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Alumni Award
Thomas C. Werner ’67 to Receive Hotchkiss’s Highest Honor
THOMAS C. WERNER ’67 has been named the recipient of the 2022 Alumni Award, the School’s highest honor. Werner is an award-winning television producer, a member of the Television Academy Hall of Fame, and currently serves as the chairman of Fenway Sports Group, which includes ownership of the Boston Red Sox, the Liverpool Football Club, and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“I am honored by this recognition. I owe so much to the education Hotchkiss gave me, and I consider it the foundation for everything I achieved afterwards. Mr. Gurney would be surprised and delighted at my receiving this award as he gave me a 63 grade in English Literature,” Werner said upon learning of the award. (Richard Gurney taught English at Hotchkiss from 1935-1971.)
After graduating from Hotchkiss, Werner received an A.B. from Harvard. During his time in Cambridge, he began his career as a documentary filmmaker, including directing a film about Fenway Park. His award-winning films include a historic documentary about Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to run for president. Later, Werner joined ABC, where he developed a number of hits including Mork & Mindy, Three’s Company, Taxi, and The Love Boat. He cast Robin Williams in Mork & Mindy, and he provided opportunities to then-
Thomas Werner has executive produced more than 1,500 half-hours of primetime comedy. He is part owner of the Red Sox and helped establish the Red Sox Foundation.
Werner, center, in a Film Society club photo published in the 1967 Misch, along with classmates Christopher Little ’67 and Eliot Osborn ’67. Werner, second from right in the front row, flanked by members of Taylor soccer.
unknown actors Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies), Danny DeVito, and Tony Danza (both in Taxi).
Following his career at ABC, Werner executive-produced more than 1,500 halfhours of primetime comedies, including Roseanne, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Cosby Show, and That ’70s Show. Werner is currently producing The Conners, in its fourth season at ABC, and a spinoff of That ’70s Show on Netflix titled That ’90s Show.
Werner received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Producers Guild of America. His company, CarseyWerner, has produced shows that have garnered 24 Emmy Awards, 11 People’s Choice Awards, 10 Golden Globes, and numerous others.
In 1998, he joined forces with Oprah Winfrey to launch Oxygen, a 24-hour cable channel. Most recently, he teamed up with Sara Gilbert to launch the production company sara+tom.
Werner’s career in baseball dates back to 1990, when he became managing general partner of the San Diego Padres. There, he introduced the concept of expanded playoffs and the wildcard format.
In 2002, he joined with John Henry to acquire the Boston Red Sox, the only bidders to make saving Fenway Park a cornerstone of their proposal. His infatuation with the Red Sox dates back to 1967, when he was a freshman at Harvard. The New York native was caught up in the team’s “Impossible Dream” journey to the World Series.
Under his tenure, the Red Sox have won four World Series. Aside from the team’s on-field success, the Red Sox play a meaningful role in the community.
The Red Sox Foundation, which Werner was instrumental in establishing, has become one of the largest team charities in Major League Baseball. He also spearheaded the creation of Home Base, a partnership between the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital, that operates the largest clinic in the country treating the invisible wounds of war, including post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. It has provided life-saving interventions for more than 30,000 soldiers, veterans, and military families. In March 2021, Werner received the Secretary of Defense medal for Outstanding Public Service from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, at a ceremony at the Pentagon.
Werner followed his brother, Peter Werner ’64, to Lakeville from St. Bernard’s School in New York. At Hotchkiss, Werner was involved in numerous extracurricular activities and participated in club soccer, hockey, and golf. Known for his excellent memory and sense of humor, he excelled academically. He was editor of The Record, a member of the Press Club, and organized the Hotchkiss Film Society, serving as its first president. Along with several classmates, he produced his first film while at Hotchkiss. H
Since 1931, the Hotchkiss Alumni Association has honored notable alumni with the Alumni Award. Selected by the Nominating Committee of the Board of Governors, recipients have brought honor and distinction to themselves and Hotchkiss through their achievements. Werner was honored in Lakeville during an All-School ceremony in May 2022.
