There’s a story behind the man behind the name behind the cafeteria. Rev. Leo O’Donovan, S.J. was the last Jesuit president of Georgetown, reigning from 1989 to 2001. He was known as a consummate fundraiser, a born schmoozer, and oversaw the GU endowment’s greatest period of growth. His run was long and productive, and nobody begrudged him his retirement.
But instead of drifting into an undifferentiated haze of thick leather chairs and cr?me de cacao, O’Donovan chose a different path through his golden years. Yes, Leo is Hollywood’s new golden boy.
That’s right. O’Donovan has left black-tie White House functions behind for Hollywood afterparties. In the Sept. 22 issue of New York magazine, O’Donovan is shown gallivanting with Miramax mogul Harvey Weinstein, it-girl Nicole Kidman and restauranteur Giuseppe Cipriani. But according to O’Donovan, reached by phone in his Manhattan apartment, the story behind the picture, “isn’t as exciting as you’d think.” He accepted an invitation to the Sept. 10 New York premiere of Miramax Pictures’ The Human Stain.
O’Donovan hasn’t exactly traded in his collar for the Gucci set. While still serving as president in 1996, he joined the board of trustees of Disney, the media conglomerate that owns Miramax.
Disney chairman and CEO Michael Eisner became closely acquainted with O’Donovan while his son Breck (CAS ‘92) attended Georgetown. Eisner served on the board of directors at Georgetown University from 1991 to 1992, and returned the favor to O’Donovan, inviting him to serve on Disney’s board. Here O’Donovan remains, enjoying the perks of mingling with A-list celebs while lending legitimacy and managerial expertise to an ailing Disney. It’s not all bright lights and spectacle, however-staying true to his vow of poverty O’Donovan funnels his salary into a scholarship fund, he said.
But enough about Leo, bring on the celebs: After seeing the film, O’Donovan said that he thought The Human Stain competently translated Phillip Roth’s novel onto the silver screen. O’Donovan also said he felt Nicole Kidman was extraordinary in the role of Faunia Farley, a cleaning woman. At the afterparty, O’Donovan said he was glad to have “a chance to thank Ms. Kidman for her wonderful performance.” Before he knew it, someone was snapping their picture.
The picture, also published in L.A. Confidential, has cemented O’Donovan’s tinseltown status. He says he has received calls from friends on both coasts about the picture. “After working for 12 years at the head of a university, you become more famous overnight for something else entirely,” he said.
While he may run with the stars now, back home he’s known as the namesake of the the newly-constructed quad cafeteria, quickly dubbed “Leo’s.” O’Donovan is honored that the cafeteria bears his name, and says, “what young people are calling it is terrific.”
He did maintain, somewhat jokingly, that, “I think of it as a dining hall, and not as a cafeteria.”
