Frank Mullen, 1931 – 2014

Throughout what he described as his “fifty year love affair with Yale and the Divinity School,” Frank Mullen ’56 M.Div. pastored two churches, served as the 1957 class agent, and became a lifetime member of the YDS Board of Directors. In 1984 he joined the staff of YDS as director of development, where he raised an estimated $35 million and secured over 58 named and endowed scholarships. On October 9, Mullen passed away in his home in Richmond, Indiana, at the age of 83. 

$1 million in a paper bag

Frank led a life dedicated to service, equality, and interdenominational faith. Following his graduation from YDS, Frank was ordained by the Disciples of Christ and began his life of ministry at the YMCA in Wilmington, Delaware. He eventually became the executive director of Sloane House in Manhattan through the 1970s, then the world’s largest residential YMCA. 

After serving as director of development for a large New York hospital, Mullen combined his talent for fundraising and his love for YDS by accepting Dean Lee Keck’s invitation to become the school’s director of development. Mullen originally agreed to stay for two years to help get the development office organized; he stayed for 13 years. 

Frank was well-known for his unique and passionate advocacy for the divinity school. Jim Hackney, YDS’s current director of development, recalled that Mullen “really took the development program to a new level.” 

In one of his most storied accomplishments, Mullen secured $1 million for YDS in a single day by driving to New York and accepting a pile of stock certificates from Lillian Claus in a paper bag. After driving back to New Haven, Mullen confirmed value of the certificates as $846,000. When Claus heard the total value of the certificates over the phone, she immediately called Mullen back to New York so she could donate another $154,000 to round the number out!

Finding the story delightful, Dean Keck asked Mullen to announce to the students that Ms. Claus had donated $1 million in a paper bag—but it took the student body until Easter to realize that this was actually true.

A lifetime of Yale spirit and generosity

Mullen’s tenure as development director is also noted for having made a fruitful connection with Bill and Melinda Gates through their minister, YDS alumnus Dale E. Turner ’43 B.D. and Turner’s friend Dixie Jo Porter.

A prodigiously high-spirited Yalie, Mullen delighted in cheering on Bulldog athletics, offering sermons in YDS’s Marquand Chapel, and taking YDS scholars to lunch at Mory’s—often ensuring they had tickets to Yale football games. In 1985 Mullen became a fellow of Trumbull College and was a valued mentor to undergraduates and graduates alike.

“Mullen was about as ‘Old Blue’ as anyone could be associated with the Divinity School,” remembers Hackney.

But Mullen’s affinity for charitable giving started at home and he led the way for his work as the director of development at YDS by donating generously every year. Following Mullen’s 1997 retirement, his friends and colleagues around the university established The Frank and Ruth Mullen Endowed Scholarship fund, which Hackney described “one of the largest scholarship funds enabling students to come to YDS.”

When his wife of nine years, Ruth Ackerman, passed away in 1969, Mullen began renting out his Queens home to students at St. John’s University as affordable and safe housing. When he moved back to Indiana, Mullen gave the proceeds from the sale of his home to the Earlham School of Religion and its Ministry of Writing Program.

Somehow, amidst all his work dedicated to the welfare of YDS, Frank found time to fulfill his love of traveling, visiting over a hundred countries and journeying to every continent. He was a member of the Circumnavigator’s Club and enjoyed leading travel groups to the Holy Land. On several occasions, he served as a chaplain on a cruise ship.

Friends and family remembered Frank Mullen’s life in a memorial service at Friends Fellowship Community in Richmond, Indiana on October 25. Jim Hackney attended on behalf of YDS.

Dean Greg Sterling offered gratitude for Mullen’s lifelong commitment to YDS.  

“No seminary or divinity school can exist without outside benefactors,” said Dean Sterling. “Frank Mullen was not only a key figure in YDS’s Development Office but was personally a generous benefactor. On behalf of the entire YDS community we salute Frank and give thanks to God for his dedicated loyalty.”