A LU M N E W S O F X AV I E R H I G H S C H O O L
M AY 2 0 0 6
In this Issue
A collection of books by Xavier authors.
9 Sizing The Impact of Xavier’s Top Gift Mike Fernandez ’72 recently pledged $5 million to Xavier, making for the largest gift ever given to the school. One possible use of the funds would bring a great asset to Xavier and to the 16th Street community. 12 Filling The Bookshelf: Xavier Authors Share Their Talents The alumni office petitioned Xavier graduates who have published books of all kinds, and we heard back from dozens of alumni eager to tell us about their work. Two prolific Xavier writers shared some of their writing tips and told us about some of their experiences in two very different aspects of the literary world. 16 Xavier’s Finest…2006 Hall of Fame Members Introduced Every three years, Xavier inducts accomplished alumni into its Hall of Fame, a collection of some of the most successful, memorable, and loyal Sons of Xavier. Inductees are graduates, faculty members or administrators that have distinguished themselves as outstanding “followers of Christ.” Now, meet the newest honorees set to be inducted at the November Hall of Fame dinner. D E PA R T M E N T S 1 President’s Message
23 Class Notes
2 From the Headmaster
27 Mileposts
3 News from the Quad
28 From the Advancement Office
21 ReuKNIGHTed May 2006 Vol. 9 No. 2
XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL Rev. Daniel J. Gatti, S.J. ’59 President Joseph Gerics, Ed.D. Headmaster
Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations Joseph F. Gorski Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations Eric Lamar Rivers Director of Annual Giving Michael L. Benigno ’00 Managing Editor of Alumnews Director of Alumni Relations and Public Information Loual Puliafito ’00 Advancement Officer Helene Strong Parents’ Association Coordinator Barbara Ciulla Advancement Office Manager
Contributing Writers Lt. Col. Roy Campbell Joseph Gorski Karol Kurzatkowski ’06 Martin Kurzatkowski ’02 Loual Puliafito ’00 Deacon Vincent Laurato Rev. Robert O’Hare, S.J. Maxime Sinal ’07 Helene Strong Tim Sullivan ’82 Rod Walker
Photography Michael Benigno ’00 Joseph F. Gorski Loual Puliafito ’00 Alumnews, the Xavier High School magazine, is published three times a year by Xavier High School. Correspondence and address changes should be mailed to: Alumnews Managing Editor Xavier High School 30 West 16th Street New York, NY 10011-6302 Or by email to benignom@xavierhs.org
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Read A Good Book Lately?
Dear Alumni, Parents and Friends, Schools and books go together. In school buildings there are notebooks, textbooks, school books, library books, reference books, book bags, bookcases, bookshelves, bookstores and even some students known as bookworms. In most schools, books now share space with computers that provide a whole new universe of information to devouring young minds. School libraries have become Library Learning Centers, connected through the Internet to a vast range of resources far and beyond the confines of the school’s walls. In this issue of Alumnews, for your reading enjoyment, we feature the special accomplishment of many of our alumni who have become authors of books. We commend them all, for sharing their wisdom, insight and imagination with a wider audience through the written, published word. There’s an old adage, don’t judge a book by its cover. True for books, and true for life as well. How often are we tempted to judge the value of something simply by its appearance; to even judge another person simply by his or her appearance? Face value is often merely apparent value and may not always be accurate, true value. Just as one has to get to know a person before coming to a valid opinion of that person, so the book’s pages have to be turned, the book read, before one can make an assessment of value, helpfulness or enjoyment. Another metaphoric expression comes to mind: his life read like an open book. Sometimes heard in a eulogy for the deceased, it reflects the ease with which someone was understood, an admirable quality of the person’s life—no hidden dark corners, no subterfuge, no “get to know me if you can,” but rather, here I am, warts and all, nothing to hide, content with my life and comfortable with your getting to know it. Would that we all led lives as transparent as an open book! Sometimes only late in life do we appreciate those near and dear to us. E. W. Richardson, in his book, Through Smoked Glass, says it well in a poem, “My Father’s Face”: In my father’s face I see/ the lines etched by time, / good times and bad, / happy and sad./ Those lines may be read, / like the words on a page. . ./ they form the book of his life./ When I was younger, / I never took the time/ to read those lines, / to open the book…/ But now, I am older/ and as my own life/ is being written, / I can’t put it down/ the open book/ of my father’s face. . ./ It’s there on the wall, / quiet and smiling/ and in the mirror, / each morning. Schools and books go together in a special way here at Xavier. Part of our mission is to insure that as the books of our students’ lives are being written, they will be open books; open to growth, open to hear the cries of the poor, and open to respond to those cries with generous service. And again, for helping Xavier to accomplish this, thank you. God bless you always,
Rev. Daniel J. Gatti, S.J. ’59 President
MAY 2006
— ALUMNEWS
3
FROM THE HEADMASTER
Ignatian Values are Alive at Xavier JOSEPH GERICS, Ed.D. Headmaster When Sons of Xavier gather at reunions or in the course of their continuing friendships, they often recall the hours they spent reading, studying and taking notes to master the subject matter of their courses. Some of their memories are more positive than others! Yet alumni all realize that many of the lessons they took from Xavier to college and life were learned outside the classroom. They often cite the hard work, responsibility and accountability permeating every aspect of life on 16th Street, from discipline to homework to sports and JROTC. Since 1847 the Ignatian tradition has been the most important element of Xavier High School’s identity. This tradition is alive and well today, not only in the full-credit Religion classes required for all students, but also in service and retreat programs. Freshmen and sophomores participate in one-day retreats with their advisement (homeroom) groups. Junior retreats are held overnight for two or three advisement groups at Manresa on Staten Island. The retreat program culminates in the four-day Kairos retreat for seniors, offered six times this year. Kairos is optional, and over the past decade the program has grown in popularity. Many students find it to be a life-changing experience, and the fact that 97% of the senior class participates is a testament to its effectiveness. The service program has also grown. Sophomores and juniors contribute ten hours of service to their parish, a community service agency, recreation program or elementary school. Seniors make a greater commitment to service to others, a minimum of six hours every Monday for twelve consecutive weeks. Our 225 seniors this year are working in 110 agencies in all five boroughs, in day care centers, soup kitchens, nursing homes, schools, hospitals, adult day care centers, and one hospice. Reflection on their service is central to this program. The Companions of St. Francis Xavier (CFX) is our program of service trips scheduled over the summer. This year, 97 Companions of St. Francis Xavier, more than 10% of the student body, and several alumni will make two trips to Tennessee to work with Appalachian Habitat for Humanity, and one trip to Tijuana with Esperanza International. Not only do they devote a week of their vacation to hard physical labor building housing for the poor; they also commit to fundraising during the year to defray expenses.
4
ALUMNEWS
— MAY 2006
While we continue to pray for more vocations to the Society of Jesus, the desire of so many committed lay people on our faculty to participate in the Society’s educational mission, not only in academics but also in spiritual formation, should be noted. For example, 26 faculty members (over 40%!) and three administrators served as leaders on Kairos retreats, and 25 teachers volunteered to direct senior reflection groups. Also, 19 faculty members will make a total of 25 trips as CFX chaperone. Such participation typifies our faculty’s remarkable dedication to Xavier High School and to their students. Xavier High School’s institutional commitment to students’ formation in retreats and service should also be noted. Retreats are scheduled during the academic year, and seniors on Kairos are excused from three days of classes. Senior classes do not meet on Mondays during the twelve weeks of Christian service. This sacrifice of instructional time may be considered unusual for a school which stresses academic achievement, but it demonstrates Xavier’s investment in the vision of Father Pedro Arrupe, S.J.:“Today our prime educational objective must be to form men for others; men who will live not for themselves but for God and his Christ.” Prayer, the Mass and the sacraments have always been and continue to be important elements of campus ministry at Xavier High School. Today students’ spiritual formation is further enriched by a vibrant retreat program and opportunities for direct service to those in need. The Sons of Xavier realize that their alma mater is remarkable in many ways, particularly in the extended roles our teachers, administrators and staff embrace. I am most grateful for our faculty’s involvement in their students’ lives in so many ways--in the Regiment, the arts, athletics and extracurricular activities, to mention just a few, and especially in Xavier’s religious mission. Reunion conversations demonstrate that alumni share my pride in our faculty’s commitment and dedication, which is an inspiration to their students.
Joseph Gerics Ed.D Headmaster
News from the IN BRIEF:
Quad
Xavier’s JROTC Regiment has had a remarkable year, capturing several titles and performing at a number of prestigious events….
2006 Beefsteak Dinner
The Alumni Phonathon took place in January, raising over $201,000, which surpassed Xavier’s goal of $150,000 over three weeks…
of the year, the annual Beefsteak Dinner took
One of the most celebrated alumni events
Above: Eva Klein P’08 was the winner of this year’s $10,000 Spirit Day raffle.
place January 20th, bringing in 279 alumni for an evening of good friends, good food, and celebration.
The Beefsteak Dinner brought together over 275 alumni from all over the tri-state area for a night of good times…
Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres were served starting at 6 p.m., and the group was welcomed by Joe Gorski, Vice President for Advancement
The 1st Annual Danny Pittaluga ’82 Basketball Tournament kicked off with a great turnout—19 teams competed against one another on March 25 while paying tribute to a fallen classmate… John Walsh ’39 received the Legion of Honor, France’s highest national honor in a ceremony that took place in front of the entire Xavier community…
and Alumni Relations. The event coincided with a basketball triple-header against St. Edmond’s, which has become an annual tradition. Dinner was served at 7:15, followed by remarks from Fr. Gatti and the drawing of raffle prizes and
Fr. Gatti and Joe Gorski announced raffle winners at the 2006 Beefsteak Dinner. The raffle raised over $1,600 that evening thanks to generous alumni vying for great prizes.
the school’s $10,000 Spirit Day raffle. Raffle prizes this year included golf clubs and other golf gear, Xavier items, dinners to
Spring sports are underway, but the Athletics Program has already had a successful season on a number of fronts…
Tracks Raw Bar and Grille donated by Bruce Caulfield ’73, and a pair of Knicks tickets donated by Paul Williamson ’57. A total of $1,665 was
The Parents’ Association Dinner Dance took place in February, giving parents a night of fun and entertainment… The Acoustic Coffeehouse gave student and faculty bands the chance to raise funds for the upcoming Companions of St. Francis Xavier service trips…
raised from the raffle, and the pot for the 50/50 was $660. The winner of the $10,000 drawing was Eva Klein, mother of Samuel Klein ’08. The night was topped off by the fact that Xavier emerged victorious in all three basketball games!
Xavier’s Advancement Officer Loual Puliafito ’00 spins the basket containing entries for the $10,000 Spirit Day raffle.
MAY 2006
— ALUMNEWS
5
News from the Quad
Xavier’s Regiment Makes Strides The JROTC program grew in size this year, bringing the total number of registered cadets to 318, and the last few months have been very busy for the military program. Current enrollment stands at the following: 1
X-Squad has a total of 39 members, up from last year’s 35 Raiders have a total of 34 members, up from last year’s 32 The Rifle team has 12 cadets on varsity and 25 cadets on junior varsity
2
3
4
5 1 Cadets posing during the parade ceremony. 2 Xavier cadets on 5th Avenue during the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. 3 Fr. Gatti and two members of the Regiment get a few words in with Edward Cardinal Egan during the parade. 4 Pausing for a break in Times Square. 5 Performing in Duffy Square on March 16th.
6
ALUMNEWS
— MAY 2006
A snappy Regimental honor guard formed up during the Winter Awards Assembly to honor John Walsh ’39 as he received the French Legion of Honor from the French Consul General for his exemplary service during World War II. John addressed the Military History Club on April 27th about his life in France during World War II. Twenty-six Xavier cadets served as “Men for Others” on February 10th as they volunteered to serve as a reception honor guard during a Children’s Leukemia Foundation Charity Ball at Chelsea Piers. Cadets looked exceptionally sharp at this black tie and evening gown affair. Several alumni were in attendance, and they were highly complimentary of the bearing and dedication of our cadets. Freshman promotions were posted on February 17th, and congratulations go to all cadets who have earned promotions. We look forward to the new Corporals assuming greater leadership responsibilities within the Regiment. Fifty-three couples attended the Military Ball in the Xavier gymnasium on March 4th. The junior class saber arch for seniors and their dates was one of the highlights of the evening.
Lt. Col. Roy Campbell, Senior Instructor The X Squad captured seven trophies during a recent competition at arch rival Francis Lewis High School, in Queens. A large contingent of X-Squad Moms and Dads, and members of the Xavier faculty and administration were on hand. On March 16th, the X-Squad performed at Duffy Square, within Times Square, at a wreath-laying ceremony honoring the 19 soldiers of New York City's 69th Infantry Regiment that have been killed during the conflict in Iraq. The next day, the Regiment marched in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and gave a performance at the 69th Infantry Regiment’s Armory at 26th St. and Lexington Avenue for the soldiers and their families. Senator Hillary Clinton was among the various dignitaries in attendance at the afternoon’s reception. At the Emerson High School Drill Meet on March 18th, Xavier’s X-Squad continued their success and swept to 1st Place. They received trophies in armed and unarmed platoon basic, platoon trick, and inspection. The Freshmen New Cadet squad also competed against 15 other high schools, but did not place in the top three. The Raiders placed 4th overall in the Brigade Championships held at Fr. Dix, NJ on April 29th. The Regiment’s Military History Club is planning a trip to Washington, D.C. on May 20th to visit the various memorials and monuments, the Smithsonian, Arlington Cemetery, and the Pentagon. Finally, at Eastern Region Nationals in Macon, GA in March, the X-Squad captured two 1st Place trophies in competition with 36 of the best high school drill teams in America: Squad Trick/Exhibition and Platoon Regulation Drill.
