$20 million gift to Worcester Academy

Worcester Academy, a private boarding and day school, located in Worcester, MA has received a $20 million donation — among the largest in its 188-year history — to revitalize its campus facilities.

 The donation comes from Florida real estate investor and alum Ron Capozzoli Sr.

“I experienced the best days of my life at Worcester Academy,” Capozzol said.

The funding will be used to renovate existing buildings and provide new facilities for the school’s students. Renovations are already underway at the Megaron, a campus building used as a gathering space.

The building, which will be renamed the Capozzoli Family Megaron, was dedicated in 1905 and modeled after classical living rooms and temples of ancient Greece. It is rectangular and accessed through a portico with two columns, like megarons in ancient times. The renovations will restore the brick building and create a new patio space for students to gather outdoors.

“The Capozzoli Megaron will now stand at Worcester Academy for generations to come in tribute to Ron, his family, and those teachers who impacted him in that short window of time,” said Head of School Kevin Breen.

In addition to the Megaron, the funding will be used for a new state-of-the-art recreation and athletic complex on Worcester Academy’s South Campus at the former St. Vincent Hospital property on Providence Street. Details of the complex, which will also be named for Capozzoli, will be announced this fall.

In 2019, Capozzoli and his wife, Markay, also endowed the Capozzoli Family Scholarship, which is awarded annually to a student at Worcester Academy who demonstrates friendliness and contributes to the school community through athletics, clubs and other activities.

“Ron attributes many of his successes in business to specific lessons learned at Worcester Academy,” Breen said. “His story is one I hear with increasing familiarity. In a short period of time—just two years in this case—his life was forever changed. While stories such as these are unusual elsewhere, they are quintessential to Worcester Academy and speak to WA’s deep commitment to quality mentoring.”