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Efforts ongoing for fitting tribute to former Nashua AD

By Tom King - Staff Writer | Jun 5, 2023

He is a man on a mission, and he won’t stop until it’s accomplished.

That’s always been Dennis Morrissey’s way, as some may remember him as a key figure in the pre-Split fundraising group back in the 1980s-90s known as the Friends of Nashua Athletics. His son, Eddie, a former Nashua quarterback, is a long time college assistant football coach.

Morrissey’s mission now is to gain official recognition – likely a nameplate or plaque in the Nashua High School South weight room or anywhere appropriate on the South property – in the current Nashua school athletic circles for the 24-year tenure of former Nashua athletic director Al Harrington. In a message to gain support for what he calls “The Al Harrington Recognition Award”, Morrissey says “It will recognize his work and his dealings with colleagues, students, parents, and advocates within the ongoing development of Nashua’s athletic community.”

If successful, this would be the second local recognition for Harrington, who has been completely away from the limelight since his retirement 22 years ago.

Harrington is not currently in the Nashua Athletics Hall of Fame, but last July 4 he was inducted by the Nashua Lions Club into the Holman Stadium Legends Hall of Fame. It was good to see.

Kevin Morrissey, Nashua class of 2001, originally wanted to recognize Harrington and Dennis Morrissey has acted as the guide. But Dennis is certainly the guy leading the charge, with the contacts and the go-after-it nature. They talked with Nashua athletic director Lisa Gingras about how to go about it, and everything runs through the Board of Education. Former Nashua Parks-Recreation director and current Nashua alderman June Caron, who obviously worked with Harrington in coordinating fields, Holman Stadium time, etc., will eventually make the presentation.

Any high school athletic director, just like coaches, will have their fans and foes. It goes with the territory. But it certainly shouldn’t be controversial to say that for Harrington, this type of recognition is deserving for the longevity and his place in Nashua athletics history. He took over as the AD in 1977 and then retired in 2001. And for a good while after that, those in Nashua athletic circles were finding out what life was like without that commitment as Nashua went through three ADs and two interim ADs until Gingras was hired a decade ago.

Morrissey has sent electronic messages to people in the community to respond to indicating their support.

“I’ve got the people in Al’s tenure that know Al Harrington,” Morrissey said, “rather than go out and get hundreds of names in a petition.

“My involvement, per Kevin’s request, is to reach out to Al’s cohorts, peers, coaches, athletes, friends and supporters within his generation of which Kevin would not be familiar.”

Harrington’s ability to get the outside groups to provide funding for things like a new weight room, tournaments,etc.was a strength, and it’s the strength Dennis Morrissey is focusing on in hopes of getting approval.

“Just from the commitment of a man, the athletic director, who saw there was a need and he’d do anything he could do to get that need filled for the student athlete,” Morrissey said. “He made that happen. That weight room was built because of Al Harrington. … He’d jump through hoop after hoop to get what needed to be done and he’d know how to motivate.

“That’s what I see in Al Harrington. …

“Al harnessed the energy of adults who had the interest in the advancement of athletics by developing fundraising events. Proceeds from these events served capital projects.”

Dennis Morrissey hopes this can happen sooner than later.

“We’re focusing on this year,” Dennis Morrissey said, but he knows that

“The political side, there’s always something.”

The hope here is that’s not the case.

Tom King can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on twitter @Telegraph _TomK.

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