Northeastern’s longtime sports information director Jack Grinold donated $1 million to his employer’s athletics department to endow the operations of the program.

Grinold’s donation is the largest contribution to athletics ever made by a staff member. He has served as SID for the past 46 years and associate athletics director for the last 20 years.

“I’ve been here starting my 47^th year in June, and I feel it’s time to give back,” he said. “I feel like athletics is the program that most brings together the entire Northeastern community. I recognize that now is the time to support this program, and I hope that others will do the same.”

Northeastern recently concluded a comprehensive review of the athletics department and announced a commitment to raising funds to provide student-athlete and teams with resources. Grinold’s gift is in the form of a charitable gift annuity.

Grinold has received many honors for his work at Northeastern, including being named one of the top 100 individuals responsible for the school’s growth and success and an induction into the school’s hall of fame. He is also a member of the College Sports Information Directors of America hall of fame and the Eastern Massachusetts chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame is named the Jack Grinold chapter.