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Belmont Abbey College Dedicates The Simon & Debbie Donoghue Theatre
Belmont Abbey College Dedicates The Simon & Debbie Donoghue Theatre
Belmont, N.C. (October 5th, 2026) – Belmont Abbey College has renamed its Haid Theatre as The Simon & Debbie Donoghue Theatre, honoring the legendary director of the Abbey Players and member of the college community for nearly 50 years. The celebration, held in the college’s 150th anniversary year on October 3rd, also unveiled the theatre’s newly refurbished stage. Alumni, students, faculty, and friends of the college gathered to commemorate the Donoghues’ legacy and inaugurate a new era for Belmont Abbey College Performing Arts.
Simon Donoghue served for 48 years as Director of the Abbey Players, one of the longest-running theatre troupes in North Carolina, which has had 143 consecutive seasons. In addition to his considerable gifts as playwright, actor, and director, Simon is an exceptional teacher and mentor, and his impact on the last fifty years of Abbey Players and Belmont Abbey students cannot be overstated. The theatre’s new name also recognizes his wife, Debbie Donoghue, his longtime behind-the-scenes partner, whose support has helped sustain the Abbey Players for decades.
Throughout his tenure, Simon built a substantial and thriving campus community and developed collaborative relationships with the local performing arts. Under his faithful leadership, the Abbey Players brought together not only students, faculty, staff, and monks but also local professionals, enriching the student experience and expanding the network of community theatre in the Carolinas. He also played a vital role in both the full renovation of the Haid Theatre in 1987 and the establishment of the performing arts as a recognized academic department, minors, and a premier scholarship named for Fr. John Oetgen.
“For nearly half a century, Simon has enriched the artistic and cultural life of this college and served as a mentor, counselor, and director to generations of students,” said Abbot Placid Solari, O.S.B., Chancellor of Belmont Abbey College. “As Belmont Abbey celebrates 150 years, it is fitting that the stage where he formed so many young people will carry his name, and Debbie’s, for generations to come.”
“Simon built the foundation the Performing Arts Department stands on today,” said Kristin Hayes, Chair of the Performing Arts Department. “He has impacted the lives of so many Abbey students and people throughout the Gaston community and beyond. Dedicating this theatre to Simon and Debbie, with a renewed stage ready for the next generation, celebrates everything he started.”
The performing arts have been a vital part of Belmont Abbey culture since Abbot Leo Haid, himself an accomplished playwright, formed the Abbey Players in 1883. Mindful of this legacy and of the ways that art and theatre bring our campus together, the college is profoundly grateful for Simon Donoghue’s years of selfless dedication and arts leadership, through which the Abbey Players and the Performing Arts Department have grown and flourished.
To learn more about the Abbey Players and the performing arts at Belmont Abbey College, visit https://belmontabbeycollege.edu/campus-life/performing-arts/.
About Belmont Abbey College: Founded in 1876, Belmont Abbey College is a private, Catholic baccalaureate and liberal arts institution. Our mission is to educate students in the liberal arts and sciences so that in all things God may be glorified. Guided by the Catholic intellectual tradition and the Benedictine spirit of prayer and learning, we welcome a diverse body of students and provide them with an education that will enable them to lead lives of integrity, to succeed professionally, to become responsible citizens, and to be a blessing to themselves and to others. Our beautiful and historic campus is conveniently located just 10 miles west of Charlotte, N.C., and is currently home to more than 1500 students. For more information, visit belmontabbeycollege.edu.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Sarah Bolton
P: 704-461-7016 E: sarahbolton@bac.edu
Belmont Abbey College Earns Higher National Rankings While Maintaining Strong Enrollment
Belmont Abbey College Earns Higher National Rankings While Maintaining Strong Enrollment
Belmont, N.C. (September 25th, 2026) – Belmont Abbey College has earned national recognition for academic excellence, rising two places to the No. 10 spot in the Regional Colleges-South category in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, affirming its continued growth and impact in the region. Ranked No. 8 among top private regional southern colleges, Belmont Abbey remains committed to providing an education that meets the needs of today’s students while preparing them to contribute meaningfully in their professions and in the world around them.
