May 24, 2012
It has been said that honor is the reward of virtue, and both
qualities were in evidence as St. John’s University recognized the
outstanding achievements of 18 notable alumni at the Annual
Alumni Convocation in St. Thomas More Church.
Photo gallery
Each of the alumni honored has achieved notable success in his or
her profession, has embodied the University’s Vincentian mission of
rendering service to others and has maintained a strong connection
to St. John’s.
This year’s honorees and their awards included:
Alumni Outstanding Achievement
Award
Vincent P. Colman ’82CBA
Thomas P. J. Duffy ’87CBA
James Gentilcore ’62CBA
Joseph R. Gentile ’87CBA, ’92MBA
Margaret M. Keane ’81C, ’87MBA
Heritage Circle
Natale P. Calamis ’72SVC
John P. McConville ’62L
Sr. Catherine Mezzacapo, C.S.J. ’52Ed, ’56G
Frank J. Pannizzo ’59UC, ’62L
Pietas Medal
Rev. Elmer Bauer III, C.M. ’02MBA
Barbara Ellen Black, D.P.S. ’62G
Michael J. McInerney ’72NDC
Patricia Connell Shea ’62Ed
Sr. Mary Jean Tague, D.C. ’62P
James A Tomlinson ’82SVC, ’91MBA
Medal of Honor
Nickolas Davatzes ’62C, ’64G, ’95HON
Honorary Degrees
Christopher W. Ruddy ’87C, ’12HON Doctor of Letters,
honoris causa
Hon. Robert L. Turner ’62C, ’12HON Doctor of Laws, honoris
causa
In addition
to their actual awards, each honoree was presented with a
personalized citation which detailed the highlights of their
impressive careers and personal accomplishments.
“The value of a St. John’s diploma, the value of a St. John’s
education, sits before us,” noted St. John’s University President
Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M. “Our honorees not only go out into
the world to be successful, they go out seeking to make a
difference.”
Medal of Honor recipient Nickolas Davatzes is an outstanding
example of why he was selected to receive the highest award that
the University confers upon a graduate. Currently Chief Executive
Officer Emeritus at A&E Television Networks, he has achieved
unprecedented success and made a lasting impact on the television
industry while maintaining an impressive commitment to philanthropy
and community service. Although he has received numerous local,
national and international awards over the years, the Medal of
Honor was particularly meaningful to him.
“This award is important to me because it represents the
culmination of the kinds of activities that I’ve been involved in
at St. John’s and at other organizations,” he said. “Getting it
from a Vincentian institution is really special because of the
Vincentians’ commitment to service, which is something that my wife
and I believe in. I think that the principle of leading a good
Christian life by rendering service to others was developed for me
here at St. John’s. And then, of course, St. John’s gave me the
basis of my career.”
When
Congressman Robert L. Turner was elected to the U.S. House of
Representatives in 2011, his extensive career as a business
executive led to his appointment to three of the most important
Congressional committees, the House Committee on Homeland Security,
the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the House Committee on
Veterans Affairs. He is grateful for the opportunity to put the
values that he learned at St. John’s into action on a national
scope.
“I credit St. John’s with a good deal of my fundamental thinking
and thinking process that has stayed with me for the past 50
years,” he said. “I attribute that to the core education, the
scholastic philosophy and the unique values that have always been a
part of St. John’s. Those values are synonymous with this
University, and I think that they’re more important now than ever
before. They’re a part of whatever I hope to accomplish in
Washington.”
Although he never plans on calling himself “Doctor”, Christopher
Ruddy acknowledged that his emotions shifted from surprised to
humbled to proud when he learned that he had been chosen to receive
an honorary doctoral degree from the University that has always
meant so much to him. His career as a respected journalist and
media executive have afforded him a unique insight into the
importance of service to others in today’s world.
“The
Vincentian values that were such a part of St. John’s when I was a
student and are still a part of it today are probably more valid
now than ever,” he said. “A commitment to service has not gone
away, in fact, it’s become more important. And I think that the
financial crisis, which is the most severe crisis that we’ve had
since the Great Depression, has brought home the idea that we have
to get back to basics, which is helping our fellow man. St. John’s
is a great institution, and it’s had a great impact and meaning on
my life. This award is a great honor for me.”
By the time Patricia Connell Shea graduated from The School of
Education in 1962, she had already developed the commitment to
reaching out to others that would become the defining
characteristic of her personal and professional life. She began
doing service work in Mexico while still a student, and in 1986
founded MOMMAS House, a home for unwed mothers and their children.
She was happy that her award would help to shed additional light on
the work that has always been so important to her.
“I was very surprised when I found out that I was receiving this
award,” she admitted, “and then I realized that it’s really more
about the work that I do than it is about me. MOMMAS House is a
home for mothers and babies who have no place else to live. It
gives them a chance to get their lives in order and get on with
them and become independent. Over the years, it’s been a salvation
for many homeless mothers and children. While I was at St. John’s
as a student, a lot of the activities that I was involved with
concerned doing service work within the community. The seeds of
volunteering in my life were planted and took root at St. John’s,
and I truly believe that the University helped me to become the
person that I am today.”