Honor Thy Father & Mother

That was the reason given by Louis Capano for pledging $1M to two Delaware Catholic schools, Archmere and St. Edmond's Academy -- the donations were in honor of his parents. See e.g., my earlier post on this story, In My Name. The Capano name is "infamous" because one of the Capano brothers, Tom, murdered Anne Marie Fahey. In the incestuous way that is the state of Delaware, members of both families attended both schools. One school, Archmere, later reconsidered its decision.

As The News Journal explained, Archmere announces building's new name, "Archmere Academy, whose $1 million deal to name a new building after developer Louis J. Capano Jr.'s parents unraveled under intense pressure from parents and alumni, will name the center after two former headmasters." The Inquirer described it, in Capanos to get plaque at Del. school:

Two weeks ago, in the face of local and national media coverage and a barrage of criticism on a Web site formed by parents, Archmere trustees accepted Capano's offer to relinquish naming rights. Since then, board members have been negotiating a solution that would appease both Capano and protesters.

See also, Protect Archmere's Legacy.

At the time, I wondered what would happen to the pledge, No Name, No Money?. Now we know. The Inquirer reports:

And developer Louis Capano Jr., who had pledged $1 million to the school in exchange for having the planned student-life center named after his parents, has dropped his foundation's pledge from $1 million to $500,000. Archmere Academy officials said they would honor Capano's parents with a plaque, one of three to be placed outside the building for donors of at least $200,000.

Wasn't the contribution supposed to be in memory of his parents? Right. If so, why would a name of a building alter the charitable impulse? If that was the reason for the donation, why the change in the amount given? As Honest Hypocrite put it, The "Integrity" costs Archmere a half mil, while crafty Capano slips parents' names onto a plaque for $200,000. I suppose the only good thing is that perhaps Louis Capano learned that money can't buy everything, especially a good name or reputation. As I have been wont to say, a good reputation is something that takes a lot of time and effort to get, but is very easy to lose.

The News Journal also carried a well done retrospective on Anne Marie Fahey on the anniversary of her murder,10 years later, memories of murder persist.

The other day, the LWL Gang* discussed the Fahey case, along with a few other of those cases that seem to live on. The News Journal piece discusses that phenomenon:

Ben Fleury-Steiner, assistant professor at the University of Delaware's Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, attributes the continuing fascination -- and ill-will toward Capano and his brothers -- to our culture's obsession with crimes by celebrities or others with status. That is compounded by the fact that Delaware is such a small state and so many people know the key players, he said.

"People have hung on every detail,'' he said, "and it has become a Shakespearean drama.''

*(Ladies Who Lunch)

Tags: Delaware, Thomas Capano, Anne Marie Fahey, Archmere