U.S. News & World Report also named Belmont Abbey College the 3rd-highest-ranked regional college in North Carolina, underscoring its growing national recognition and distinction within the state. Belmont Abbey is the highest-ranked Newman Guide college in the region, and maintains strong enrollment for Fall 2026, with 1,693 students enrolled, the second largest enrollment in ten years.
“These rankings affirm what we hear consistently from our students and families: Belmont Abbey’s greatest strength is the quality of the education and formation students receive here,” said Dr. Jeffrey W. Talley, President of Belmont Abbey College. “Our faculty are deeply invested in their students, and our community challenges them to pursue excellence while preparing them to lead lives of purpose and service.”
This national recognition comes as Belmont Abbey maintains stable overall enrollment and welcomes its largest class of traditional non-athlete students in 8 years, highlighting continued interest in the college’s high-quality academic program offerings as well as its distinctive approach to Catholic higher education. The fall 2026 incoming freshmen cohort comes to Belmont Abbey with an impressive academic record and strong ties to leadership, Catholic identity, and civic engagement.
“This recognition in the U.S. News rankings validates what we see every day: that more students and families are seeking an education dedicated to forming the whole person,” said Jesse Dorman, Vice President of Enrollment at Belmont Abbey College. “The strength of this year’s incoming class reflects the appeal of a Belmont Abbey education – an education that combines academic excellence, a close-knit community, and a strong Catholic identity. We are excited to welcome these students and see how they grow during their time at the Abbey.”
As the college begins the 2026-2027 academic school year, several of Belmont Abbey’s distinctive academic and scholarship programs further demonstrate the breadth of interest in the college’s offerings. The nursing program welcomed 33 students this year, including 18 direct admits and 3 honors students, bringing total enrollment in the program to 125 students. Belmont Abbey’s unique motorsport program continues to attract students. This semester, 24 new students are exploring the field through an introductory course, while the program welcomed 12 new female students this year. The program is committed to educating and graduating more female students while helping to expand opportunities for women in the motorsport industry. This momentum reflects the appeal of combining a liberal arts education with the specialized knowledge and professional skills needed to pursue careers in dynamic fields such as motorsports and nursing.
The Fall 2026 enrollment comes as Belmont Abbey celebrates its 150th anniversary, making it a milestone year for the college and its community. Founded in 1876, the college has remained committed to an education rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition and its Benedictine identity.
For more information about Belmont Abbey College, please visit www.belmontabbeycollege.edu.
About Belmont Abbey College: Founded in 1876, Belmont Abbey College is a private, Catholic baccalaureate and liberal arts institution. Our mission is to educate students in the liberal arts and sciences so that in all things God may be glorified. Guided by the Catholic intellectual tradition and the Benedictine spirit of prayer and learning, we welcome a diverse body of students and provide them with an education that will enable them to lead lives of integrity, to succeed professionally, to become responsible citizens, and to be a blessing to themselves and to others. Our beautiful and historic campus is conveniently located just 10 miles west of Charlotte, N.C., and is currently home to more than 1500 students. For more information, visit belmontabbeycollege.edu.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Sarah Bolton
P: 704-461-7016 E: sarahbolton@bac.edu
Leadership Is Learned: Professor Brad Frazier on Teaching Rising Leaders at Belmont Abbey College
Leadership Is Learned: Professor Brad Frazier on Teaching Rising Leaders at Belmont Abbey College
In 2007, Brad Frazier’s alma mater invited him to apply for a campus director position. Frazier was a bit surprised. He was currently working as a banker and had also been a minister. This meant he had plenty of operational and people skills, but he had never worked in academia before.
Still, Frazier landed the position and never looked back. In the almost 20 years since, he has learned a lot about leadership. While that includes skills in areas such as adaptability and managing resources, he has also learned one important piece of wisdom about the nature of leadership itself.
“Leadership is a trainable skill,” Frazier said. “There are certainly people who just have that charisma. But if you don’t, that doesn’t mean you can’t be a good leader.”
Today, Frazier and his colleagues at Belmont Abbey College prove that fact every day. As both an administrator and instructor in the Master of Arts (MA) in Leadership program, Frazier helps rising leaders in every industry find their footing and become agents of effective and ethical change.
