Adelphi has upgraded its sports facilities under Hartwell, including the William J. Bonomo Memorial Field for baseball in 2007, Woodruff Hall, the Center for Recreation and Sports and Motamed Field (formerly known as Stiles Field), the practice field and tennis courts in 2008, and, most recently, the new Janet L. Ficke Softball Field, which was completed in 2011.

One of things he worked hardest to ensure was equity amongst all teams — men’s and women’s. During his tenure, Hartwell, a Valley Stream resident for eight years, added four women’s programs starting with volleyball in 1992, followed by lacrosse in 2001 and bowling in 2006, and resurrected the field hockey program in 2008 after a 25-year hiatus.

Since 2003, Adelphi has participated in the “Cans for Cancer” program where student-athletes collect redeemable cans on campus to raise money for Winthrop University Medical Center’s Cancer Center for Kids. To date, the program has raised more than $50,000.

“The young adults keep the older people like me going,” he said. “The young adults that are students nowadays are so terrific.”

Before he made the move to Long Island, Hartwell was a three-sport coach at Babson College in Massachusetts, guiding the men’s soccer team to a 1975 National Championship. In his playing days, he was a co-captain of the men’s soccer team at the University of Connecticut.

One of the main reasons he retired is to spend more time with his two daughters, Stacey and Stephanie, and his four grandchildren, who live in Massachusetts.