Introduction of John Baronian, presented by Ted Tye, Class of 1979, Chair of the Tufts Athletics Board of Advisors
In many ways, the 1946 season was a new beginning for the Tufts University football team. World War II had recently ended, and most of the 80 or so players on the Tufts team were at the university on the G.I. Bill. That season, a band of brothers would be formed that remained united in their love of football and Tufts for the rest of their lives.
Within that band of brothers, John Baronian was the big brother. One of the older members of the team after serving the Air Force in the South Pacific from 1941-46, John was the ring-leader who always brought the group together during their playing days and kept them together for decades after.
"We had a great group of guys who meshed well, and John was the reason for it," said Ed Schluntz, who played all four years with John and was co-captain of the 1949 team. "He was a fun-loving guy, always pulling pranks. He just loved being at Tufts and it was something that we all shared together."
While working as one of the top U.S. salesmen for the American Mutual Life Insurance Company, John regularly arranged a variety of social events for his Tufts friends. Over time, these gatherings evolved into the Tufts Jumbo Club, which was formally established in 1969. With John rounding up more and more members every year, the Jumbo Club supported Tufts Athletics financially and sponsored awards and social events. And quite appropriately, the biggest gift ever made by the Jumbo Club was named in John's honor - the Baronian Fieldhouse which sits at the entrance to Ellis Oval.
"We wanted Tufts to be very respectable in athletics," John said on the Jumbo Club's 35th anniversary in 2004. "We were all very proud of our alma mater and wanted to make sure that our sports teams were competitive, properly equipped, and duly recognized."
John made Tufts a part of his family. He was an active member of the Tufts University Alumni Association for many years and served as the organization's president from 1970 to 1972. In 1972, John was elected to the Tufts Board of Trustees and served as a Trustee for 10 years before being named Trustee Emeritus. And in 1997, Tufts awarded John an honorary Doctor of Commerce degree.
In memory of his parents, John established the John K. and Margaret G. Baronian Memorial Scholarship Fund, and the Tufts football offensive and defensive lineman of the year awards carry John's name. Not surprisingly, John's boundless support of his alma mater and its athletic teams earned him the moniker "Mr. Tufts."
"If there were a more loyal, passionate and committed Tufts alumnus than John Baronian, I have yet to meet him," former President Lawrence S. Bacow said upon Mr. Baronian's death in 2008. "There might be 4,000 colleges and universities in the U.S., but in John's mind, there was only one."
In memory of a truly great Jumbo, it is my great honor to present the Brown & Blue Award to John Baronian, and I'd like to ask John's nephew, John Aftandillian, to join me here on the stage to receive the award on his uncle's behalf.
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