Distinguished Alumni
St. John's graduates are leaders in every field, from medicine and education to religious life, sports, business, technology, the military and many more.
We are proud to recognize our distinguished alumni with an award presented annually to a graduate whose life personifies the spirit and values St. John's seeks to instill in students. St. John's established the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1993 to honor individuals who demonstrate a commitment to faith, family and service; who have achieved professional success; and who have made significant contributions to society as volunteers, mentors or benefactors. We proudly list the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award by the year in which they were honored:
2022: Maj. Gen. Thomas H. Needham '60, retired U.S. Army General
2021: Art W. Coviello '71, Technology Investor and Advisor; Former CEO of RSA Security
2020: Paul F. Niehaus, Ph.D. '00, Co-Founder of GiveDirectly and Segovia; Associate Professor at University of California in San Diego
2019: Thomas J. DeSimone '68, Executive Vice President and Member of the Executive Committee, WS Development
2018: John Peter Frates III '03, ALS Activist
2017: Bishop Robert Reed '77, Auxiliary Bishop of Boston and President/CEO of the CatholicTV Network
2016: Mike Kennealy '86, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
2015: John A. Driscoll '90*, Educator
2014: David E. Monahan, MD '62, Physician, Chula Vista, California
2013: Bill O'Brien '88, Head Coach, Houston Texans
2012: Thomas W. Haas '74, Pilot, Flight Instructor, Trustee of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
2011: Jude A. Curtis '77, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, LLP
2010: John L. Dunlop '84, Program Officer, United States Agency for International Development
2009: Samuel T. Byrne '83, Managing Partner and Co-Founder, CrossHarbor Capital Partners
2008: The Rev. Gerard Dorgan '50*, Pastor, St. Mary of the Annunciation Church in Danvers
2007: Peter R. Dolan '74, Board Chairman Tufts University, Allied Minds PLC, ChildObesity180
2006: The Rev. Leo B. Shea, M.M. '56, Director of Development, Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers
2005: The Rev. James J. Ronan '62, Pastor of Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint Mary's Parishes, Charlestown, Massachusetts. Founder, Rostro de Cristo, Duran, Ecuador
2004: John C. Archer '68, President and CEO, Archer Insurance Agency, Inc.
2003: David W. Ives '75, Vice Chairman and CEO, Northshore International Insurance Services, Inc.
2002: Richard Iorio '77, Chief, Adult Reconstruction and Total Joint Arthroplasty Service, Brigham and Women's Hospital
2001: James M. Sears '81, Attorney, Sears & Sears
2000: Joseph R. Levis '60, Chief Executive Officer, Crusader Paper Company
1999: James C. Zampell '71, President, Zampell Companies
1998: John J. Studzinski '74, Managing Director and Vice Chairman, Pimco
1997: David B. Perini '55, Retired Commissioner, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management
1996: Brother James M. Boyle, CFX '48*, Retired Superior General, Xaverian Brothers
1995: Joseph A. Milano '62, President, Union Oyster House and Honorary Consul General Thailand
1994: Paul L. Hennessey '52*, Retired Partner, Boston Partners Asset Management
1993: Thomas M. Leonard '54*, President, Essex National Heritage Commission
*Denotes deceased