ix ▁slave - tr ader . ▁ ▁Career ▁B ard ' s ▁father ▁founded ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁" New ▁York ▁Life ▁In sur ance ▁and ▁Trust ▁Company ," ▁the ▁first ▁life ▁ins urance ▁company ▁in ▁New ▁York , ▁from ▁ 1 8 3 0 ▁to ▁ 1 8 4 7 . ▁ ▁B ard ▁himself ▁served ▁as ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁company . ▁ ▁St . ▁Stephen ' s ▁College ▁B ard ▁was ▁a ▁dev out ▁Christian ▁and ▁wanted ▁to ▁help ▁improve ▁the ▁quality ▁of ▁life ▁of ▁the ▁poor ▁and ▁to ▁encou rage ▁more ▁minister s ▁to ▁be ▁trained . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 3 , ▁B ard ▁and ▁his ▁wife , ▁who ▁held ▁similar ▁belief s , ▁purchased ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Bl it he wood ▁estate ▁from ▁Robert ▁Donald son ▁Jr . ▁and ▁renamed ▁it ▁Ann and ale . ▁ ▁The ▁B ards ▁were ▁committed ▁to ▁many ▁educational ▁projects ▁in ▁their ▁community ▁and ▁other ▁nearby ▁neighborhood s . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 4 , ▁John ▁and ▁Margaret ▁established ▁a ▁parish ▁school ▁on ▁their ▁estate ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁educ ate ▁the ▁area ' s ▁children ▁with ▁a ▁small ▁building ▁B ard ▁Hall , ▁serving ▁as ▁a ▁school ▁on ▁week days ▁and ▁a ▁chap el ▁on ▁week ends . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 7 , ▁the ▁B ards ▁expanded ▁the ▁parish ▁by ▁building ▁the ▁Chap el ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁In noc ents ▁next ▁to ▁B ard ▁Hall . ▁ ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁John ▁B ard