The new Anthony F. and Alice G. Agnone School of Education is founded by a major gift from NFL Agent Tony Agnone, C’75, and his wife Jaynee, dedicating the school to Tony’s parents, who were lifelong educators.
The Mount St. Mary’s University School of Education will be officially renamed The Anthony F. and Alice G. Agnone School of Education during a ceremony on Friday, April 10 at 4 p.m. The name honors two lifelong educators whose quiet dedication shaped a community and inspired their son, Tony Agnone, C’75, and his wife Jaynee, to make a major commitment investing in the future of Mount teachers.
“The generous gift given by the Agnone family makes a positive impact on being able to make meaningful modifications to our education programs,” said Stacey Brown-Hobbs, Ph.D., dean of the School of Education. “This gift will directly support teacher and leadership development through a variety of approaches including removing financial barriers for those pursuing the education profession as well as strengthening and expanding our partnerships.”
For Tony, education has been the “family business” for generations. His mother, Alice, taught kindergarten, eventually instructing roughly a third of the children in their small town of South River, New Jersey, while his father, Anthony, served as superintendent of schools for over 30 years.
Choosing to endow education, Tony explained, is the best way he and his wife can honor his parents and extend their impact to new generations of Mount students.
“When we decided to do this, we thought of who outside of your parents has the most influence on you? It’s teachers,” he said.
Tony describes his parents, Anthony and Alice, as humble, “very low key” people whose lives were defined more by quiet service than by titles or attention. For him, placing their names on the School of Education is a way to honor that spirit of service at a moment when education has changed dramatically and the need for committed, well-formed educators is greater than ever.
By investing in the Mount, Tony and Jaynee ensures graduates in education are not only well trained in their disciplines, but also ready to lead with the same integrity, humility and community-minded spirit that defined his parents’ careers.
A 1975 Mount graduate, Tony now works as an agent for high-ranking NFL players and coaches like Todd Bowles, Superbowl winning coach and Hall of Famer and TV personality Michael Strahan.