Alumni Success Stories
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Anthony Fauci '62
AIDS researcher -
Edward P. Jones ’72 Award-winning novelist -
Joyce O’Shaughnessy ’78 Prominent oncologist -
J.D. “Dave” Power III ’53 Founder, J.D. Power -
Mary Pat Ryan ’78
SIRIUS Radio executive -
Ann Dowd ’78
Actress - TV, film, stage -
Maggie Wilderotter '77
Telecommunications CEO -
Chris Matthews ’67
Host, Hardball -
Peter Jankowski ’86
Producer, Law & Order -
Clarence Thomas '71 Supreme Court justice
Alumni Success Stories
Maggie Wilderotter '77
Maggie Wilderotter ’77 means business. Wilderotter, who majored in economics at Holy Cross, is chairman and CEO of Citizens Communications and sits on the boards of Xerox and Yahoo! She shattered the so-called “glass ceiling” for women executives early in her career and has been president and CEO of an interactive television company, a senior vice president at Microsoft, and a leader in both the cable television and cellular industries. Wilderotter is passionate about increasing opportunities for women in business, particularly on corporate boards, which are instrumental in recruiting chief executives.
As a Holy Cross student, Wilderotter taught low-income women in Worcester typing and stenography – essential business skills for women in the 1970s. Every woman ended up securing a job. “It is a great feeling to help people change their lives for the better,” she says. “Mentoring was further proof, at a relatively early age, that a value-based existence is a necessity for me. It is the foundation of my personal and business life.”
Wilderotter credits Holy Cross with challenging her academically and nurturing her commitment to social responsibility. She adds, “Holy Cross also taught me to explore and try new things – from finding my place on a campus that had just become coed to heading sports radio on WCHC. I discovered that I thrive on adventure and challenge.”