News from the Quad
Alumni Phonathon Surpasses Goals Did you hear from us? The odds are that you did. The 2006 Alumni Phonathon kicked off January 30, and throughout the following two weeks over 40 graduates came back into the building to help make this year’s fundraising effortss one of the most successful phone drives ever. A goal of $150,000 was set by the Advancement Team prior to the start of the drive, striving for $50,000 in pledged contributions for each of the three weeks. Ongoing efforts to increase participation levels gained responses from alumni that were new donors to Xavier. “The commitment and drive that the volunteers displayed says a lot about the Xavier mission of educating men for others,” said Eric Lamar Rivers, Director of Annual Giving. The phonathons would not have been a success without the support of the alumni volunteers and we are now within striking distance of meeting the $1,840,000 Annual Fund goal.
Dozens of alumni helped make this year’s Alumni Phonathon one of the most successful ever.
Each volunteer played a critical role in raising this substantial contribution to the Annual Fund, a total of $201,680 was raised—topping our goal. The Advancement Team wishes to send a special thank-you to the Class of 1959, who filled an entire table in the library, and to Frank Leahy ’41 and Frank Piasio ’54, whose dedication was evident by their participation in all nine nights of the fundraising.
Music With a Mission The Acoustic Coffeehouse was a huge success again this year, raising over $4500 to support the Companions of St. Francis Xavier service trips that are planned for this summer. A total of 97 students and 20 faculty members are set to help construct homes in Tijuana and in Tennessee as part of a growing program whose popularity is more reminiscent of a university than a high school. The Campus Ministry Department wished to extend thanks to all the parents who donated baked goods for the event, and to the performers and volunteers who made for a great evening of entertainment. Student bands gave an audience a great night of entertainment.
Rev. Bill McGowan, S.J. longtime Xavier college counselor already had the perfect Santa Claus beard when he was asked to make appearances at a number of Christmas parties over the holiday season. Fr. McGowan attended a total of seven parties, including visits to Ciszek Hall, in the Bronx, Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, and several events at his residence, Murray-Weigel Hall on the campus of Fordham University.
Robert and Fanny Silano P ’08 (right) and guests attended the annual Parents’ Association Dinner Dance on February 11. The Dinner Dance was a wonderful night of food and music where Xavier parents got to know one another and administration members in a relaxed, fun atmosphere.
MAY 2006
— ALUMNEWS
7
News from the Quad
Danny Pittaluga ’82 Remembered The 1st Annual Danny Pittaluga ’82 Memorial Basketball Tournament started with a great success on March 25th, bringing 19 teams of ball players together on a Saturday to pay tribute to a fallen classmate, great teammate and special human being, who tragically died in June 2004 of a sudden heart attack. A group of Danny’s ‘82 classmates, including Tom Weatherall, Tim Sullivan,Tim Tweedy and Chris Andrews, initiated the 1st Annual Tournament.The basketball theme was chosen to honor Dan, who was #11 on the Xavier basketball team during the days when Xavier’s teams were known as the “Warriors.” After a leisurely breakfast, the first of the double-elimination half-court games began in Xavier’s main gymnasium and Commons, about thirty minutes late, although no JUG was handed out.Teams consisted of three players, plus two alternates to be substituted throughout competition. After some fairly good but mostly comical and good-natured action, the field was whittled down to four.The Final Four teams were the All City Superstars, Friends of Mike Waitkus, Brennan’s Bums, and Zoltion. In the final bracket that pitted Friends of Mike Waitkus vs. All City Superstars and Brennan’s Bums vs. Zoltion, Zoltion and the All City Superstars emerged victorious in closely fought battles and headed for the championship game. As a special surprise, guest referee Frank Caesar ’72 was on hand for the final game, which was won by the undefeated All City Superstars, consisting of Mike Waitkus ’82,Tim Derham ’83, Ike Okeke ’82, Kirk Liddelow ’84, and their guest Earl Hunt.The final score favored the All City Superstars 11-9. A lunch reception held in Larkin Hall, sponsored by John Corea ’82 and Patrick Dunne ’89, followed the games. The success of the event largely lay in the perseverance of Tom and Rocco DePrizio ’82, who put together the final pieces over the last two weeks leading up to the Tournament, the
8
ALUMNEWS
— MAY 2006
assistance of the Advancement Staff, especially Loual Puliafito, and Joe McGrane of the Athletic Department. Also, a “thankyou” goes to the men who gave up a Saturday morning and, in some cases, afternoon and night, to take part in all “phases” of the event from pre-event set up through post-event festivities. The Athletic Department and the Advancement Office wished to thank Kevin Sammut ’07, who did brackets on the computer and helped structure the games throughout the day. – Tim Sullivan ’82
The winning team, the All City Superstars, consisting of Mike Waitkus ’82, Tim Derham ’83, Ike Okeke ’82, Kirk Liddelow ’84, and their guest Earl Hunt were presented with a trophy at the tournament by Fr. Gatti..
The attendees of the 1st Annual Danny Pittaluga ’82 Memorial Basketball Tournament.
News from the Quad
Alumni Turn Out for Regional Receptions
Boston, MA
Stuart, FL
Fort Lauderdale, FL
West Palm Beach, FL
Each year, Xavier plans alumni receptions in several cities, and this year a total of six successful events took place in Washington D.C., Boston, and throughout Florida, in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Miami, and Stuart. On December 7th, alumni living in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia were invited to attend a reception at the Army Navy Club, sponsored by Maj. Francis Dong USA (ret.) ’67. Fifty-three alumni arrived for cocktails and food and were treated to a presentation by Ambassador Vincent Battle ’58, United States Ambassador to Lebanon from 2001 to 2004. Ambassador Battle spoke of his experiences overseas and outlined the complex relationship between countries in the Middle East and the United States. Fr. Gatti and Joe Gorski spoke about changes made to the Advancement Team, and emphasized the importance of maintaining Xavier bonds long after graduation. We were happy to have in attendance several college students
Miami, FL
including George Ferzli ’05, Peter Stefanski ’05, Georges Abikaram ’04 and James Riso ’05, who are now students at Georgetown University. Between February 26th and March 2nd, Fr. Gatti and Joe Gorski traveled to Florida, where receptions were held to give alumni living in the Sunshine State the chance to gather together and share great Xavier memories. In Stuart, the reception and dinner was held at Chantal’s restaurant, sponsored by Bob Baratta ’58 and his wife, Carol. Throughout the following week, receptions were held at the homes of several area alumni, including John Balaguer ’53, in West Palm Beach,
Washington, DC Joseph Von Zwehl ’53 and his wife, Noreen, in Fort Lauderdale, and Rudy Cecchi ’69 and his wife, Emily, in Miami. A total of 79 alumni attended the receptions in Florida, and the Advancement Team wished to extend thanks to those who hosted and sponsored our wonderful events. Finally, on March 30th, Bostonarea alumni were invited to a reception at the Boston College Club, sponsored by Jim McEleney ’83. Twenty-three alumni attended the event, on the 36th floor of the Bank of America building, providing beautiful views of the city. Joe Gorski and Fr. Gatti gave guests an update on the successes of many Xavier programs, and announced Mike Fernandez’s donation of $5 million, which is the largest single gift ever made to Xavier. Patrick Sezen ’04, a student at Boston University, represented the younger Xavier graduates and spoke of the Xavier classmates he still sees on campus as they continue their friendship in college. MAY 2006
— ALUMNEWS
9
Don’ t be the last one! Join the Alumni Community, Today… and it is Free! Join the thousands of alumni who have already registered for the Xavier High School Alumni Online Community and stay connected with your classmates and friends! Xavier Alumni are able to locate classmates, keep in touch, and exchange information and ideas by joining the online community.
@ Online Alumni Directory Now, staying in-touch has never been so easy! The alumni directory contains personal and professional information in a secure environment. It allows you to update your information online as well as search the entire alumni directory!
@ Career Center Looking for a new job? Want to find a new employee? Hire one of your own Xavier Brothers! Maybe, you are not in the position to hire, but want to help. Here is your chance to be a mentor and to make a difference in someone’s career.
@ Instant Notes You have notes! Send messages to each other instantly. If the other alumnus is not online it will be emailed.
@ Your Photos! This is our most popular feature and it is growing fast. Add as many photos as you can to your own photo album and show them off to the Xavier Community! Look at photo albums from past alumni events and find yourself or look for friends.
@ Message Board Have an issue that you would like to discuss? Post it on the Message Board, where replies can come from generations of Xavier Alumni with many different opinions.
5 Steps Away from the Community! 1. Go to: www.xavierhsalumni.org 2. Click on: First Time Login Re-Connect (located at the top left corner)
3. 4. 5. 10
ALUMNEWS
— MAY 2006
Enter your last name.
Online!
Choose your full name from the options given. Enter your temporary password: The number next to your name on the address of this magazine.
Mike Fernandez ’72 makes $5 million gift to Xavier! A $5 million dollar gift that was pledged in early March by Mike Fernandez ’72 is the largest single gift ever made to Xavier High School. The generous gift is currently earmarked as the lead funding for a multipurpose auditorium/theater, designed by Holzman Moss Architecture, LLP. The new building would be located in the quadrangle space, between three school buildings and the east side of the Church of St. Francis Xavier. The facility will be a valuable asset for the school community, providing space for student rehearsals and performances, class assemblies, drama productions, concerts, lectures and special presentations. The facility could also be made available on a rental basis to various groups from the local community. “The new building will be Xavier’s first in 45 years,” commented Xavier President, Fr. Gatti.“Not only a first class, high tech auditorium/theater, but on its initial level there would be a new student commons gathering area which during the school day would function as a small group study hall, and after school hours serve as a meeting space. Sharing use of this facility with outside groups provides Xavier with a wonderful opportunity to establish ties with other New Yorkers and at the same time keep Xavier’s name in the public’s awareness.” Mike Fernandez has been very successful in the healthcare industry, identifying solid companies, building them up and transforming them into leaders in their field. In December 2004, he sold CarePlus Health Plans and its two subsidiaries to Humana, Inc. He recently made a lead gift of $10 million dollars to the University of Miami, School of Business, a gift that will fund construction of a 195,000 square foot building housing an entrepreneurship center, an information resource center, an undergraduate placement center, an academic pavilion, and student residences. He is also active in the United Way of greater Miami.
Fernandez made news last year in the Miami papers following the sale of three of his companies when his former employees received a total of $26 million dollars in bonuses. In the words of Fr. Gatti,“Mike Fernandez is an extraordinary individual who recognizes the value of education in a person’s life. Born in Cuba and later raised in New York City, his success is an ‘only in America story.’ His gift not only speaks of his gratitude for his Xavier Jesuit education and his wanting to assist Xavier in its mission, but also serves as a motivator, both to current students and to present and future alumni. In my March meeting with him in Miami, he expressed his hope that other alumni would step forward and even exceed his own most generous gift.” He has graciously accepted Fr. Gatti’s invitation to be this year’s commencement speaker.
Fr. Gatti with Mike Fernandez ’72 during a visit in April.
Xavier’s quadrangle as it is today
MAY 2006
— ALUMNEWS
11
In Response to a Reader… A Tribute to our History—A Hope for the Future
In January, we received a letter from Bill Haybyrne ’60 who shared his memories of the days when all Xavier students participated in the school’s JROTC program. The Class of 1972 was the last class to be required to take part in the Regiment and the program has existed on an optional basis ever since. Lt. Col. Roy Campbell, head of Xavier’s current Regiment, shares his perspective on the current military program.
The 1951 Xavier Rifle Team the morning after firing what was the highest score in Xavier's history while competing against Maryland University Freshmen.
12
ALUMNEWS
— MAY 2006
Forty-nine years ago, I entered Xavier as a Freshman. I knew that my friends who were going to attend Fordham Prep, Regis, Loyola, Brooklyn Prep, and St. Peter’s Prep were going to receive an excellent education, administered in the Jesuit tradition. I knew that I was going to receive all of that as well — but I was going to receive it, additionally, in a unique environment that emphasized, fostered, and valued self-discipline, self-control and leadership. When people saw us behaving ourselves (for the most part) on the subways and in the streets of New York, they assumed that Xavier imposed a significant degree of discipline on us. What they didn’t understand is that Xavier did not impose that discipline on us, we imposed it on ourselves. That was what we learned from the “Military School” environment that we experienced. It was a “culture” that we, as students, adopted and it permeated every aspect and every minute of our life at Xavier. Rather than stifle us or take away our initiative, I believe, it helped us to develop leadership, self-reliance and responsibility for ourselves and our actions. What other group of one thousand teenagers could you place in an empty armory week after week without adult supervision and have all 1000 teens strive to master the communal exercise of marching in unison and to excel in the manual of arms, to develop the internal discipline necessary for 1000 individuals to work as one. And those of us who lived the “Military School” experience remember that it was really the Cadets who ran The Regiment. Of course the Prefect of Discipline and the Military Science staff provided guidance, direction, and evaluation (it was not an adult-less world), but it was the Cadets who planned the drill sessions, formed the battalions each week for drill, and gave the commands, the instructions, and the criticism. We disciplined ourselves with our Cadet MPs; “Guardhouse” (or “Jug”) was administered by a Cadet Officer. Our standards of personal appearance and neatness were monitored by inspections conducted by Cadet Officers. All of the discipline, control, responsibility, leadership, came from within us—not from outside us. I would never suggest that leadership and self-discipline cannot be taught or learned in an environment other than a “Military School.” Of course they can. However, at Xavier our entire day, every day, proceeded in a culture of student-led leadership, self-discipline, and exceptional etiquette. We began our days with the same prayers that began the day at every other Jesuit High School. But our days also began with saluting “To The Colors,” and with “Attention to Orders.” We stood at “attention” when a teacher or guest entered the classroom. Our assemblies began at “attention” and continued at “parade rest.” We rendered the “hand salute” to priests and Religious that we passed in the street. The Regiment marched down 16th Street from the school to the Parish Church for First Friday Mass every month. Unlike the typical Jesuit High School, our days were immersed in a dual culture — Jesuit Catholic and American Military— the Xavier culture. Our days were so intensely value-laden that we could not help but absorb, if not embrace, its values. “Xavier Military” set us apart. Just wearing the uniform on the subways of NYC taught us to stand proud, even if we stood alone. That uniform wasn’t just a school sweater or jacket, something commonplace. It drew attention. We exemplified “with colors flying, guidons high, stand so all the world can see.” Many of my friends who went to Cardinal Hayes, All Hallows, or Fordham Prep, admitted to me, many years later, that they had looked up to us at Xavier (despite their teasing at the time) because they knew that we had to learn everything that they had to learn, but we had to do it in a military culture and with additional time commitments. They admired the discipline that we embodied and the bond that we shared because of the uniform. As one of them said,“You guys stood for something.” We were fortunate to experience Xavier as a distinctive, unique, and character building experience. I encourage the Sons of Xavier who experienced “The Regiment” as it was then, to express their disappointment at the great loss of Xavier’s uniqueness. Perhaps it is not too late, nor too uphill a battle, to recapture that greatness and offer that same distinctive, dual culture to today’s Xavier students who deserve it every bit as much as we did. I am confident they will respond to it with a commitment equal to ours. – Bill Haybyrne ‘60
The X-Squad filing out on “First Friday,” from the 1960 Evening Parade.
