting research, scholarship and artistic endeavors. Through specially designed course and co-curricular experiences such as scholarly travel, the Honors program strengthens the entire Canisius community.
In order to attract and engage the most talented undergraduate students in the country, Canisius needs to significantly raise the level of support for Honors. Your support will allow the college to compete with peer institutions with far greater financial resources to recruit gifted students.
Our ability to educate those students will be augmented by the development of:
- New interdisciplinary courses that include fine arts and science
- An Honors lecture series
- Local, regional and national scholarly travel
- Independent study opportunities and research projects
- A visiting professorship or symposium
- An Honors Student Center
Your gift to the All-College Honors program enriches the lives of current students and also represents your investment in our community and its future.
For more information about giving to the All-College Honors program, please contact:
Mary Ellen Bakowski
Office of Development
Canisius University
2001 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14208
(716) 888-2235
@email
Honors Donor Profile: Edward and Mary Jane Szczesniak
Ed and Mary Jane generously endowed a fund in their name for the Honors Program
Edward J. Szczesniak has a demonstrated record of leadership and service to country, to community, and to the Democratic Party. His knowledge, experience, and willingness to share it have earned him a reputation as an expert in election administration as well as political campaigning at the local, state and national levels. He and his wife of 50 years, Mary Jane, live in the Town of Cicero in Onondaga County, New York.
Ed Szczesniak has been a leader in the Democratic Party. He was elected Democratic Commissioner of Elections for the Onondaga County Board of Elections in 1991 and had been re-elected every two years since then and retired on 2/7/08. Ed has served as chair of the Executive Committee of the New York State Election Commissioners Association (NYSECA) and as chair of the Democratic Caucus of the NYSECA. In 2003, he was selected to be the first Democratic representative for New York State to the federal Election Assistance Commission Standards Board and served thru January 2008.
His interest in public office began in 1981 when he ran for the office of Clay Town Supervisor. Not to be discouraged, Ed ran for the County Legislature in 1983, in 2009, and in 2015 losing by less than 138 votes. He has been a key campaign coordinator for Assemblyman Michael Bragman, former Majority Leader of the New York State Assembly, and in 1986 he was campaign manager for Rosemary Pooler, candidate for the 27th US Congressional district. After six years of tireless work on behalf of the Democratic Party and its candidates, Ed was elected Chairman of the Onondaga County Democratic Committee in 1988 and led the party until 1994. In 1988, he was elected and since then re-elected to the Executive Committee of the New York State Democratic Committee and, since 1992, he has been elected and reelected as a Vice Chair of the New York State Democratic Committee. Ed was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1992 and a Rules Committee member for the Democratic National Convention in 1996. He was recognized as the Onondaga County Democrat of the Year in 1997 and Clay Democrat of the Year in 2005 as well as with the Valley Democratic Club’s “ U Dun Good” award in 1998.
Ed Szczesniak has an impressive history of community service. He served as Chairman of the Board of Managers of the North Area YMCA and was President of the Greater North Syracuse Chamber of Commerce. In addition, Ed was co-founder and first President of the FB Federal Credit Union and was elected to numerous leadership positions, including President and Junior Football League Commissioner while a member of the Liverpool Jaycees. He became a Knight of Columbus in 1965 and served as Grand Knight for the Bishop Cunningham Council 10904 and as Faithful Captain for the Bishop O”Keefe Assembly 2663 in Cicero, New York. He achieved the honors of membership in the Knights of Columbus NYS Council Circle of Honor Gold for the 2013-2014 Columbian Year. As Grand Knight, he led his Council to the Supreme Council’s highest award - Star Award for 2012-2013 and Double Star Award for 2013-2014. He was recognized as his Council’s 2015 Knight of the Year. Ed has served Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Cicero as a member of it’s parish council for 3 years.
Ed Szczesniak was involved in real estate investment and development for over thirty-five years. He owned and managed a combination of residential and commercial properties. He was also employed by Miller Brewing Company in Fulton, New York as the Manpower Coordinator, and prior to that time, he was an account executive with Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith in Niagara Falls, NY.
Ed Szczesniak was born in Buffalo, New York on November 22, 1943. He graduated from Canisius High School in 1961 and from Canisius University in 1965 with a B.S. degree in history. Ed is a member of the Canisius University Alumni Association, with his wife Mary Jane have created an Honors and a Polish Heritage scholarships, and because of his leadership and hard work on behalf of the college, he was inducted into the college’s prestigious Di Gamma Honor Society. Ed and Mary Jane (Nagowski) have three sons: Jim (Karen), Mark (Nancy) and David (Jennifer). Their eight grandchildren include Sydney Marie (1995), Ian James (1996), twin grandsons, Brian Alexander and Joshua Grey (1999), Heather Tesia (2001), Emma Victoria (2002), Eric Michael (2003) and Mason Edward (2006).