Honoring the Alumni We Lost on 9/11

The University of Hartford remembers the six alumni who were among the nearly 3,000 people who died on Sept. 11, 2001. All six had attended the University's Barney School of Business and they lost their lives in the World Trade Center.

The alumni are:

James J. Hobin M'82

James Hobin received a Master of Business Administration from the University’s Barney School of Business in 1982. He was born in New London, Conn., attended St. Bernard’s High School in Montville and received his undergraduate degree from Central Connecticut State University. 

Hobin lived in Marlborough, Conn. with his wife and two sons. He is fondly remembered by family and friends for his great smile, his kindness, and his sense of humor. For over two decades, Hobin coached youth baseball and basketball. His wife said in a New York Times article that he could be counted on to mow the town’s little league field even before he mowed his own lawn at home.

In 2001, Hobin was vice president of Global Power for Marsh & McLennan. His office was located in Hartford but on Sept. 11 he was in New York City for a meeting at Marsh & McLennan headquarters. The firm’s offices were located on the 93rd through 100th floors of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. American Airlines flight 11 struck the North Tower from floors 93 and above. No one in the offices that day survived the strike. James Hobin was one of 295 Marsh & McLennan employees who died. He was 47 years old.

Robert L. Horohoe Jr. A'91, '92

Robert L. Horohoe Jr. received an Associate in Arts from the University’ s Hillyer College in 1991 and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Barney School of Business in 1992. He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and grew up in New Jersey. He graduated from Holmdel High School in New Jersey.

Working at Cantor Fitzgerald was a Horohoe family tradition. Horohoe’s father was a former senior executive and his brother and sister are former Cantor employees. After graduating from the University of Hartford, he lived in Battery Park City in New York for 10 years and could see his Cantor office from his apartment.

In 2001, Horohoe was vice president of corporate bonds at Cantor Fitzgerald, located on the 101st through 105th floors of One World Trade Center. He was engaged and had decided to buy a home in Holmdel. He already spent nearly every weekend at his mother’s Holmdel house with his fiancée and friends.

On Sept 11, Cantor Fitzgerald lost everyone who was in the office at the time of the plane strike -- 658 employees, or about two-thirds of its workforce. Robert L. Horohoe Jr. was among them. He was 31 years old.

Richard M. Keane M'84

Richard Keane received a Master of Business Administration from the University’s Barney School of Business in 1984. He was born in Boston and raised in Pittsfield, Mass. He was the eldest of eight children, graduated from St. Anselm College, then briefly worked for Travelers Insurance Company in Boston. He went to Marine Officer's Candidate School and served at Camp Pendleton in California and in Japan as a courier to Vietnam.

After returning to the States, Keane attended Springfield College, where he received a Master of Education in Rehabilitation Counseling. He briefly worked as director of a program for the mentally challenged and handicapped, and then returned to the Traveler's Insurance Company until 1994, when he joined Marsh & McLennan in Hartford.

Keane and his wife were parents of five sons. He spent much of his time coaching baseball, soccer, and basketball. He also enjoyed gardening, building rock walls, entertaining friends and family, cooking and woodworking. A devout Catholic, Keane sang with his church choir, visited the sick of the parish, was a Eucharistic Minister and drove a group of blind women to church each week.

In 2001, Richard Keane was a senior vice president at Marsh & McLennan. On September 11 he was in New York City for a meeting at the company’s headquarters. He was one of 295 Marsh & McLennan employees killed that day. He was 54 years old.

Stuart S. Louis '80

Stuart Louis received a Bachelor of Arts in Social Systems & Policy from the Barney School of Business in 1980. He was born in New York City and grew up in Chinatown. He earned an MBA from Pace University in 1985.

He and his wife had two children and lived in East Brunswick, N.J. In a New York Times article, a friend said Louis was more of a family man than most people. Despite his high-level job, he always arrived home in time to help his children with their homework and to attend parent-teacher conferences.

In 2001, Louis was a managing director at Sandler O’Neill and Partners, located on the 104th floor of 2 World Trade Center. On September 11, the firm lost 66 of its 171 employees -- everyone who was in the office that day, including Stuart S. Louis. He was 43 years old.

George P. McLaughlin Jr. '86

George McLaughlin Jr. took classes at the Barney School of Business, and then transferred to his father’s alma mater, Wesley College in Dover, Del. A resident of Hoboken, N.J., he grew up in Matawan and graduated from Matawan High School.

After a post-college graduation trip driving cross-country, McLaughlin got a job with Dean Witter at the World Trade Center. He remained with the company when it merged with Morgan Stanley, and then with Carr Futures.

In a published interview, his parents described McLaughlin as a good person, a good athlete, and a friend to everyone. His mother said that “Georgie,” as he was known to everyone, was the type of young man who would walk across a crowded room to greet a person who looked left out.

In 2001, McLaughlin was a metals trader with Carr Futures, located on the 92nd floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The company had 141 employees. None of the 69 people in the office that morning escaped, including George McLaughlin. He was 36 years old.

Daniel R. Nolan '83

Daniel Nolan received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Barney School of Business in 1983. He was born in Hartford. Nolan, his wife, and two children lived in Hopatcong, N.J.

According to a tribute website, Nolan thought of himself as invincible. Danger did not scare him. Instead, it sounded like fun. He was an expert skier, and his idea of a good time was to ski down a mountain that did not have any carved trails. When he went scuba diving, he would descend as deep as possible, grab onto whatever fish were down there and ride them. He enjoyed fast trips in his motorboat on Lake Hopatcong, N.J., near where he lived. His friends labeled him the "Fun Guy," because of his adventurous streak.

In 2001, Nolan was Assistant Vice President of Computer Technology Services for Johnson & Higgins of Marsh & McLennan. On September 11, he died alongside nearly 300 other Marsh & McLennan employees in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. He was 44 years old.

new memorial planned

The construction of our new academic building led to the necessary removal of the trees originally planted in memory of these six alumni. The architects and administration have thoughtfully considered many options to create a space that honors their lives.

The new memorial, located in the Gray Center Quad, will feature a gathering space with subtle, sculptural seating. The area will be anchored by dark granite that is shaped to emerge from the ground and illuminate at night; featuring the etched names of our alumni. It is intended to be a visible and reflective space that will be utilized by the campus community for many years to come. The area will be formally dedicated on the 20-year anniversary of 9/11 next year.