As the current Senior Army Instructor (SAI) at Xavier High School, I read Bill Haybyrne’s (Xavier ‘60) letter with great interest and also with intense admiration. Indeed, I never miss an opportunity to remind our cadets of the Regiment’s extraordinary (and unique!) legacy of military excellence. That said, I’m pleased to report that today’s cadets are deeply committed to achieving precisely the same objectives as Bill’s class. Today, just as in Bill’s days here at Xavier, cadets challenge themselves and each other to uphold the Regiment’s timeless values of selfless service and sterling integrity. The Sergeants and I strive for that combination of student-led leadership and exceptional internal discipline that have long been hallmarks of the Xavier Regiment. Recently, cadets read accounts from the Xavier Evening Parades of the 1940s and 1950s, and they were somewhat surprised to learn that the Regiment drilled for 90 minutes each week at a neighborhood armory. Their reaction? “That must have done wonders for discipline and esprit de corps!” I would love to have access to a local armory for reviews and for battalion drills for 90 minutes each week, but at the moment, our cadets execute their drills and instill strict military discipline during weekly inspections and parades in the Gymnasium and in the Commons. Today, the Regiment encompasses one third of the student body, and senior cadet officers do run the Regiment
to the maximum extent possible. Cadets plan and execute drills, parade practices, fall and spring reviews, and military balls. Cadets award merits and demerits for regulation infractions, improper duty performance, and unacceptable appearance. Cadets devise and present Military History presentations and take field trips to West Point and to military battlefields. Cadets enjoy paintball outings three times each school year. The XSquad, the Raiders, and the Rifle Team continue to field highly competitive and deeply committed cadet studentathletes. Finally, cadets maintain computerized personnel and supply records, and they run the Regimental Supply Room. In sum, the rich history of Xavier’s Regiment continues to unfold in the context of a voluntary JROTC program. As SAI, I offer each new freshman class 9 weeks of orientation to the Regiment before students are required to make a decision to continue with Military Science or not. (In fact, I take all of the freshman to the Rifle Range in the basement and insist that all students conduct familiarization rifle marksmanship training. This has served to convince some “undecided” students to join the Regiment.) This year, 125 ninth graders (roughly half of the class) opted to join the Regiment for all of freshman year. Retention rates have been above 90% into sophomore year. Ultimately, it appears feasible that about half of the student body will participate in the
Ready for a parade in 2004.
Regiment for all four years of their high school careers. Of course, numbers alone do not tell the whole story. The most important measure of success is the quality of the ultimate product of the Xavier Regiment. Along these same lines, as a West Pointer, I sometimes wonder about the quality of today’s Military Academy product. Every time my West Point Class of ‘79 returns to the Academy for periodic five-year reunions, the Generals tell us that the current cadets are smarter, stronger, and tougher than our own class. True or not, as long as current West Point graduates become outstanding Second Lieutenants, it doesn’t really matter how they stack up against my class of “Old Grads.” Similarly, as long as today’s Xavier cadets graduate with the same sense of discipline, leadership and integrity as their predecessors, we can be quite satisfied with the results. – Lt. Col. Roy Campbell
Alumnews welcomes your thoughts and comments on this issue. Send your letters to Mike Benigno, Director of Alumni Relations. email benignom@xavierhs.org mail Xavier High School 30 West 16th Street New York, NY 10011 Your letters may be published in future issues.
MAY 2006
— ALUMNEWS
13
Dave Anderson’s 1947 yearbook portrait from the Evening Parade.
F. Paul Wilson’s 1964 yearbook portrait from the Evening Parade.
X AV I E R AU T H O R S ON THE CRAFT OF
Writing By Michael Benigno ’00
A room of one’s own
was what the literary great Virginia Woolf said was needed for a writer to be able to create. She wasn’t just referring to a physical space, but also to the ability to support oneself, the amount of independence required to think on ones own. It’s too early to see how the scandals like those surrounding the works of James Frey and Dan Brown will affect the publishing world, and new forms of media are changing the way we experience the arts. But over 75 years after Woolf delivered her series of famous lectures, her theory has 14
ALUMNEWS
— MAY 2006
become an adage. Two of Xavier’s most prolific authors recently spoke with Alumnews about their own writing techniques and their personal writing spaces. They have led very different careers—one a longtime Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for the New York Times, the other a prolific thriller writer who also managed to build a successful career as a physician—and together, they have published more than 50 titles. In 1984, F. Paul Wilson ’64 published the first of what would be ten books telling the story of a character his read-
ers would come to know and love— Repairman Jack.“The first book started after a frustrating dream where I was being chased around a rooftop by this thing that I couldn’t get away from,” Wilson explained.“When I woke up, I thought that would be a great story. Now I have to come up with a character to make that work.” The character Wilson thought of turned out to be an urban mercenary who takes justice into his own hands. “If you have a problem that the system can’t fix for you, or if the problem is the system itself, you go to a guy outside
the system,”Wilson explained. Repairman Jack has no formal identification and lacks a Social Security Number. He isn’t a former government agent and Wilson said he made a point to portray him as an ordinary person, without any kind of superpowers.“I’d say he’s a blue-collar hero—he drinks beer, doesn’t drink martinis, likes Pringles, and hangs out in a bar. I really wanted to avoid spandex and superpowers.” Over the past 30 years, Wilson has lived in Wall Township, New Jersey, where he began to establish his career as a family practitioner. In 1971, he began publishing short stories and novelettes, and eventually two books of fiction, An Enemy of the State and The Keep. The Keep, a work Wilson still considers one of his best, was named on the New York Times bestseller list and it seemed that his writing career was snowballing. It was made into a movie in 1983 by Paramount Pictures. The Tomb, published in 1984, marked the birth the Repairman Jack character, but Wilson had no interest in making the book into a series, leaving his main character about to die. The Tomb garnered more success than he imagined it would, earning a place on the New York Times bestseller list and winning a Porgie Award from the West Coast Review of Books for “Best Paperback Original Novel of 1984.” Wilson has since published over 30 books that span the genres of sci-
ence fiction, horror, adventure, and medical thriller. In 1998, in response to reader demand, Wilson brought back Repairman Jack in Legacies. He currently practices medicine on Mondays and Tuesdays, working with five other professionals, so his work load allows for the free time he needs to write. He said it isn’t rare that one of his patients realizes that his or her doctor is also a fiction writer, but the reactions vary.“Some think it is really cool,” he said.“Others read some of that stuff and decide never to come back.” Writing, for Wilson, is a process that is best done bit by bit each day, a point he tries to emphasize to inquisitive admirers and aspiring writers like those he mentors at a yearly boot camp.“I write everyday,” he said.“Morning is my best time.” He said that even during the busiest times in his medical career, he still found time to write at least three pages a day.“It’s something you have to do if you’re going to keep up the narrative momentum—moving those grains of sand.” Many of Wilson’s stories make reference to his previous work, something that, he said, gives satisfaction to readers who are familiar with his entire catalog.“I enjoy putting in little connections here and there—the faithful readers spot them and appreciate them, and the readers who won’t know much of my work don’t miss them.” The perfect writing space for Wilson is the home library he has set up above
his three-car garage that overlooks a reservoir bordering his property. The room is lined with shelves that contain some 3,500 books and magazines, a collection which serves not only as a reference tool, but also as an archive of his published materials. The room also houses awards, paintings, publicity posters, and memorabilia Wilson has collected over time. Two desks—one an antique roll-top he uses for reading and editing, another more modern and topped with his personal computer— assist him with his craft. In his previous home, also in New Jersey, Wilson had a similar setup above his garage. “If you understand operant conditioning there are associations you make—you associate the kitchen with eating, drinking, hanging out. I associate sitting at this desk with working. It pushes your mindset into working.” While some might struggle to put complete thoughts down on paper, Wilson said he has never been too caught up in anything one would call writer’s block. He said he finds ways to gather the energy to finish a piece he has started, but admits that sometimes working with a character whose development and life experiences have gone on throughout so many books can make it easy to trip up. He is currently working on the 11th contribution to the Repairman Jack series and said that many loose ends had already been addressed in the 10th book, Harbingers, due out in the fall.
MAY 2006
— ALUMNEWS
15
One of Dave Anderson’s bylines, published in the centennial issue of The Review in April 1947.
Dave Anderson ’47, ( right) with of a group of Evening Parade staff members. The members included (from l. to r.) Anthony Herrmann ’47, John Murphy ’47, Cedric Priebe ’47, Harry Pratt ’47, and Patrick Kennedy ’47.
Unfailing inspiration has also been a gift bestowed upon Dave Anderson ’47. The author and New York Times sports columnist began to gain experience as a student by working as a member of the sports staff at The Review, Xavier’s student newspaper. While bylines were hard to come by, Anderson was listed in the masthead of each edition published during his senior year, which happened to be Xavier’s centennial anniversary. By the time he reached the Times, Anderson had been working as a journalist for 20 years, starting his career in 1951 at the Brooklyn Eagle, where his first regular assignment was to cover the Brooklyn Dodgers. When the Eagle folded in 1955, he moved to the New York Journal-American. In 1966, he went to the Times, and in 1971, he and Red Smith shared the “Sports of the Times” column while covering major sporting events and occasionally traveling to the far reaches of the world. Some of his most memorable assignments were collected in the 1979 book, Sports of Our Times. The book tells of the experience he had with many of the great athletes of the late 60s and 70s, as each location brought new, sometimes bizarre situations. Anderson recalls the first time he ever met Muhammad Ali, before the boxer Cassius Clay became known by the name that accompanied him into stardom. It was in 1963, at the Taft
16
ALUMNEWS
— MAY 2006
Hotel in New York just before a bout against Doug Jones that was set to take place at Madison Square Garden. Clay jumped out of his chair and ordered Anderson to stand while he shadowboxed, thrusting his fists within inches of the writer’s face. Anderson left the hotel suite that day, walking down the hall toward the elevator as Clay repeated “I am the greatest…” Years later, Anderson was among dozens of American and European writers at the “Rumble in the Jungle” in Zaire. Access to Ali and his opponent George Foreman was granted after each daily workout. Reporters were housed in a series of villas that had been constructed by Mobuto Sese Seko, the Zaire president. The villas had been built to house visiting diplomats. In the writing area for journalists, special telephones that allowed faster international access were set up so that stories could be dispatched overseas. Anderson’s columns won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary, and he is still read in the Times at least twice a week. He calls Ali the most newsworthy personality the modern sports world has ever seen.“Sometimes I pick my columns, but more often than not the column picks me,” he said. Twenty-five years after winning the most prestigious award in journalism, he said he hasn’t hit any major stumbling blocks. “Every day is different and every person is different, so if there’s some
news value in what’s going on, you just go with what’s new every day,” Anderson said.“You can’t plan. You have to see what happens and then go from there. You try to get the most interesting thing,” he said. As a reminder, Anderson frequently tries to imagine the first thing he might tell a friend about a particular game or event. That detail, he said, can be the starting block of a solid sports column. For his column, which usually ranges between 800 and 850 words, he often sits down in the den of his home in Tenafly, New Jersey, around one or two in the afternoon. The room contains a large desk and the walls are entirely lined with books. And it’s no surprise that Anderson organizes himself with deadlines, often out of necessity.“I’ve lived on deadlines every day of my life.” It’s apparently a process that works; he has published nearly 400 magazine articles in major publications and 22 books, including four books co-written with John Madden, as well as sports history books meant for readers of all ages. Atop skill and commitment, the writing process is a personal endeavor accomplished by those able to take in both physical and imaginative stimuli and put out ordered ideas. Still, it’s agreed upon that writing is a practice best learned by doing it.“It’s not as easy as it might read” Anderson said.
By Deacon Vincent Laurato
LOOKING DEEPER
John Courtney Murray, S.J. ’20 John Courtney Murray, S.J. ’20 became a household name among the politicians and theologians alike. So great was his influence that he made the cover of Time magazine in 1960. Fr. Murray taught theology at the Jesuit seminary in Woodstock, Maryland. Besides being an erudite Thomist, he was well-grounded in American History and had a keen sense of the various factors that influenced American government. He was one of the few Catholic priests to teach at Yale University up to this time.
