The distinguished Washington, D.C. attorney, former Montclair mayor and former U.S. Senate candidate Mary V. Mochary took to the podium at the University's annual fund-raising dinner, where more than 260 guests gathered to support the construction of a new theater that will bear her father's name.

"About 50 years ago my parents were living in Long Island and they found they had a child prodigy in the family, and it wasn't me," Mochary joked. "It was my brother, and they had to decide where to send him to school because he had a very special mind and they wanted a very special school for him. Out of all the schools in the metropolitan area he could have gone to, they chose Montclair State College High School, which was the demonstration school at Montclair State. That was the reason we came to Montclair and we loved it."

Mochary and her brother, I. Michael Kasser, along with other family members, made a $4-million leadership gift to the theater in honor of their late father, Alexander Kasser, an international philanthropist, art lover and one-time Montclair resident.

The 500-seat, $19-million Alexander Kasser Theater will celebrate Kasser's life and accomplishments and be a permanent tribute to the family's enduring commitment to Montclair, the arts and philanthropy.

"Montclair State is an important part of our family history," Kasser said. "While our parents were truly a couple of the world, they retained a special place in their hearts for this community and its people."

Designed by the leading architectural firm the Hillier Group, the theater is scheduled to open in 2004. (continued)