The Transition Into Academia and Leadership Education
When Frazier stepped into the campus director role, he had just earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA). He quickly fell in love with higher education and wanted to pivot into teaching. In pursuit of that goal, Frazier earned his PhD in global leadership with a specialization in corporate and organizational management in 2009.
In 2010, Frazier became the director of his university’s MBA and Master of Science in Leadership programs. He stepped back from that position in 2013 and entered the classroom full-time at the undergraduate level.
Finding His Place at Belmont Abbey
In 2015, a colleague told Frazier that Belmont Abbey College was looking to hire a new business faculty member. At first, he was drawn to the school because it was just a few minutes drive from his house. But when he went in for an interview, Frazier knew he had found his new home.
“Everybody here was just so welcoming, so friendly, and so kind to a total stranger,” Frazier said. “I absolutely cannot imagine being anywhere else, because of how special this place is. It is unlike any other work environment I’ve ever had in my life as far as people supporting each other and truly loving each other.”
Bringing Real-World Knowledge to the Classroom
Frazier has taught many of the classes that make up Belmont Abbey’s MA in Leadership program. One of his favorite classes to teach is Leading Teams, in which students learn skills such as how to establish clear roles within teams and set measurable goals. While the curriculum covers multiple approaches, this is a class where Frazier’s real-world experience with principles such as servant leadership shines.
“Servant leadership is about serving the people working under you so that they can be successful,” Frazier said of this approach. “Your job as a leader is to knock down barriers and clear any obstacles.”
Another of Frazier’s favorite classes is Ethics and Value Based Leadership. With its focus on accountability, integrity, and sustainability, Frazier says this class is central to Belmont Abbey’s Benedictine identity and highly applicable to today’s world.
“It’s team-taught in three parts: leadership, philosophy, and theology,” Frazier said. “When we do exit interviews with students, this is the class they say had the biggest impact on them.”
Hands-On Education
As highly as Frazier regards the MA in Leadership curriculum itself, he also values Belmont Abbey’s hands-on approach to teaching it. In most classes, Frazier and his colleagues use case studies so students can practice their new skills while solving problems they may encounter in their own careers.
Toward the end of their studies, students get more in-depth and hands-on training by completing a capstone project, an activity Frazier enjoys leading and helping with.
“For their capstone, we put students into teams and insert them into a nonprofit partner of ours,” Frazier said. “We actually have them go out and work on a real-life problem.” The nonprofit partners students work with include disability service provider Holy Angels and MiraVia, an organization that serves pregnant college students from all over the country.
Designing an Impactful and Relevant Leadership Degree Program
While Frazier teaches important leadership skills in the classroom, he has also put those skills to work himself as an administrator at Belmont Abbey College. When he arrived in 2015, he was named director of the MBA and MA in Leadership programs. In 2025, he became vice provost and dean of graduate and professional studies, shifting to his current role as interim provost in 2026.
“What I have learned in this role is that leadership is still teaching,” Frazier said. “You’re still teaching your folks to be successful.”
One of Frazier’s proudest accomplishments as an administrator at Belmont Abbey College has been leading the efforts to design and launch the MA in Leadership program in 2022.
“The number one thing I wanted to do when I developed the program was to develop ethical and moral leaders,” Frazier said. “Every business, no matter what sector, needs to have good leaders, good people who understand people.”
Making Asynchronous Learning Personal
Frazier and his colleagues also wanted the MA in Leadership program to be accessible to working professionals. For that reason, they designed the program to be one year long, made up of 10 asynchronous classes, and delivered online. At the same time, Frazier and his team have worked hard to ensure students do not have to sacrifice an impactful and personal experience for convenience.
“There’s not a day that goes by that we don’t have a phone call or a Zoom call with students one-on-one during the day or at night,” Frazier said, adding that faculty also have online office hours. “We encourage that interaction with students, whether they have a question or problem or just want to talk.”
Even though Frazier is delighted by the positive feedback students have given about the program so far, he and his team are not resting on their laurels. They have recently added new human resources and strategy classes to the curriculum as well as lessons on the ethical use of artificial intelligence.
“We continue to look at the program and listen to what the students say,” Frazier said. “It’s not static. Leadership changes, people change, the economy changes, everything changes. We try to stay on top of it.”