Murray insisted that America’s most
Fr. Murray’s best-known book, We Hold These Truths, brought out how our founding fathers were steeped in the natural law tradition and how some modern thinkers found it difficult to even comprehend the ideas spoken by Thomas Jefferson, which were “self-evident.” Murray insisted that America’s most funda-
fundamental political
mental political principles were grounded in the natural law and therefore very much in agreement with traditional Catholic teaching.
principles were
Murray got into trouble with the Vatican in the 1950s when he blamed Rome for failing to distinguish between the French and American brands of liberalism.
grounded in the natural law and therefore very much
But it was Francis Cardinal Spellman, the Archbishop of New York, who got Fr. Murray to go with him to Rome to attend the Second Vatican Council to serve as a peritus (an expert theologian). It was here that the Jesuit priest made his impact on the over 3000 Council Fathers in attendance and got them to adopt the schema mostly written by Murray himself, declaring the Church and State to
in agreement with
be “independent of each other and autonomous in their respective spheres.”Thus, what was to come of the schema was to be forever imbedded in the minds of all
traditional Catholic teaching.
Christians as the Declaration on Religious Liberty. This document of Vatican II asserted that all human beings were entitled to “freedom or immunity from coercion in religious matter;” this right was and is to be safeguarded by government. What was also significant about this declaration was a change in the Church’s position on church and state, especially in a society in which the church had enjoyed a special place. Further, the declaration gave the church’s implicit approval to the idea of freedom of worship for all people but favored none. John Courtney Murray, the man, the Jesuit, the priest, a man inspired by the ideals of St. Ignatius of Loyola, to find God in all things, gave himself as a servant of the Church. And in doing so, gave the American Catholic Church the ability to make its gift to the Second Vatican Council, to be forever known as the Declaration on Religious Liberty.
MAY 2006
— ALUMNEWS
17
Book Profiles The Story of Football By Dave Anderson ’47 William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1997. 160 pages The New York Times is one of the most read newspapers in the world, using some of the best writers to contribute numerous sections each day. If you’ve taken a break from the Times’ information on major issues or finances to enjoy the sports section, you may have read been reading a piece by Xavier’s own Dave Anderson ’47. Over the past 30 years, Anderson has become an established columnist and author. In 1981, he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary for his sports column,“Sports of the Times.” In 1994, he received the Associated Press Sports Editors Red Smith Award, also for his column. Anderson is also an inductee to the National Sports Writers and Sportscasters Hall of Fame. In The Story of Football, most recently published in 1997, Anderson does an excellent job developing the most dramatic moments of the game, while showing off some of football’s greatest players. But this is the story of football and what is football without the history, the emotions, and the grandeur? Take a look: In the dusk at Yankee Stadium, the scoreboard clock blinked 1:56—one minute and fity-six seconds to play. Not much time. Perhaps not enough time for the Colts, who were losing, 17-14. After having forced the Giants to punt, the Colts had the ball on their own 14-yard line. But they had to get close enough to kick a tying field goal in order to force sudden-death overtime. As the Colt offense trotted onto the field, Unitas hunched into the huddle. “Unless the clock is stopped,” he said, “we won’t have time for any more huddles. Stay alert. I’ll call the plays at the line of scrimmage.” Unitas threw a pass to half back Lenny Moore for an 11-yard gain; then he completed another pass to wide receiver 18
ALUMNEWS
— MAY 2006
Raymond Berry, a 25-yard gain to midfield. Quickly he hit Berry again at the Giants’ 35-yard line, then found him at the 13-yard line. With the clock flashing the final seconds, Steve Myhra, the Colts’ place kicker, hurried onto the field. Quickly he booted a 20-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining, to tie the score at 17-17. This quote is a simple example of Dave Anderson’s great ability as a writer. Now, I am sure you are trying to remember, what did happen to the Colts and Giants in sudden death overtime? Anderson does an excellent job—pick up the book and read his version of the story. Other works by this accomplished author include a series of John Madden books, One Knee Equals Two Feet, All Madden, and Hey, Wait a Minute, I Wrote a Book. He has also written on a number of other sports, including golf, basketball, baseball and boxing. — Loual Puliafito ’00 Dave Anderson’s books can be found almost anywhere. Check one out from your local library, or purchase one at Amazon.com.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Mafia By Jerry Capeci ’61 Alpha Books, 2004 444 pages Jerry Capeci is a well-known writer on mafia crime families. He has been reporting mafia news in New York City since 1975, originally working for the New York Post and currently at the New York Daily News. In 1996, he created Ganglandnews.com, a webpage devoted to the latest developments in organized crime. To make all his information authentic he did a lot of research and found out many interesting facts. He has personally received death threats, one apparently came in the form of a note from a member of the late mob boss John Gotti’s crew. All of Capeci’s books are excellent, including his latest book The Complete Idiot’s Guide to The Mafia. His information helps you to understand the mafia better and to really see what mob
families are all about. Capeci introduces you to the Sicilian Mafia, Camorra Mafia, Calabrian Mafia, and La Cosa Nostra, which has ancestors from the early 18th Century. The book goes into great detail about each group and how it functions, what it takes to be a part of the mafia family, their effects in the world, and their strengths and weaknesses. People magazine decreed Jerry Capeci a “Self-Made Man” in a feature that said GangLandNews.com was “required reading” and a “Winner” of a website. Columnists George Rush and Joanna Molloy characterized Jerry Capeci as the “capo of Mafia reporters.” the New York Post also proclaims Capeci as “one of the best mafia reporters in the city” He has reported on major mob events such as John Gotti’s murder conviction and Sammy Gravano’s testimony that put Gotti behind bars. But a section on the rise and fall of major mafia groups stands out in The Idiot’s Guide. Learning about the strength and impact of large mafia families after, sometimes, centuries of havoc, makes their downfall all the more dramatic. It’s as if no matter how big or small an empire is, it can still quickly disintegrate. Overall, Capeci’s book brings new light to mob families. Readers get to understand them not only because of the murders but also for what they are fighting for—respect and admiration. — Maxime Sinal ’07
Why Have You Come Here?: Jesuits and the Early Evangelization of America By Nick Cushner ’50 Oxford University Press, USA 272 pages Nicholas P. Cushner ’50 is preparing to release his third publication: Why Have You Come Here? Jesuits and the First Evangelization of America. Professor of History (Emeritus) at State University of New York, Empire State College, Cushner has published several books and articles on the Jesuits and Latin America, many of which have been
translated into Spanish and published throughout Latin America. The former football team member and basketball team captain, Cushner graduated from Xavier in 1950 and eventually earned a Ph.D. from the University of London. Having spent much of his career following history and culture in the Americas, Cushner hopes to provide the first comprehensive analysis of the missionary activities of the Jesuits and how the indigenous population and its native belief systems were affected by the arrival of Christianity. Tapping into the Jesuit Archives in Rome and another research facility in Seville, Spain, for research, Cushner explains how the EuropeanIndian encounter changed the religion of the natives, their material culture, economic activity, social organization and even their sexual behavior. Analyzing Christianity’s appeal to Native Americans, the book details how Christianity replaced the native belief systems in America during the colonial era. Likely to be used by Western Civilization and Religions of the World courses on the collegiate level, the book is scheduled to hit bookstores in August of 2006. — Karol Kurzatkowski ’06
Condemned By John Nicholas Iannuzzi ’52 Madcan Publishing, 2006 356 pages Packed with powerful dialogue, with complex stories of betrayal, corruption, and the harsh realities of the drug underworld, John Iannuzzi’s Condemned details the shortfalls of the justice system in a world of side-handed deals where honesty is never quite honesty. Iannuzzi, a New York criminal defense lawyer, has dealt with these kinds of situations for years, and while speaking on this book, he has said that it would be impossible to separate what is pure fiction and what is based on his personal experience. The book is the story of the Brotherhood, a gang of Harlem drug dealers that was broken apart after a
two-year investigation led by the corrupt D.E.A. Supervisor Michael Becker. Awgust Nichols, nephew of Red, one of the accused drug dealers, becomes involved in a struggle for the market Red had once cornered. Nichols begins to work with Becker, promising to lead him to international connections in exchange for local protection. Becker, however, needs to keep up appearances, confronting Nichols: You want to wiggle your way to the top of the Brotherhood, more power to you. That doesn’t mean I won’t swat you down if you step one inch out of line.” Becker’s eyes were serious as he stared down Nichols.“Keep in mind, at all times, you are not the only person with a brain around here. You haven’t pulled the wool entirely—not even partially—over my eyes. Now, when do I get to see something so I know there really are people involved in a Russian route?” At the same time, the novel flirts with history as sections are intertwined with a story set in the late 1920s, during the days of government-enforced Prohibition—laws that, by Iannuzzi’s account and by some standards served only to criminalize certain aspects of American life, driving them underground and more or less out-of-sight but, nevertheless, remaining a major part of society. Iannuzzi draws parallels between the then-illegal importation of liquor from overseas to the drug cartels that now exist between Colombia, the United States, and other parts of the world. The irony is that the illegal liquor trade in the parallel story took place in the same New York neighborhoods that Iannuzzi’s drug traffickers live in. The common denominator in both cases is demand. Condemned will not disappoint a reader looking for action and excitement, and each chapter adds a new perspective on an ugly world controlled by power. — M.B. Other fiction works by John Iannuzzi include J.T, Courthouse, Sicilian Defense, Part 35, and What’s Happening. Visit www.iannuzzi.net for purchase information.
The Ethics of Lobbying By Philip Lacovara, Esq. ’60 Georgetown University Press, 2002 97 pages Part of a major project sponsored by The Woodstock Theological Center, the study that went into the publication of The Ethics of Lobbying: Organized Interests, Political Power, and the Common Good brought together a team of researchers who examined public policy advocacy in Washington, D.C. under Rev. Edward B. Arroyo, S.J. Hundreds of journalists, government officials, lobbyists and ethicists were interviewed individually and in focus groups. They were presented with questions on ethics and the ethical challenges they have faced in their profession. The result is this book, which proposes guidelines for lobbyists during a time when our elected officials are scrutinized under bright light. One of the most interesting sections of the book is a chapter where direct quotes are given from anonymous sources speaking on ethical concerns. “There is no question that’s the way the system works…those with money are likely to be much better off in advocating many issues than those without it. And you can look at it this way, that almost everyone has more than one lobbyist. Many lobbyists are poor too. But in the real world, those who have more money are able to hire professionals…Until the problem of money is dealt with, it is unrealistic to expect the political process to improve in any other respect.” Historic events like the Watergate scandal have changed the way political power is distributed, complicating the lobbying process, and lobbyists are tied to every branch of government. That there are so many areas for lobbyists to persuade our leaders using reputation, extensive networks, or by providing limited financial incentives underscores the need to better understand that process, the study insists. Lobbying proves to be such a controversial subject that the study points to a recent national survey where 45.5% of respondents indicated they MAY 2006
— ALUMNEWS
19
agreed or strongly agreed with the suggestion that “interest groups should be prohibited from contacting members of Congress.” The set of guidelines produced by the study emphasize were formed by breaking the reported ethical issues into seven categories—lobbying for the common good, lobbyist-client relationships, lobbyist-policymaker relationships, lobbyists and shapers of public opinion, conflicts of interest, lobbying strategies and tactics, and the overall integrity of the lobbying profession. While each guideline is specific to a particular concern, they are all aimed at increasing communication between lobbyists and all other fronts, chipping away at the tough task of grasping the immeasurable power of the public advocacy process. –M.B. To order The Ethics of Lobbying, visit www.woodstock.georgetown.edu.
The Story of the Christian Year By Rev. Richard M. Nardone ’46 Paulist Press, 1991 192 pages Part reference book, part Christian history, Rev. Richard Nardone’s The Story of the Christian Year traces the evolution of all facets of Catholic celebration, giving concise explanations of the significance of each canonized individual praised throughout the liturgical year and describing the many changes made to community practices during different eras. Nardone gives equal attention to the meaning of church celebrations and the progression or popularization of those celebrations. Many days of holy celebration were not universally recognized until the fourth century A.D.—like Christmas, which, at the very earliest, dates back to around 300 A.D., just before the Donatists broke from the broader Catholic community because they refused to forgive believers who turned away from the church during persecution under the Roman Emperor Diocletian. The earliest recognition of December 25 was in connection to the pagan festival of the winter 20
ALUMNEWS
— MAY 2006
solstice. The celebration was later converted into a Christian festival. The book also tells of customs that did not survive the test of centuries, like the requirement in Rome and in other large cities that the bishop celebrate Mass in each of the 25 city churches. The list of churches, then known as tituli, grew to 42 after several centuries and the days on which services were held became known as “station days.” The book is divided into seven chapters, which put the liturgical calendar’s history into chronological order, culminating with the changes brought about by the Second Vatican Council, in 1962. The Story of the Christian Year can help answer basic conversational questions about church practices that are often taken for granted: why do we celebrate Easter in May, and why is it fixed to fall a Sunday? Fr. Richard Nardone was ordained a priest in 1954 and recently retired from teaching in the Religious Studies Department at Seton Hall University. He coauthored “Standing Before God,” a collection of essays in honor of Msgr. John Oesterreicher, founder of the Judaeo-Christian Institute at Seton Hall University, and has published articles in a number of Catholic journals. — M.B. The Story of the Christian Year was featured in a list of MSN Shopping’s most popular religion books on sale during the 2005 holiday season. The book is available in bookstores and online at Amazon.com.
