February
The college received the Silvio O. Conte Award for Excellence at a meeting of the National Youth Sports Program (NYSP) held in Orlando, Florida. The award recognizes institutions that have excelled in presenting the annual summer program for disadvantaged youth. Canisius was also a recipient of a Meritorious Program Award, presented to the 171 participating colleges and universities.
February 20
The William H. Fitzpatrick Chair of Political Science Lecture Series presented United States Representatives Susan Molinari (R-Staten Island) and Bill Paxton (R-Amherst). The program was titled Facing America's Future: An Evening With Two of America's Congressional Leaders.
March 20
The William H. Fitzpatrick Chair of Political Science Lecture Series, in conjunction with Canisius' annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration presented Kweisi Mfume, president and chief executive officer of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Mfume's lecture was titled Facing the Challenge of a New Age.
May 2
Announcement that The Most Rev. Henry J. Mansell, Bishop of Buffalo, will address the Canisius University Class of 1997 during commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 16 in the Marine Midland Arena. Mansell will also be among three other individuals receiving honorary degrees.
July 2
Canisius University was named to the 1997-1998 Templeton Honor Roll for Character Building Colleges, which recognizes institutions that promote the development of students' character. Canisius was one of 135 colleges and universities in the nation selected for the award.
July 25
The largest gift in the college's 127 year history was received from Canisius alumnus and Ogdensburg (NY) businessman Richard E. Winter, president and general manager of Pepsi-Cola Ogdensburg Bottlers, Inc. Winter, a 1942 graduate of Canisius University, committed $2.25 million, which will be used for improvements to the Student Center and to permanently endow scholarships for deserving students.
August
Canisius University was ranked 6th in U.S. News and World Reports annual list of America's Best College Values Among Regional Universities in the North, based on "discount" price, schools that offer a high quality education at a reasonable cost.
September 15
President Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J., announced the college's plans to raise $30 million by the year 2000 for capital improvements and to enhance the college's endowment. Imagine Canisius is the largest capital campaign project in the college's 127 year history.
