Introduction of John Bello, presented by Dan Dewing, who played offensive line for the Jumbos and graduated in 2019, and was heavily involved in Team Impact and led the football team's community service efforts.
All our past recipients of this award have bled Brown and Blue, but perhaps no one more so than this year's honoree, John Bello. John's passion for Tufts University and Jumbo Athletics is unmatched and his list of service and contributions extends far beyond the Medford/Somerville campus.
Now a Trustee Emeritus, John has been a member of the Athletics Board of Advisors since 1993, has volunteered as co-chair and a member of multiple reunion class committees, served on the President's Council, and provided his expertise on the University's Campaign Cabinet and Athletics Campaign Committee - service on 19 University committees in all. He has shared his business experiences on numerous campus speakers' panels, many attended by student-athletes and local alumni. He has mentored and placed numerous students in relevant vocations, including internships at the NFL and with SoBe beverages. A proud member of Delta Upsilon Fraternity, he played an instrumental role in physical renovations and upgrades at the DU House on Professors Row. His lifelong bond with fellow DU Lee Nordan led John to create a memorial scholarship in Lee's memory upon his untimely passing.
His contributions to Athletics extend far beyond the generosity he and wife Nancy have demonstrated for decades. He has quietly worked to help identify and support prospective staff who he felt had what it took to be a Jumbo or who could make the Jumbos better. Anyone remotely interested in Tufts living near Rye, New York will tell you they were soon invited for a meal or drink with John and Nancy where John could really work his magic-all with an eye on finding top-notch recruits from great families for all our teams. And for the past 15 years, John and Nancy have hosted the men's golf team at their home in Desert Mountain for the team's spring break training trip, where they would invite other local alumni to come and meet the current golf Jumbos. And no two people took greater pride in the golf team winning its first-ever NESCAC Championship a month ago than John and Nancy.
A 1968 Tufts graduate, John, together with Nancy - whom he met at Tufts and married in 1969 - have displayed a love for the Brown & Blue that has evolved into a lifetime of supporting Tufts' growth athletically. In the 1980s, while professionally flourishing as President of NFL Properties, John joined the first Athletics Advisory Board, which was committed to elevating the quality and stature of Athletics at Tufts. With other dedicated alumni who pooled their time, resources, and energy, John was integral in helping build the strong and national reputation Tufts Athletics enjoys today.
Together, the Bello's generosity has paved the way for many of our teams to enjoy significant success. They provided the naming gift for Bello Field, home to Tufts' national-championship caliber soccer and lacrosse teams. Now in its 21st season, the teams that call Bello Field home have combined to win eight NCAA championships, play in 19 Final Fours, and win 17 NESCAC championships. Equally important, it has been a venue for Tufts' club and intramural teams as well as Medford and Somerville youth programs to practice and play.
John and Nancy made a leadership gift to the Tufts Squash Center which opened in 2020. Tufts' men's and women's squash programs have since risen to become top teams in the NESCAC with national rankings pushing the top 10 each year.
The Bello's also gave the lead gift for the Nelson Gateway Garden across the street from the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center. The walkway - which is adorned with a stone bench engraved with words of inspiration - leads to the heart of the Athletics Complex.
A tireless champion, passionate fan, proud alumnus, strategic advisor, key volunteer, and man of significant generosity. It is in recognition of his lifelong love and devotion to Tufts University and Jumbo Athletics, that it is my great honor to present the Brown & Blue Award to the one and only, John Bello!