The Keep By F. Paul Wilson M.D. ’64 Tor Books 416 pages A cryptic sentence in a wartime communiqué—“Something is murdering my men.”—initiates the investigation of a German occupied keep in the Dinu Pass, Romania. The drama of The Keep, by F. Paul Wilson, thus begins and continues until the final page. It is an excellent read even for those new to horror/science fiction. As one would expect from the setting—an ancient keep in the Romanian mountains—this is a vampire story; but surprisingly, it is not centered on the
undead monster lurking in the shadows. Wilson, a master of character development and motivation, focuses much of the action on the interplay between two German officers—Woermann a veteran of WWI and Kaempffer a rising star in Nazi Germany’s SS. Not that there isn’t enough creepiness and splatter to keep one turning pages, but the real delight of the story is in how each of the characters react to being forced to remain in the keep. Wilson also reveals his Xavier education throughout the story. While the nosferatu is the story’s obvious monster, Wilson drives home the point that it may not be the story’s only monster. …”because security isn’t the answer. Fear is the answer. Make the killer afraid to kill. Make him fear the price others are going to have to pay for his action. Fear is your best security, always.” And what if the killer is someone like you? What if he doesn’t give a damn about the villagers? Kaempffer didn’t answer. Woermann decided to press the point. “Your brand of fear fails to work when you run up against your own kind. Take that back to Auschwitz when you go.” The tension, moral and other, continues as the story progresses and is evident even among the story’s heroes who may not be or remain all that they seem. The story has a number of interesting twists and surprises as it progresses to an exciting and satisfying climax. It will be a delightful discovery because F. Paul Wilson knows how to write! Xavier’s Science Fiction Club was lucky enough last year (2004-2005) to have Mr. Wilson make a presentation to its members on how he creates his characters and their stories. He is as excellent a speaker as he is an accomplished writer. For a short biography and bibliography on Mr. Wilson’s work, visit www.repairmanjack.com. The site takes its name from another one of Mr. Wilson’s successful characters— Repairman Jack—and it also gives a description of the breadth of Mr. Wilson’s work. Well worth the visit both for information on Mr. Wilson and for a list of titles to add to your summer reading list. –Fr. Robert O’Hare, S.J.
Xavier Authors
Through emails and the Alumni Online Community, the Alumnews petitioned Xavier graduates that have published books, textbooks or have contributed articles to journal publications.The following list represents authors that either responded to our request or had given previous notification of their work in other issues of the magazine.
Authors Dave Anderson ’47 • * Sports of Our Times; Pennant Races: Baseball at it’s Best; One Knee Equals Two Feet
Anthony Giampaolo, Jr. ’57 *
Michael Murray ’64
The Gas Powered Turbine Handbook: Principals and Practices
Economics, A Modern Introduction; Building Organizational Decision Support System; Subsidizing Industrial Location
Rev. Robert R. Grimes, S.J. ’70 * How Shall We Sing in a Foreign Land?
John Courtney Murray ’20 •
Admission to College: A Guide for Catholic Students and Their Parents; Seen Any Good Dirty Movies Lately?… A Christian Critic Looks at Contemporary Films
Larry Gubas ’59
We Hold These Truths; The Problem of God: Yesterday and Today
William Borst ’61
Robert Hallahan ’43
Liberalism! Fatal Consequences
All Good Men, a Lieutenant’s Memories of the Korean War
Jim Arnold ’47
Msgr. Myles Bourke ’34
An Introduction to The Binoculars of Carl Zeiss Jena 1894-1945
Contributor to The Jerome Bible Commentary, member of the Bishop’s committee for the editorship and revision of The New American Bible
James Hillman ’75
Frank Bremmer ’64
Coomacka Island: The Story of Spider & Ant
John Winthrop: America’s Forgotten Founding Father; The World of John Winthrop: England and New England, 1588-1649; Puritans and Puritanism in the Atlantic World
John Iannuzzi ’52 *
George Brennan, Jr. ’89 * Excellence: Sons of Xavier Forever; Bats,Brats and Stats
Rev. Walter Burghardt, S.J. ’31 • Let Jesus Easter in Us: More Homilies on Biblical Justice Preaching: The Art and the Craft; Christ in Ten Thousand Places: Homilies Toward a New Millennium
Regulated Investment Companies
Don Hooper ’97
Condemned
Ralph Jozefowicz ’71 Case Studies in Neuroscience; Netter’s Atlas of Neuroscience
William Kane ’50 Let Yourself Be Loved
Edward Keegan ’79 Chicago Board of Trade Building
William Cain, S.J. ’65
Gerald Keegan ’59
Screenwriter for Nothing Sacred
Healing Waters: The Miraculous Health Benefits of Earth’s Most Essential Resource
Jerry Capeci ’61 • * The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Mafia; Gang Land: Fifteen Years of Covering the Mafia, Mob Star: The Story of John Gotti
John Carroll ’62 • Sustainability and Spirituality; Canadian-American Relations: The Promise and the Challenge; Environmental Diplomacy: An Examination and Prospective of Canadian-US Transboundary Environmental Relations
Thomas Kennedy ’48 • The Arms of Kiangnan: Modernization in the Chinese Ordnance Industry, 1860-1942; Testimony of a Confucian Woman: The Autobiography of Mrs. Nie Zeng Jifen 1852-1942
Richard Nardone ’46 * The Story of the Christian Year; Standing Before God
Brian O’Connell ’71 Entrepreneurs and Managers: A History of the Taxicab Business in Milwaukee 1895-1980
Michael O’Keefe ’75 * Emergency Care; Essentials of Emergency Care
Mario Pei ’19 Our National Heritage
Rev. Vincent Potter, S.J. ’46 • Doctrine and Experience: Essays in American Philosophy; On Understanding Understanding: A Philosophy of Knowledge
Joseph Profaci ’78 * There You Go Again
Harry Riconda ’45 Prisoners of War in American Conflicts: A History
Albert Roker ’72 Al Roker’s Big Bad Book of Barbecue; Big Shoes: In Celebration of Dads and Fatherhood
Albert Rosa, Ph.D. ’59 * The Analysis and Design of Linear Circuits
Antonin Scalia ’53 Ethics in America: Truth on Trial; A Matter of Interpretation: Federal Courts and the Law
Joseph King ’60
Terrence Thornberry ’62 •
A Mine to Make a Mine: Financing the Colorado Mining Industry
The Criminally Insane; Images of Crime: Offenders and Victims; Crime and Delinquency: Dimensions of Deviance
Philip Lacovara ’60 *
Arthur Cashin ’59 *
The Ethics of Lobbying
Philip Wallace ’49
A View of Wall Street from the Seventh Floor
Rev. Robert Lauder ’52 •
Call of the Sea; Illustrator of Tiger Tales
James Childs ’44 *
Magnetized by God: Religious Encounters through Film, Theater, Literature and Painting; Becoming a Christian Person; God, Death, Art & Love; The Love Explosion: Human Experience and the Christian Mystery
Raymond Wiley ’42
Principles of Numerical Control; Numerical Control Part Programming
Nicholas Cushner ’50 Runners
Ralph Del Colle ’73
Walter Maggiolo ’29 Techniques of Mediation in Labor Disputes
Al Williams: The Fleet’s First Frequent Flyer
F. Paul Wilson ’64 • * The Keep, Infernal,The Haunted Air
John Yoegel ’63 Real Estate License Exams for Dummies
Christ and the Spirit: Spirit Christology in Trinitarian Perspective
Ian Maloney ’93 Melville’s Monumental Imagination
Article Contributors
Frank Dorritie
John Mancione ’52 * The Furnace for Gold: A Teacher’s Story
William Brock, M.D., FACS
Essentials of Music for Audioprofessionals; The Handbook of Field Recording
Richard Doyle ’47
As I Remember It
ATH: Its Use and Meaning
John Maxim ’54 •
Larry Early ’62
Abel Baker Charlie; Time Out of Minds; The Bannerman Solution
John Manning ’37
The Journal of Urology
Norman Dauerer ’58 Army Motors magazine
MAJ John Giordano ’91 Digital Avionics: A Computing Perspective
Looking for Longleaf: The Rise and Fall of an American Forest; The Natural Gardens of North Carolina
Anthony McNulty ’58
Armando Favazza ’58 *
The Road of the Dashing Commuter
Introduction to College Accounting, Tax Aspects of Business Transactions
PsychoBible: Behavior, Religion and the Holy Book
Jerome Meckier ’59 • Aldous Huxley: Satire and Structure; Hidden Rivalries in Victorian Fiction: Dickens, Realism and Revolution; Victorian Perspectives: Six Essays
Ron Lofaro, Ph.D ’55
Joseph Finnerty ’63 Corporate Finance:Theory, Methods and Applications
Dan Fitzgerald ’48 Paul Dolan Kilcoyle
Paul Morgan ’54 K-9 Soldiers: Vietnam and After
•
indicates that the author has published more than three works. * indicates the author has donated a copy of his work to benefit the Xavier High School collection
Thomas Hoar, Jr. ’58
Handbook of Aviation Human Factor, Human Factors in Training and Simulation
Thomas McGinn, M.D. ’49 The Journal of the American Medical Association
Ralph Sansaricq ’75 Peer Glass: An Anthology
MAY 2006
— ALUMNEWS
21
Boller Curra del Rosario LaMothe McEwan Potter Rainis Xavier Hall On Friday November 17, 2006, Xavier High School
will hold its formal Hall of Fame Dinner at Pier Sixty.
The culmination of the evening will be the induction of seven new members into the Xavier Hall of Fame. Each was chosen not only for their success in their various fields, but for the way they looked beyond
self for ways to aid those around them. They embody the injunction “Men and Women for Others.”
As we honor these extraordinary men, we also
seek to support the newly established Ignatian
Scholar Program. This special program is directed to be more than an honors program, having a strong
service component and participitation in enrichment activities. Sponsorship opportunities will be available for individuals and corporations.
Each of the honorees have traveled different roads
but have a shared vision of service beyond self. Please
join us on November 17, 2006 as we salute our newest members of the Xavier High School Hall of Fame.
For more information and about the dinner and/or sponsorship of the Ignatian Scholars Program, please contact Helene Strong, Coordinator at (212) 924-7900 x1655 or strongh@xavierhs.org.
22
ALUMNEWS
— MAY 2006
Rev. Kenneth J. Boller, S.J.
an
Kenneth J. Boller graduated from Archbishop Malloy High School in 1964. He entered the Society of Jesus in August of that year. In 1969, he earned his B.A. in Philosophy and Mathematics from Fordham University, and his Xavier career started in that same year. He taught Mathematics for three years before leaving in 1972 to pursue his Master of Divinity at Woodstock College and his M.A. in Mathematics at New York University. In 1975, after his ordination, he returned to Xavier to serve as Dean of Co-Curricular Activities and as a member of the Math department. Ken left Xavier again in 1979 to become the Principal of Canisius High School in Buffalo where he learned many things including all the permutations of “lake effect snow.” When he next returned to Xavier in 1986, Father Boller became its 50th Headmaster. For the years 1989-1991, he served both as Headmaster and the 31st President. A critical effort of his tenure was Xavier’s second Capital Campaign “Securing the Future.”The purpose of this campaign was to increase the general endowment, the scholarship and financial aid programs and also to fund the construction of the new Library/Learning Center. When the campaign ended in 1996, $11.5 million had been raised in cash and pledges. Thomas Mauriello, who worked with Ken at Xavier for seven years, stresses his excellent business sense and his ability to relate to all kinds of people. He speaks of Ken’s community spirit and his ability to inspire others. Tom states that he benefited greatly from the mentoring he received from Ken. Tom also knows a lot of “cousin stories” and believes Ken has relatives almost everywhere. Most of Ken’s cousins are on his mother Regina’s side, though there are number on his father Vincent’s side as well. They are a large and diverse group that continues to grow. Ken is the constant in all these lives; he is a friend, teacher, a confidant, a support. He is the family priest. One of the benefits of a large family is that one can learn early how to get along with others.
Ken left Xavier again in 1997 to become the pastor of St. Aloysius Church, in Harlem. There, again, he embraced those around him and learned from them. The joyous sound of services there were an inspiration; Ken’s vocal intonations are much richer now. More importantly, he continued his dedication to the principles of Jesuit education. The revitalization of the St. Aloysius School thrived under his leadership. In 2004, Father Boller went up to the Bronx to become the President of Fordham Preparatory School. Ken is also on the Boards of the National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped and the Notre Dame School, as well as Fordham Prep. Ken received the Insignis Medal at Xavier’s Sesquicentennial Hall of Fame Dinner for his dedication to the school.
Paul J. Curran, Esq.‘49 The Regiment’s Lt. Colonel Paul Curran graduated from Xavier High School in 1949 and went on to Georgetown University; he then went on to Fordham University Law School where he graduated in 1953. Paul Curran’s extraordinary long and rich history of service to people of his country, state and city began with his service in the U.S. Air Force as an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate from 1956 to 1958. Paul left the military for civilian life and became an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York for three years. In 1961, he left government service to join the law firm Kaye Scholer LLP, an association that, with the exception of the years 1973-1975, continues to this day. Paul did not stay away from service to the people for long; he served three terms as a member of the New York State Assembly from 1963-1966. From 1968 until 1973, he served, by appointment by Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller, as member and then Chairman of the New York State Commission of Investigation which investigated organized crime and official corruption matters affecting New York State. Paul served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1973 to 1975, Special Consultant to the Secretary of Defense on Intelligence Matters in 1976, and as a Special Counsel, United States Department of Justice in 1979.
s of Fame
MAY 2006
— ALUMNEWS
23
Xavier Hall of Fame The list of his pro bono government service positions is extensive, starting in 1977 with his membership on the Special New York City Commission of Inquiry Into Energy Failures. Other notable positions include: 1978-1989 Member, New York State Commission on Judicial Nomination; 1988-1990 Member, New York City Joint Commission on Integrity in the Public Schools; 1994-2001 Chairman, Mayor’s Committee on the Judiciary; 1997-Present Member, Judicial Screening Committee, Appellate Division, First Department. Paul is also a Director and Past President of Fordham Law Alumni; Chairman of Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York; and a member of the Cardinal’s Committee for Charity. He is a recipient of the St. Thomas More Medal from John Cardinal O’Connor, Fordham Law School’s Medal of Achievement, and the Charles Carroll Award from the Guild of Catholic Lawyers. It is not possible in this space to list all the service positions, professional associations and honors Paul has accrued in his life. He has served at the request and been appointed by New York City Mayors, New York State Governors, a Senate Majority Leader and a President of the United States. He is married to Barbara Ann; they have seven children and twentyone grandchildren. Paul was described in the May 23, 1949 issue of The Review thusly:“We shall always remember Paul as Xavier’s foremost exponent among the public- the student whose enthusiasm for this school is undying. If he carries forth with him the same spirit which he now possesses, we may be sure that he will not fail.”
