“What’s in a Name?” The D’Angelo Center at St. John's University

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D’Angelo Family in front of the D’Angelo Center Building at St. John's
July 22, 2025

Opened in late 2009, the D’Angelo Center is an around-the-clock home for both academics and student life at St. John’s University. It serves as a beacon for the Queens, NY, campus and surrounding community. 

Known as “DAC,” this 127,000-square-foot building of brick, granite, and cast stone was named for Board of Trustees Chair Emeritus Peter P. D’Angelo ’78MBA, ’06HON and his wife, Trustee Margaret La Rosa D’Angelo ’70Ed, ’22HON.

Mr. D’Angelo, President of Caxton Alternative Management, LP, a private investment company, earned his master of business administration degree from St. John’s. Mrs. D’Angelo graduated from The School of Education at St. John’s. Both have been awarded honorary degrees from the University.

Torch at the top of D'Angelo Center on the St. John's University campus

“For me and Peg, this is a great day,” Mr. D’Angelo said in 2009. “We’re honored and privileged to have our names on this building and be forever associated with St. John’s University.”

DAC’s 144-foot bell tower serves as the highest point of any building on campus. It features a gold leaf-layered torch—a tribute to the one held by the Statue of Liberty as she welcomes visitors to New York Harbor. 

Similarly, many of the $77 million building’s design elements were inspired by the Great Halls of Ellis Island—a timeless reminder of the University’s mission to educate the children of immigrants. “The central seating area features a double-height space with round-arch windows, which architecturally links back to images of Ellis Island, implying permanence and aspirational welcoming—a gateway,” explained Mark Thaler, FAIA, Principal of Gensler Architects, the firm behind the building’s design. 

Colloquially referred to as “the living room,” the central seating area features a stone fireplace and grand piano. The adjacent space offers unmatched views of the New York City skyline to the west. 

DAC interior

As the hub of campus, DAC is home to a wide range of student-focused offices, including Campus Activities; First-Year Mentoring; Fraternity and Sorority Life; New Student Orientation; the Office of Multicultural Affairs; and Student Government, Inc.

DAC features 14 classrooms, six seminar rooms, student recreation and entertainment space, a full-service cafeteria, student organization offices, and the Sodano Coffee House. The fourth floor of DAC features a nearly 4,000-square-foot grand ballroom, which is the site of various University events, conferences and lectures, weddings, and other special occasions. 

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