The Bolles School is pleased to announce an unprecedented $8 million planned gift from the realized estate of Kernan and George H. Hodges Jr. ’56 – the largest single contribution ever made to the School since it was established in 1933.

Bolles Chief Advancement Officer Carol Nimitz said this landmark gift provides the enduring resources needed to care for a premier athletic venue, affirming the essential role of the student‑athlete experience at Bolles and reflecting extraordinary confidence in the School’s mission.

The funds are designated for the long-term upkeep and maintenance of George H. Hodges Field on the Bolles Upper School San Jose Campus and the facilities/areas that support it in perpetuity. The field is named in honor of the donor’s father, former Bolles Board of Trustees member George H. Hodges, whose leadership and generosity helped shape the venue’s legacy – a legacy that was cherished by both Hodges Jr. and his wife, Kernan.

“Hodges Field is where so many Bolles stories begin – from Friday nights under the lights to championship moments and personal firsts,” Nimitz said. “George and Kernan’s extraordinary estate gift safeguards this tradition and strengthens the future of every program and student-athlete who calls this field home. We are deeply grateful for their enduring commitment to Bolles.”

The field’s history reflects decades of community stewardship and family philanthropy. It was originally named Dads’ Field in 1942 to recognize the dedication, effort and time given by fathers of Bolles cadets. Nine years later, George H. Hodges—a prominent contractor and engineer—took a vital interest in a rejuvenation of the field. As the field’s transformation progressed, the Dads’ Club advised then-Board Chair Fontaine LeMaistre that “because of Mr. George Hodges’ interest in, and financial assistance to, the construction of the Athletic Field, it would like to have the field named the ‘George Hodges’ Field in his honor.”

On October 14, 1955, Hodges Field was dedicated to George H. Hodges during the Bolles vs. Fletcher game. The field was rededicated in 1976 by his widow, Nellie A. Hodges, and Hodges Jr., as part of additional upgrades and renovations under the leadership of A. Chester Skinner Jr. ’40. It was rededicated again in 1984 and 2006 through substantial gifts from Kernan and Hodges Jr., who were prominent philanthropists and real estate investors and developers in Jacksonville.

Bolles proudly honors the Hodges family’s extraordinary legacy, preserved for generations on the field that will forever carry the name of George H. Hodges.