Hon. Alberto del Rosario ’57 The cornerstone of Albert Del Rosario’s life was set in January 1945 during the battle of Manila. His horrific experiences created in the five-year-old the attitudes and aspirations that were brought to maturity at Xavier High School. At that young age, Albert received three separate shrapnel wounds and his sister received two when a bomb hit their grandfather’s house. Separated from the family and assumed to be dead, they were rescued by guerillas and brought to a makeshift hospital. The doctors had to remove the bullets from Albert’s arm and leg and the shrapnel from his skull without anesthesia. Albert knew that he had to be a man for his little sister and endure the operation without breaking down. He had a deep sense from his wartime experience that he had been called by God to be a strong person for others. After the war, Mr. and Mrs. Del Rosario brought their six
24
ALUMNEWS
— MAY 2006
children to New York City. The family knew and had respected the New York Jesuits, for they staffed the Ateneo, the Jesuit High School and College in Manila. Albert’s older brother, Luis, had attended the Ateneo High School for two years. He completed his education at Xavier in 1952. Albert followed his older brother to Xavier in 1953. When Albert entered Xavier the Cold War was at its height. The Jesuits announced to the freshmen that they were preparing men of Christ for others—that the students were blessed by God with ability, and they needed to use their gifts especially for people suffering the wounds of war and oppression. As difficult as Albert found this at fourteen, he was determined to continue to grow into the strong responsible man he aspired to be at five for his little sister. Albert graduated from NYU in 1962 and married Gretchen, his lovely wife for over 40 years and the mother of their five children. AIG Insurance asked Albert to return to the Philippines and he returned to Manila in 1964. He made sure his children received a Jesuit education at Ateneo. As Philippine Ambassador to the United States since 2001, Albert Del Rosario has worked hard to keep the Philippines and the USA working together to overcome oppression. He has lobbied hard to fund programs for Muslims on the island of Mindanao, so they can be weaned from their connection to Abu Sayyad guerillas and Al Qaeda. He has arranged three reciprocal visits between President Magapagal and President Bush. With all his success, however, Albert has never forgotten the wounded and the oppressed. For many years, Albert Del Rosario has raised money and helped to coordinate the Free Rural Eye Clinic that has brought sight to over 16,000 indigent people who were blind because of cataracts. He makes sure a good anesthesiologist is always in attendance. He also became the official spokesperson for the Rotary Gift of Life Program that gave life-saving heart operations to over 8,000 kids.
– Rev. Tim Tighe,‘57
William E. LaMothe ’44 William LaMothe was born in Brooklyn on Oct. 26, 1926, to parents William & Gertrude. Bill’s father worked for a small company that created displays for subway cars, grocery stores and soda fountains. When Bill was eleven, he accompanied his father to Chicago. On the way, they made a prophetic stop at Kellogg’s in Battle Creek, Michigan. Bill rode the train for four years to attend Xavier High School in Manhattan. It was on the train he first saw his future wife, Patricia, but they didn’t become a couple until years later, after the war. After graduating from Xavier in 1944, Bill joined the Navy and served in the Pacific until his honorable discharge in 1946. He then enrolled at Fordham University.
His first position at Kellogg was as a New York area sales representative. In 1950, Bill and Patricia were married and Bill sought a job with several area companies. Remembering his childhood trip, he wrote to the advertising and marketing director of Kellogg to inquire about a job. His first position at Kellogg was a New York area sales representative. This was the first rung on a ladder that he climbed on the way to the top. Through a series of jobs, each with more responsibility and scope, and over a career that spanned more than 40 years, Bill rose to become president of Kellogg’s in 1973. He became CEO in 1979 and Chairman of the Board in 1980. When he retired on December 31, 1991, Bill went on to serve on the Board of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for 8 years. Bill is a strong advocate for corporate involvement in the community. During his tenure, Kellogg was active in the development of the Battle Creek Math and Science Center for all area high school students and other important community concerns. Starting in 1993, Bill also helped the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Chambers of Commerce start a Drugs Don’t Work Program. He and his wife Patricia became, and indeed remain, deeply involved with the community of Battle Creek. They support many social and art organizations and have established the W.E. and Patricia LaMothe Education Fund which provides funds to lower and moderate income youth to attend private schools in the area. Bill remembers Xavier in this way:“Today I still believe t he most important time of my life were the four years I spent at Xavier High School. Those were the years that my core values were strengthened, as were my Catholic beliefs, and the understanding of responsibility and the idea that actions have consequences.”
Arthur I. McEwen ’51 Arthur I. McEwen graduated from Xavier in 1951 as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Regiment. As graduates of that era remember well, all pursuits—on the playing field, in the classroom, in the community—revolved around doing everything “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam”—“For the Greater Glory of God.” Art has spent his entire life in pursuit of that goal. After his graduation from Fordham University in 1955, Art entered the United States Marine Corps and served his country for seventeen years (on active duty and in the reserves) retiring with the rank of Major. He spent the majority of his business career—31 years—with UPS, retiring as Vice
President Human Resources and was instrumental in the company’s successful entrance into international markets. In addition to a very successful business career, Mr. McEwen has dedicated much of his time to charitable endeavors, s upporting Catholic education with a combination of “work, wealth and wisdom.” He has been a strong financial supporter of both his alma maters, Xavier High School and Fordham University and is the liaison between the University and the UPS Foundation which has become one of the largest single benefactors in Fordham’s history. The UPS Endowment at Fordham provides financial assistance to disadvantaged students, and also supports projects in the South Bronx and in the Highbridge Community Life Center. Art also provides financial assistance to the Student Sponsor Program which funds scholarships for at risk students at Catholic High Schools in the New York Archdiocese, St. Aloysius School in Harlem and St. Ignatius (a Nativity School model) and Sacred Heart both of which are in the Bronx. His dedication to education has also led him to generously support Learning Leaders, a program that involves volunteers in the public school system and The Door, in Manhattan, which provides resources to inner city children ages 14 to 21, including a "second home", GED instruction, meals, computer training, college counseling and immigration counseling. Art has been a longtime advisory board member of RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) in New York City. Art has also served as Chairperson and Vice Chair of Pathways Counseling Center (formerly St. Mary’s Counseling Center) in Pompton Lakes, NJ and has been actively involved with the Patterson, NJ Habitat for Humanity. He resides in New Jersey with his wife of 44 years, the former Jane O’ Shaughnessy. They are the parents of three grown children and have six grandchildren. Arthur McEwen has shared his time, talents and treasure with his community and those less fortunate than himself, living the life of a true “man for others” in the Jesuit tradition.
Rev. Vincent G. Potter, S.J.‘46 Mary Hogan Potter and Vincent Potter told the following story on themselves: The Potters were very close to the Christian Brothers who taught at Good Shepherd School, in Inwood, where their son Vincent went to grammar school. The Brothers also taught at Manhattan Prep. Thus, it was assumed that Vin would attend Manhattan Prep. However, Mary decided to visit Xavier High School to see if it was good enough for her son. Mary bumped MAY 2006
— ALUMNEWS
25
Xavier Hall of Fame into a priest in front of St. Francis Xavier Church. It was Father Vincent Hart, S.J., who graciously gave her a tour and extolled the virtues of a Jesuit education. The rest is history. Vin attended Xavier, graduated with honors and won a full four-year scholarship to Fordham University. After his first stellar year in college, he entered the Society of Jesus at St. Andrew-on-Hudson, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. on September 7, 1947.
Vin graduated from Bellarmine College and then graduated Magna Cum Laude from Louvain University in Belgium. He accepted the Kent Scholarship to Yale University where he was the Mary Cady Tew Prize recipient. He earned his Ph.D. in one year, and then taught at Yale, before joining the Philosophy department at Fordham in 1965. He was the Chairman of the Philosophy Department from 1973 to 1977. From 1977 to 1983, he served as Rector of the Jesuit Community and on the Board of Trustees of Fordham University. An incomplete list of his endeavors would include: the editor of International Philosophical Quarterly, Academic Vice President of Fordham University 1988 to 1992, and President of Charles Sanders Pierce Society. He found time to be founding editor of the Fordham University Press Series on American Philosophers and executive consultant of the Pierce Edition at Indiana University. On weekends he helped out at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Scarsdale. Vin authored 10 books with a wide range of topics, including American Philosophers, and numerous scholarly articles. During all this time, he continued to teach philosophy to undergraduates, graduate students, and Jesuit scholastics. To quote from the homily at Vincent’s Mass of Christian Burial, May 6, 1994 by Father Patrick Sullivan, S.J.,”This evening we come to celebrate the life of Father Vincent Potter, S.J., beloved brother, devoted uncle, former rector, cherished friend, eminently distinguished and productive scholar, outstanding University Administrator, widely respected colleague and above all else, faithful priest of God and extraordinary son of Ignatius Loyola.” Vin never paid much attention to accolades. He focused on doing God's will. Being enshrined into Xavier's Hall of Fame is special as it is here that he began his association with the Society of Jesus. –Charles Potter ’49
26
ALUMNEWS
— MAY 2006
Eugene C. Rainis ’58 Eugene C. Rainis graduated from Xavier in 1958 and from Fordham University in 1962. After a brief stint at Merrill Lynch, he joined Brown Brothers, Harriman & Co. where he has remained and is now a Limited Partner. He and his wife Jane have three children and three grandchildren. Gene “Moose” Rainis played football at Xavier High School. He also made friends who continue to have great affection for him. He demonstrated a steadfastness in his formative years that he took out into the world and thoughout his life. His classmate Anthony McNulty, when asked for a remembrance of Gene, responded thus:“Gene sat in front of me in 4-A class. I never saw him cheat, take a peek at another’s work, or tarnish any of his proven nobility shown with such magnanimity since he graduated…Fond regards to this deserved Xavier Hall of Famer, who has honored so many others by his generous presence.”Tony was only one of many in his praise of his classmate. Gene has dedicated himself to many good causes beyond his family and his work. He is or has been a trustee or board member of a large number of educational and medical institutions. He is a trustee of the Montefiore Health System, a Director of Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center, and a member of the Cardinal’s Health Care Advisory Committee. Gene is also a member of the Board of Directors, the Executive and Governance Committees and Chairman of the Finance and Investment Committee of St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center. Some of his educational affiliations are as a member of the Board and the Executive Committee of the Gregorian University Foundation, a member of the Board of Cristo Rey High School, and a Trustee-Fellow and past Trustee of Fordham University. And, of course, he is a former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Xavier High School. He also served as a co-chair of the 2003 capital campaign for Xavier. Mr. Eugene Rainis is also the Honorary Consul of Lithuania for the state of New Jersey. The following is taken from the last letter Gene wrote as Board Chairman.“As it was for many of you, Xavier was the turning point in my life…Whatever minor successes I have been lucky enough to achieve are due in large part to my years at Xavier. Another benefit which came to me while I was there was the start of many friendships with classmates and others which continue to this day.”
Mr. Werckle and the 1951 Xavier library staff.
knight
Reu
Whoever said ‘don’t talk to strangers…?’
I was traveling back to Baltimore from California in October after a long business trip on a red eye from Oakland. Given the late departure of my flight I had more time than normal to kill at the airport. Fortunately, I was able to get a seat at the only bar in Oakland’s Terminal 1, where I struck up a conversation with two other fliers that were also pacing themselves through a three hour wait. The discussion ranged from vacation spots to Halloween parties. During the conversation I picked up that one of the gentlemen was from the East coast like myself and had moved from New York to Seattle. When one passenger left the bar to go out for a cigarette, I chatted a bit more with the New Yorker, touching on courtesy to fellow passengers and etiquette in general. When I began to explain that I was from New Jersey and went to school in Manhattan, the traveler said something to the effect of “you went to Xavier High School—I could tell…” It was Hugh Golden ’86, who after running two restaurants in Seattle, had just embarked on a career as a race car driver. Hugh was in Oakland appearing at an auto show and was traveling to Las Vegas for a similar gig over the weekend. We spent the next hour exchanging stories about our time at Xavier, the importance of a Jesuit education, and how we continue to follow the “Men for Others” motto in our daily lives. Although we both continued our educations at Catholic institutions, he at Catholic University and I at Saint Peter’s College, we both agreed that the four years spent at Xavier Jim Menendez ’81 High School had the greatest impact on our lives. It is not and Hugh Golden ’86 uncommon to find Xavier graduates in leadership positions in business, military, academia, and the Church. As this instance showed it is also not hard to recognize the Xavier mold on a man’s personality even years after the dye has been cast. –Jim Menendez ’81
ed
Still on the way home, but already with a friend… The year was 1946, and the cargo plane Ray Keyes ’37 was riding in had already taken off when he began to chat with the person to his side, who turned out to be Maj. John Drucker USA (ret.) ’36. The plane had left the runway from Manila, in the Philippines, where Keyes served with the Army Engineers and Drucker had just served six months in the Army Medical Corps working on a troop ship and at the Clark Field Airbase. Keyes and Drucker stood in the cargo hold as they flew over the Pacific, and once they realized their Xavier connection the next few hours were spent reminiscing.“Back then you used to bum a ride on a plane the way you hitchhiked along the highway,” Keyes said.“There were only three guys on the plane, and the pilot and copilot.” “We talked a long time once we found out we both went to Xavier. We stopped in Hawaii for fuel, and talked all the way back to San Francisco. Then we flew back to Floyd Maj. John Drucker USA (ret.) ’36 and Bennett Field.,” John Drucker said. Ray Keyes ’37 Drucker and Keyes met again at a recent Florida reception, where they both remembered their plane trip and how they accidentally met each other thousands of miles away from 16th Street!
