Source: The Journal News

http://www.nyjournalnews.com/newsroom/050504/b0105ionacrosses.html

On May 5, 2004 The Journal News reported, "Iona College students returned from spring break a few weeks ago to a subtle, unannounced change in their classrooms. 'Some people took a double-take, like 'There are crucifixes in our classrooms. When did that happen?' ' said Karol Markosky, 22, a senior from Bethel, Conn. "I think it's a nice addition. People are thinking, 'We really are a Catholic college.' ' Iona has been a Catholic college since it was founded by the Congregation of Christian Brothers in 1940. Near the main entrance stands a statue of Saint Columba, a 6th-century Irish missionary who helped establish Iona, Scotland, as an early center of Celtic Christianity. Take a walk on campus and you can't miss a prominent Celtic cross and other unmistakable symbols of faith. But an alumnus and high-profile benefactor who visited the campus in the fall for homecoming was struck by what was missing: the crucifixes that he remembered in Iona's classrooms... The alumnus, a member of the class of 1956, has chosen to remain anonymous. But he paid to have crucifixes placed on the front walls of more than 100 classrooms on Iona's New Rochelle and Pearl River campuses."