Start Your Journey to Impactful Leadership Today
With leaders such as professor Brad Frazier at the helm, the MA in Leadership program at Belmont Abbey College provides in-depth and accessible leadership education to professionals from every sector.
In the asynchronous 10-class program, students learn skills in areas such as human resource management, data-informed decision-making, and organizational change management. Just as importantly, they learn how to apply these skills in the context of a servant leadership framework built on community, humility, and other Benedictine values.
To find out more about the MA in Leadership program, request information from Belmont Abbey College today.
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Belmont Abbey College to Establish Patrick McHenry Papers in Abbot Vincent Taylor Library Archives and Host Highway Dedication in His Honor
Belmont Abbey College to Establish Patrick McHenry Papers in Abbot Vincent Taylor Library Archives and Host Highway Dedication in His Honor
Belmont, N.C. (September 10th, 2026) – Belmont Abbey College is thrilled to celebrate the legacy of alumnus Patrick McHenry with the addition of his papers to the Abbot Vincent Taylor Library’s Special Collections. The collection preserves the story of one of the college’s distinguished alumni and his nearly two decades of public service to North Carolina and the nation. The college will mark the occasion with a special ribbon-cutting of the collection on October 3 during its annual Homecoming festivities. The event will also include a dedication of the “Congressman Patrick McHenry Highway,” courtesy of the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), following legislation led by Senator Brad Overcash.
The addition of the Honorable Patrick McHenry Papers represents a landmark acquisition for the Abbot Vincent Taylor Library’s Special Collections and Belmont Abbey College as a whole. The archive significantly expands the Library’s holdings, adding more than 58,000 files documenting two decades of congressional service.
The collection includes committee files, policy research, correspondence, press materials, and awards. These materials create new opportunities for research in modern American history, political science, financial regulation, digital asset policy, and North Carolina political history, while providing students and faculty with access to a substantial body of contemporary primary sources.
For Belmont Abbey, the acquisition strengthens the college’s research capacity and extends the reach of the Abbot Vincent Taylor Library to researchers and educators both regionally and nationally. As a Belmont Abbey alumnus, McHenry’s papers hold particular significance for the college, connecting his professional legacy and decades of public service with the institution that helped shape his early life and education.
Alexxis Lynn, Director of Library Services at Belmont Abbey College, emphasized the significance of preserving McHenry’s legacy at his alma mater. “We are honored to preserve Congressman McHenry’s papers here at Belmont Abbey. As an alumnus of the college, his story is an important part of our institutional history. This collection will preserve that history while providing valuable primary sources for generations of students, faculty, researchers, and educators.”
The event will also include the dedication of the “Congressman Patrick McHenry Highway,” in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The highway designation recognizes McHenry’s nearly two decades of service representing the people of North Carolina in Congress and his longstanding commitment to the region. The designation provides a lasting public tribute to his leadership and contributions to the state.
“Congressman McHenry accomplished so much during his landmark 20 years in Congress,” said Senator Brad Overcash. “That’s why I was honored to lead the effort, supported by our Gaston Delegation, in the NC General Assembly to name a section of Highway 16 in his native Gaston County after him.”
This special ribbon-cutting and dedication will bring together representatives from Belmont Abbey College, NCDOT, government and community leaders, the McHenry family, alumni, students, and friends of the college to celebrate McHenry’s legacy and the preservation of his papers at his alma mater.
For more information about Belmont Abbey College, please visit www.belmontabbeycollege.edu.
About Belmont Abbey College: Founded in 1876, Belmont Abbey College is a private, Catholic baccalaureate and liberal arts institution. Our mission is to educate students in the liberal arts and sciences so that in all things God may be glorified. Guided by the Catholic intellectual tradition and the Benedictine spirit of prayer and learning, we welcome a diverse body of students and provide them with an education that will enable them to lead lives of integrity, to succeed professionally, to become responsible citizens, and to be a blessing to themselves and to others. Our beautiful and historic campus is conveniently located just 10 miles west of Charlotte, N.C., and is currently home to more than 1500 students. For more information, visit belmontabbeycollege.edu.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Sarah Bolton
P: 704-461-7016 E: sarahbolton@bac.edu
