SHE MAY HAVE BEEN PETITE, but Eugenia Sweeney’s transformative gifts to Wentworth made her larger than life on campus. When she died in March she left behind a legacy, and more than a few admirers.
In a message to the campus community, President Zorica Pantic shared the news of Mrs. Sweeney’s death not long after she passed away peacefully at her home in California on March 2.
“Eugenia left an indelible mark on Wentworth, and she will be remembered for her endless generosity and compassion,” Pantic said.
Mrs. Sweeney was the widow of the late Myles E. Sweeney, a Wentworth alumnus from the Class of 1929. He spent more than three decades at John Manville Corp., becoming the firm’s president and developing new technology relating to sound isolation and reverberation control. During the 1940s, he helped build wind tunnels for NASA.
She was a native of Milwaukee and retired physical therapist who earned a bachelor of science degree from Milwaukee-Downer College in 1951. In 2009, Wentworth awarded her an honorary doctorate for her unwavering devotion to the Institute.
Mr. and Mrs. Sweeney were among Wentworth’s most generous supporters. In the mid-1990s, they donated the money that helped build the Huntington Avenue playing field that has borne their names since its opening in 1996. In 2000, Mrs. Sweeney donated additional money to upgrade the field with a press box, concession stand, changing rooms, and other enhancements. The Sweeney Nanotechnology Lab is named for her, as is the annual award for the female student-athlete at Wentworth who best combines athletic and academic excellence.
During the recent campaign for the Douglas D. Schumann Library & Learning Commons, Mrs. Sweeney made a gift to support the Myles and Eugenia Sweeney Pavilion at the entrance to Beatty Hall.
Her legacy also includes an endowed fund to provide merit-based scholarships to female undergraduates pursuing degrees at the Institute. That will be named the Eugenia and Myles Sweeney Excellence Scholarship.
In addition, the Sweeneys have supported the Construction Management Department’s effort to create a new concentration in real estate development.
A Wentworth tribute is being planned for the fall that will celebrate Mrs. Sweeney’s life and demonstrate how much she meant to the Institute.
— Dennis Nealon