MAY 2006
— ALUMNEWS
27
Class Notes
Class Notes By Martin Kurzatkowski ’02
The Class of 1949 celebrated Xavier in Boqueron, Puerto Rico in early February. As part of what’s become a yearly tradition, Dick McCauley ’49 said the trip is always a wonderful winter treat for friends of over 60 years. Pictured from left to right are Ed Barrett ’49, John Beglan ’49, Dick McCauley ’49, Lou Lopez ’49, Rev. Vincent Butler, S.J. ’49, Phil Wallace ’49, and Joe Reilly ’49.“Since we were fortunate in having our colonel, Joe Reilly, with us, we also engaged in close order drill while singing a splendid rendition of ‘Sons of Xavier.’” Dick wanted to remind the Class of 1949 that Jack Madaras will be hosting their 17th annual reunion in Short Hills, N.J., in September.“You’ll be hearing more details in the near future,” Dick writes.
French government honors Xavier alumnus
John Walsh ’39 receiving the Legion of Honor from Francois Dellatre, Consul-General of the New York French Consulate, on February 15th.
28
ALUMNEWS
— MAY 2006
1930 Rev. John Torney remembers Rev. Louis Wheeler, the Spiritual Director at Xavier during his time. John remembers being challenged by Rev. Wheeler in what was called the Guard of Honor, and he accepted that challenge and was ordained in 1939.
1946 Dick Canning has retired from BristolMyers Squibb, Co. and is now living in Lawrenceville, NJ. George Riley has retired from GE and is now living in Syracuse with his wife, Gerry. George spends his leisure time volunteering in his home parish.
1942 Eugene Kelly had right hip replacement surgery in May 2005 and is progressing well. Eugene expects to return to golfing this winter. Fr. Vincent Novak, SJ retired after 40 years as the Dean of Graduate Religion at Fordham, University. Fr. Novak was awarded a visiting scholar’s appointment at the University of California-Los Angeles for the Spring 2006 semester. In 2005, Raymond Wiley published Al Williams: The Fleet’s First Frequent Flyer.
1947 Franklin Boller had a pacemaker installed in April 2005. Joan and Joe Farrell will celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary in July. Paul Spada and his wife are proud grandparents of their tenth grandchild.
1945 Francis Carillo M.D. retired from surgery and now lives at Riderwood. Richard Lohr celebrated his 77th birthday in September 2005. George Quenzel is helping his wife, Donna, in their new business, Marking Burials, which preserves and restores gravestones and cemeteries.
When John Walsh ’39 received word that he had been awarded the Legion of Honor, France’s highest national honor, he thought there would be no better place to accept the award than at Xavier. Like all of his Xavier classmates, John took part in the Regiment, but the extraordinary valor he would put forward during his service in the 320th Infantry Regiment during World War II set him apart. On February 15th, Walsh, now residing in Norwalk, CT, and his family members arrived at the school and were welcomed by a full honor guard before the entire Xavier community. After the recognition of students who earned academic honors during the 2nd marking period and an induction ceremony for
1948 Bob Piccirelli, Sr. is a professor emeritus of mechanical engineering at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. 1949 The Class of ’49 Annual Reunion will take place in Short Hills, NJ at the home of Jack Madaras on the weekend after Labor Day. Gaspar Cipolla is a substitute teacher in New Jersey for 7th and 8th graders. John O’Brien retired on February 1, 2006 after 55 years in the airline industry. Frank Reilly III came in second in the Chesapeake Senior Tap Dance competition.
students entering the National Honor Society, Francois Dellatre, ConsulGeneral of the New York French Consulate addressed the group, speaking about Walsh’s accomplishments and acts of bravery in the face of danger. Walsh participated in the Battle of Normandy, helping to liberate France in what French President Jacques Chirac has said was a campaign of “extraordinary courage and self-sacrifice.” Walsh received a medal shaped like a five-sided star, surrounded by green laurel leaves. He also was presented with a certificate signed by President Jacques Chirac.The Xavier community wished to congratulate him on his achievement.
Class Notes
Class of 1956 Travels to D.C.
1950 Allan Ahearne is enjoying golf, tennis and sailing in Cooperstown, NY. Kenneth Austin, and his wife, Kay, just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Thomas Buttling went south and landed on a golf course and is enjoying the warm weather and activities. Francis Herel has retired and is living in Old Saybrook, CT. Francis spends his leisure time volunteering and taking care of his 14 grandchildren.
1954 Thomas Donohue has retired from the FBI and is living in Greer, SC with his ten grandchildren. Ken Kramer experienced the voyage of a lifetime on a transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2. George Rioseco is still working part-time with his son Robert in West Harrison, NY. Vincent Sellitti, DDS will celebrate his 40th wedding anniversary on June 19, 2006 and 36 years as an oral surgeon in June 2006.
1952 George Craig is still working taking care of the sick and injured. Frank Notaro would like to congratulate John Iannuzzi on his recent publication, Condemned, and praise Joe Petriello and the service program. Sil Resciniti is still practicing law in Brooklyn. Sil recently had dinner with Ed Hawkins, Stan Joyce and Jim Bambury.
1955 John Hogan has retired and is living in the golf paradise named Sunset Beach, in NC. Mark Williams is retiring from MBNA and will move to Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
1953 Gerard Cerchio and Joseph Duffy took a 12-day cruise thru the Panama Canal with their spouses. Mark DeLancy is a defense consultant living in the San Antonio area. Mark is in the process of having a home built in the town of Garden Ridge. James McMahon had a mini-reunion with classmate Joe Cubells in Naples, FL after they renewed their friendship at their 50th reunion at Xavier. The law firm of Methfessel & Werbel, with 38 attorneys and founded by John Methfessel, has been named one of the top 40 insurance firms in the U.S. William Uber, Jr. is enjoying retirement after practicing law for thirty years in Florida.
1957 Dick Yezek is a senior main frame architect installing geographically dispersed parallel sysplex.
In October 2005, 17 members of the Class of 1956 held a reunion in Washington, D.C., where they met with Hon. Justice Antonin Scalia ’53, Supreme Court of the United States. Pictured here from left to right are Bob Sisto, Nelson Deusebio, Gus Vrondis, Charlie Mullen, Bob Ambrosini, Desi Flanigan, Fred Wolff, Tony Cusumano, Gerry Seitz, Hon. Justice Antonin Scalia, Hank Worley, Bruce Losurdo, Ron Mazzone, Lou Cumming, Nick Burriesci, Tony Borrello, Tony Cangemi, and Charlie Ferrara.
1956 Charles Ellison retired in May 2004 and has relocated to Richmond, VA.
1958 John Corrado has retired after forty years as a hospital and nursing home administrator. John was elected to life fellowship in the American College of Healthcare Executives in recognition for his years of service to the Health Care Industry. Dennis Corrigan retired from Fannie Mae on March 31, 2006 with nine years in affordable housing finance. Dennis previously retired from the U.S. Army as Colonel, Judge Advocate with nearly 29 years of service. He also served three years as chief of staff to the Deputy Attorney General in Department of Justice. Tom Hoar
For the past two years, the windows of the Student’s Chapel on 2L have been decorated with the names of Xavier graduates and family members serving in the Armed Forces. At the end of another school year and during a time when our country still has a military presence overseas, we’d like to update our wall. If you know of a Xavier graduate or family member serving our country, please send a note to the school, c/o Alumni Relations, listing name, rank and any other pertinent information so it may be posted in the upcoming months.
MAY 2006
— ALUMNEWS
29
Class Notes
1962 James DeRose celebrated 25 years practicing law with his firm while specializing in real estate and foreclosure law. Rev. Alfred LoPinto was appointed Vicar for Human Services in the Diocese of Brooklyn.
1960 Reunion! “Ya shouda been there,” writes Bob Scavullo ’60. On April 1st, a group of Xavier graduates from the Class of 1960 went for a visit to Ellis Island and a dinner at Steamers Landing restaurant, overlooking the Hudson River. “Word must have gotten out that a SOX contingent was going to be on Ellis Island. As we docked, we were piped ashore by Jim MacDonell ‘70 and his fellow members of the St. Ann’s Pipes and Drums, of Hampton NJ.” Pictured above from left to right are Mike Reilly, M.D. ’60, Bob Scavullo ’60, Doug Fraser, M,D., Bob Galastro ’60, Vinny Leonard ’60, Jim Kelly ’60, Marie Kelly, Richard Bory ’60, Aideen Fraser, and Maria Reilly.
and Len Harris ’42 became acquainted when both were teaching for Houston Community College. Len was a student of former Xavier basketball coach Frank McGuire and wowed Tom and his friends with his recollections of Coach McGuire.
1959 Bob Hourihan frequently gets together for dinners with Harry Lynch, John Quevedo and Gerry Knapp. Bob recently spoke to Tom Fitzpatrick and he will soon join them for dinners. Bob McCredie has been blessed with two more grandsons’ this year. Albert Rosa has retired from Denver University as “professor emeritus” and has taken a part-time teaching job at USAF Academy as an academy fellow. Thomas Sullivan retired from Laurence Livermore National Laboratory in May 2002 and returned part-time as an international consultant/expert in atmospheric plume modeling and emergency response working on an IAEA Assistance Working Group. Louis Ycre, Jr. recently announced his retirement from his position as president and CEO of Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood, NJ and its parent corporation, Well Care Group, Inc. 1961 William Borst published The Scorpion and the Frog: A Natural Conspiracy.
Jim MacDonell ’70 and the St. Ann’s Pipes and Drums.
30
ALUMNEWS
— MAY 2006
1963 William Brock just had a wonderful dinner with fellow classmates Joe Burke, Dan Cronin and John Draghi at John’s home to celebrate their 60th birthdays. Ernest Dewald spent two weeks in Biloxi/Gulfport area with FEMA in a disaster mortuary operations team as a forensic dentist following the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Ed O’Shaughnessy retired from Airborne Express after 18 years and is now volunteering for the American Red Cross. 1964 Dennis Kelly has moved to California and has taken the position of CFO for Seven For All Mankind. 1966 Eugene Duffy was named Marquette University Law Alumnus of the Year. Conrad Tridente became a grandfather for the first time on February 21, 2006. 1967 Frank Dong has joined NASD in November 2005 to head up Investor Education for the military. Fr. James Keenan, S.J. officiated at the wedding of Robert Loffredo’s daughter. After many years with a large telecom company, George Shevchuk has switched industries and is now the director of engineering. 1969 Lenny Alfano continues to run the finances of a NYC Middle School. Greg Belli still teaches newcomers to this country in Austin’s International High School, while picking up every side job possible to help raise money for his daughter’s tuition. Julius Gonzalez is enjoying life with his family in Coral Gables, FL.
1971 Robert Hynes was named senior market analyst by Thomson IFR in Boston, MA on September 2005. Robert has five children and they all enjoy playing ice hockey. 1972 Daniel Carlucci achieved IBM’s 100% Club for the fifth year in a row. 1973 Antonio del Valle is currently a director in Deutsche Bank New York and responsible for sales and client relations for domestic custody services. Robert Maguire’s son, Robbie, and Joseph McGinn’s son, John, will be attending Xavier in September as members of the Class of 2010. Since Gabriel Pompe made himself president of his own company, his golf handicap has dropped from a 16 to a 12. Paul Rivera began working for Beys Contracting as VP of construction in March. Since January 2005, Chris Roman has been the General Manager of KINC Univision, KELV Telefutura, KQRT-FM and KRRN-FM in Las Vegas, NV. Prior to that, Chris held similar posts in Santa Barbara, Palm Springs and Phoenix. Chris welcomes any Xavier alumni in the Nevada region to contact him. Victor Vallo is the new Chair of the Department of Music at Immaculate University (PA), where he is also the Music Director and Conductor of the Wind Ensemble. 1974 Tim Moriarty still works for Computer Science Corp. in Virginia supporting the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. After careers in banking and computer software, Frank McNerney entered an Ed D. program at UMass-Amherst. Frank is currently working in Afghanistan on a project to improve the development of teachers. Carey O’Connor was made a partner in 2005 at his firm, York International Agency, Inc.
1975 Anthony Cucolo III has been assigned to Chief of Army Public Affairs for the Office of the Secretary of the Army in Washington, DC. William Stokes is completing his seventh year as rector of St. Paul’s. William serves as co-chair of the anti-racism commission of the executive board of the Episcopal Church and is an anti-racism trainer for the Episcopal Church. 1976 Peter Sciabarra will report to the USS Peleliu as the executive officer in July. 1977 Donald Mooney is finishing his 20th year teaching religion at Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx. Reid Muller has moved his cardiology practice to Syracuse University and is the commander of the 174th Medical Group of the Air National Guard.
1983 Desmond Stafford is a Manhattan North trustee for the NYC Patrolman’s Benevolent Association and the 2006 NYPD Emerald Society Man of the Year. 1984 Maj. Michael Dunne, U.S. Army, is currently deployed to Afghanistan as the U.S. advisor to the corps surgeon and medical staff of the Afghan National Army’s 201st Corps. In November 2005, he returned home on mid-tour to complete his 9th NYC Marathon. 1985 John Berger has bought a home in Nutley, NJ. Lidelfo Franco was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States on November 28, 2005.
1978 Frank Rocco now has offices in Shanghai, China and Hong Kong. Neil Watkins is a general ophthalmologist practicing in Chicago, IL and northeast Indiana. 1979 Syd Jones ran and completed his first NYC Marathon in November 2005. Jeffrey Whelan is an assistant general counsel for CBRE, an international real estate services company. 1980 Patrick Antaki participated in the Winter Olympic Games of 2006 in Torino, Italy as a representative of Lebanon. Patrick qualified for a spot to compete in the sport of Skeleton (head first down on an icy Bobsleigh track while traveling at 80 MPH). 1981 Stephen Luppino was recently promoted to Senior VP at Bank of America. His position and responsibilities are Senior Technology Manager and supports the bank’s brokerage business. Stephen’s office is in New York City and he lives with his family in Marlboro, NJ.
As part of a fundraiser to raise money for the Childhood Cancer Foundation, Joe Sweeney ’85, dean of students, and Luciano Lovallo, assistant dean of students, announced that they were willing to “risk it all” if students were able to raise $5,000. Each dean would have his head shaved if the goal was met. On the day before the deadline, students still needed close to $2,000 in order to meet goal, but were saved by the generosity of Mr. Sweeney’s older brother, Mike Sweeney, who offered to match their donation dollar-for-dollar.
MAY 2006
— ALUMNEWS
31
1993 Larry Liermann is currently working as a banker for J.P. Morgan Chase. Ian Maloney published his first book, Melville’s Monumental Imagination, in December 2005. Brendon Plunkett is a naval reservist and is currently serving in Iraq. 1994 Edwin Marin won the New York Post’s Sudoku tournament in October 2005, earning a trophy, a $5,000 prize and recognition on CNN’s “American Morning” program. Edwin lives in Staten Island and is nearing his 12th year working for U.S. Aviation Underwriters.
In November 2005, Sean O’Mara ’92 and David Low ’92 attended the traditional Thai wedding of Paulie Srinuan ’92 at the Peninsula Hotel, in Bangkok, Thailand. Sean was on his way back from working and traveling in Australia for a year, while David traveled from Hong Kong, where he is married and living.
1986 Matt Miranda left his position as VP of production at First Kiss Productions to oversee creation and development of the New Media/Mobile Entertainment division of Radar Pictures. Robert Sisto is a professional engineer living in Wisconsin with his wife and three children. 1991 Ron Lesniewski was promoted to Manager of Strategic Operations for U.S. Commercial HIV Division. Ron will be moving to the Raleigh, NC area this year.
1995 Geoffrey Cole is still in El Paso, TX, enjoying command of an Air Defense Patriot Battery while coaching his son’s T-ball team. Robert Cruz is a NYC Firefighter. Arthur Dolan is currently a producer with ESPN and has received two Emmy’s for his work with that network. 1996 Brian Purnell will graduate in May from NYU with a Ph. D. in History. 1997 Keith Gallagher has joined the NYPD and is taking classes towards his MPA. 1998 This past October, Brian Casey began a three-year undergraduate program at Hertford College, Oxford University in the U.K. During Brian’s critical interview process, he felt the presence of Fr. Vincent Taylor, SJ, his beloved English teacher and mentor. Brian will read for a degree in English. After four years as an NYPD officer, Joseph Minucci left the force and became a federal agent for the Department of Homeland Security and re-enlisted for four more years in the Marine Corps reserves. 1999 In May 2005, Stephen Gorski completed his six-year Pharmacy D program from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and graduated with a doctor of pharmacy degree. Stephen works
32
ALUMNEWS
— MAY 2006
for CVS Pharmacy as a staff pharmacist Robert McGee finished his first tour in San Diego and is now stationed for schooling. Upon completion, he will be assigned to an aircraft carrier.
2000 Jared Marinos graduated from the U.S. Military Academy. Jared is currently in flight school at Fort Rucker, AL with the goal of flying either Apache or Blackhawk helicopters. Tim Williamson received his Master of Arts in U.S. History in May 2005 from Brooklyn College and is now working as an assignment editor at New England Cable News in Boston. 2001 Christopher Kress graduated from Manhattan College with a B.S. in civil engineering and currently works for Con Edison. Michael Toomey became a member of the NYC Fire Department E.M.S. in March. 2002 Zachary Stackell just finished an internship with Dun & Bradstreet that helped them recover information and re-establish credit for businesses affected by Hurricane Katrina. Zach is a senior at Lehigh University and is majoring in business information systems with a focus in finance. John Toomey will graduate from Fordham this May. 2003 Christopher Holland just completed a semester abroad in Athens, Greece and is preparing for the spring semester at Gettysburg, PA. 2004 Michael Guttadaro is doing well at Sacred Heart University. 2005 Steve Haller is doing wonderfully at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA. Steve has been active in the Campus Ministry and is also doing his work study with that office. William Lembo attends the University of Scranton and is a member of the ROTC program.
Mileposts IN MEMORIAM Msgr. John T. Fagan ’44 died February 9, 2006 at the age of 79. Msgr. Fagan was the director of Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York, which first started as a summer camp for inner-city children, then evolved into a group of residential treatment centers for children who needed placement away from their homes. He also served on a number of state and national boards. In a message posted on Little Flower’s website, Msgr. Fagan was remembered for his personal connection to the many children and disabled individuals whose lives crossed with Little Flower. He is survived by his brother, Msgr. R. Emmet Fagan and three sisters, Jane Fucigna, Helen Marie Murphy, and Sister Kathleen Fagan. At his family’s request, memorial contributions may be made to Little Flower’s “Father Fagan Angel Fund,” by mailing to the Office of External Relations, 2450 North Wading River Road, Wading River, NY 11792. DEATHS Alumni Thomas F. Whelan ’29, December 17, 2004 Felix F. Eberhart ’32, January 26, 2006 Richard E. Gavigan ’32, February 26, 2006 John Hughes ’34, September 14, 2001 Harvey T. Brown ’39, January 21, 2006 Oliver P. Cano ’41, February 15, 2006 Harvey J. L’Hommedieu ’41, December 2005 Vincent D. McCaffrey ’41, January 2, 2006 David L. Morison ’42, March 24, 2006 James B. Frye ’43, February 13, 2006 Msgr. John T. Fagan ’44, February 9, 2006 Alfred W. Gregory ’45, October 21, 2005 Rev. William F.X. Maher, S.J. ’45, February 16, 2006 Carl A. Nordby ’45, November 1, 2005 John D. Stolarik ’45, March 12, 2006 Leo B. Connelly ’47, December 25, 2005 Thomas A. Digan ’47, November 26, 2005 John F. McEwen ’51, March 8, 2006 Robert W. Carrubba ’52, December 12, 2005 Donald Craugh ’52, February 13, 1990 John B. Foley ’53, December 17, 2005 Edward D. Lockwood ’54, March 2, 2006 Rev. David G. O’Brien ’54, January 16, 2006 John T. Carlson ’59, July 18, 2004 Edward J. Hauber ’64, January 10, 2006 Bruce J. Strzelczyk ’70, December 7, 2005 Robert McLaughlin ’52, March 8, 2006 Charles Basaman, Jr. ’60, March 14, 2006
Family Martin Brown, father of Charles ’70, September 2005 Michael Carr, father of Michael ’94, March 23, 2006 Joseph Cricchio, grandfather of Charles Kubat ’01, January 15, 2006 Lucille Donini, mother of Stephen ’79, January 9, 2005 John Fortunato, father of Anthony ’04, January 16, 2006 Faye Frank, mother of John ’71, February 2, 2006
Family continued
Friends
Joan Marie Fugazy, wife of William ’42, December 5, 2005 Peggy Gahan, wife of James ’51, December 26, 2005 Bridget Galvin, mother of Simon ’80 and former staff member at Xavier, March 28, 2006 Lillian Healy, wife of Michael ’46, August 5, 2005 Rose Mackey, mother of Edward ’72 and Kevin ’74, March 8, 2006 Mrs. Margaret Maynard, mother of G.D. Maynard ’57, January 22, 2006 James McEleney, Sr., father of James ’83, December 22, 2005 Marion Moriarty, mother of Timothy ’74 and Joseph ’84, April 17, 2004 Roseanne Mullaney, mother of James ’86 and Andrew ’88, January 25, 2006 James Mullaney, father of James ’86 and Andrew ’88, December 3, 2005 Michael Petriano, Jr., uncle of Evan ’93 and Keith ’96, July 26, 2005 Walter Piwinski, father of Thomas ’70, John ’72, and Richard ’78, February 25, 2005 John Sabatos, father of John Patrick ’01, December 20, 2005 Vincent Sellitto, father of Nicholas ’05, March 27, 2006 Edward Young, Sr., father of Simon ’90 and Edward (faculty member at Xavier), December 16, 2005
John Hamm, grandfather of Ben Hamm (faculty member at Xavier), March 2006 Roger Lamour, brother-in-law of Grace Lamour (faculty member at Xavier), March 2006 Donald Noga, father of Steve Noga (faculty member at Xavier), February 10, 2006 Ruth Rockman, grandmother of Jennifer Kennedy-Orlando (faculty member at Xavier), March 3, 2006
BIRTHS Clare Marie Daudelin, April 4, 2005 Molly and Douglas Daudelin ’85 William Joseph Nafash, December 6, 2005 Mary and George Nafash ’85 Nicholas Sebastian Sisto, September 26, 2005 Paola and Robert Sisto ’86 Kyra Sherman, April 24, 2005 Jean (faculty member at Xavier) and John Sherman ’87 Jack Thomas Unger, June 29, 2004 Shannon and Joseph Unger ’87 Julianna Marie La Fia, April 6, 2005
Sharon and Anthony La Fia ’9 Clara O’Connell, January 12, 2006 Lauri and Patrick O’Connell ’90 Madeline Jayne Lee, March 6, 2006 Krista and Thomas Lee ’92
WEDDINGS Jeffrey Whelan ’79 and Laura Decristofaro, September 2005 John R. Scholz ’89 and Amy Marie Yarnevich, November 19, 2005 Chris Soto ’95 and Melissa Fanelli, April 1, 2004 Michael Triscuizzi ’96 and Carrie-Ann Brown, September 3, 2005
MAY 2006
— ALUMNEWS
33
The school year is fast coming to a close. There will be a flurry of activity between now and the end of June. The 22nd Annual Xavier High School Golf Outing will take place at Westchester Hills Golf Club on Tuesday May 23rd. That will be followed by our Baccalaureate Dinner on Saturday evening, June 3rd and Graduation from St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Thursday, June 8th. Our final event of the season will be Reunion Weekend on Friday June 9th and Saturday June 10th. Rapidly following the end of the school year will be the end of our fiscal year on June 30th. Although our annual fund is currently running well ahead of last year as of April 14th—$1,500,000 versus $1,404,000 in cash and pledges ($1,252,000 versus $1,110,000 in cash alone)—there is still a long way to go to reach our goal of $1,840,000 and our ultimate success is very much dependent on your continued generosity. As you all know the annual fund is used primarily to defray operating costs, provide (along with earnings on the endowment) for scholarship and financial aid to worthy and needy students, and to keep tuition affordable to our families. Without the annual fund many opportunities and programs JOE GORSKI for our students would cease to exist as we know them today. Vice President for Advancement Most important in reaching our goal is the performance of our reunion classes. The Xavier Annual Fund has had its greatest success when those classes increase their regular annual giving during their reunion years. For example, in our most financially successful year to date, fiscal 2004, reunion class giving gave us a plus of $85,000 over their contributions the year prior to their reunion year. In fiscal 2005, the reunion classes were responsible for a plus of only $15,000 and as a result we did not reach our dollar goal. To reach or exceed our goal in the annual fund this year, it is most important that the members of all classes ending in 1 and 6 (especially the ten classes celebrating their fifth to fiftieth year reunions) be willing to increase their giving this year. We are asking members of this year’s reunion classes who are regular annual fund contributors to consider making a donation of one and one half to three times their usual donation. We hope that alumni who have given sporadically or not at all since graduation would conComparison of Alumni sider making a gift of $10.00 for each year since they graduated. For Participation Rates example, an alumnus celebrating their tenth reunion would donate a minimum of $100, one celebrating their twenty-fifth, $250, etc. I know that if each member of the reunion classes would make such a gift, it Fairfield Prep would guarantee the record success of the annual fund. It is also important that we increase the number of alumni (and parents and friends) that participate in giving to the annual fund. Xavier Alumni participation last year was 26.5%. The number of alumni participating in the annual fund has been slowly decreasing the past several Canisius years. Although the total number of alumni donors has fallen by only 170 since fiscal 2001, the percentage has dropped from 32% because McQuaid we have roughly 1000 more reachable alumni today due to five more graduating classes and a reduction in class members who are lost. Regis While 26.5% ranks us above many college programs and many other Jesuit High Schools, Xavier finds itself behind the annual fund participation performance of Canisius Prep (30%), McQuaid High School 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% (32%) and our New York City rival, Regis High School’s dominant 59%. We need your help to improve our performance. Our five year goal is to reach 40% additional chart info, if any, here participation. We have set a participation goal of 30% for this year’s annual fund. To date 22% (2420) of our alumni have made donations this year. To reach our 2006 goal we need a minimum of another 880 donors between now and June 30, 2006. Please consider joining us at whatever dollar level you can afford. I know that when on the playing fields or the debating stage with your peers at Regis, your competitive juices always flowed more vigorously. Perhaps that competitive spirit can spur us to meet and exceed this year’s (and our five year) goal. Together we can make an incredible difference for Xavier.
FROM THE ADVANCEMENT OFFICE
34
ALUMNEWS
— MAY 2006
X AV I E R T O D AY
X AV I E R I N T H E F U T U R E ?
Planned Giving Makes A Difference The need for student aid is growing larger each year. Xavier tries to meet the needs of these families with the ideals of the school mission in mind. Our future are these students, help us plan to keep more of our future leaders Xavier Alumni.
Contact info Loual Puliafito ’00 Advancement Officer (212) 924-7900 x.1611 or puliafitol@xavierhs.org 35
Golf Outing May 23, 2006 Baccalaureate Mass and Dinner June 3, 2006 Graduation June 8, 2006 Reunion Weekend June 9, 2006 and June 10, 2006 September 11th 5th Anniversary Memorial Mass September 11, 2006 Xavier Society/Loyola Associates Reception September 20, 2006 President's Council Dinner September 28, 2006 Parent's Phonathon October 23, 2006 to October 26, 2006 Career Day November 9, 2006
Alumnews Calendar
Hall of Fame Dinner November 17, 2006 Young Alumni Reception/Football Rally November 22, 2006 Washington D.C. Reception December 6, 2006
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage
PAID 30 West 16th Street New York, NY 10011-6302
Manchester, NH Permit No. 206