The dinner was also set to celebrate the close of Faith and Hope | The Campaign for Financial Aid, which surpassed its goal of $175 million by bringing in a grand total of $175,311,288. The campaign supported existing scholarship funds and nearly 200 new scholarship funds for students—including Fulbright scholars, community leaders, and first-generation college students.

“In a year when nothing has run as usual, and we have all had more than our share of disappointments, I am incredibly proud of our Fordham Founder’s honorees and donors for their generosity and openheartedness toward our peerless Founder’s Scholars,” said Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the University. “Despite your own very real concerns about your health and that of your loved ones, and all the uncertainties with which the pandemic has presented us, you stepped up to ensure the continued education of your younger sisters and brothers in maroon. I may not be surprised by your selflessness, but I am deeply grateful, and once again filled with admiration for all that you do for the Fordham family.”

The University will present the Fordham Founder’s Award at the 2021 event to this year’s honorees: Emanuel (Manny) Chirico, GABELLI ’79, PAR, chairman and CEO of the global apparel company PVH Corp., and his wife, Joanne M. Chirico, PAR, as well as  Joseph H. (Joe) Moglia, FCRH ’71, chairman of TD Ameritrade, Fundamental Global Investors, and Capital Wealth Advisors and chair of athletics at Coastal Carolina University.

On Jan. 7, the University also bestowed the Founder’s Award upon Jean and Alex Trebek, PAR, in Los Angeles, who received a citation praising them as “ true partners in the mission of Fordham.” And on Dec. 16 of last year the late Jane M. Flaherty, PAR, was posthumously recognized at the Rose Hill campus for her support of the University and the cause of Catholic education.  Her husband James P. Flaherty, FCRH ’69, PAR—a 2011 honoree and their children received the award where she was hailed as “one of the angels of Fordham—a kind and selfless spirit who took joy in helping students realize their dreams through the scholarships she and her husband, Jim, established.” 

Founder’s Scholars: The True Stars

The annual Founder’s Dinner is by far Fordham University’s most elegant event. But for all the glamour, the evening’s true stars have always been the Founder’s Scholars, extraordinary students who have benefited from the millions of dollars the event has raised over the years.

Christopher Wilson, FCLC ’17, a former Founder’s Scholar and donor to this year’s dinner, said that while he’s disappointed to miss the evening, he views his ticket purchase as an “investment.”

“I think it shows that we believe in the future,” said Wilson.

A graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA in Dance program, Wilson only recently started buying tickets for the event. He said it was a wonderful, if disorienting transition, moving from scholar to donor.

“You kind of go in as a student and you’re sort of the center of attention for the evening and the transition was weird for me,” he said, remembering last year’s dinner. “There was no Ram Van to take me back to my dorm. I had to get home on my own. It was the little things like that kind of made me realize, ‘Okay, we’re not students anymore. We’re grown up. I’m a big boy now.’”

Today, Wilson is a principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. When he goes to the Founder’s Dinner, he said, he enjoys running into old classmates and getting to know alumni from other schools. Though the event was canceled, he said he still felt like a participant.

“By still showing support for the scholars, it’s a way of us all coming together and uniting against this crazy monster that we’re dealing with right now,” he said. “And saying that we know that we’re going to come out of this.”

This year’s 48 Founder’s Scholars are not only the largest cohort ever, but also the most diverse group, comprising students with a wide variety of backgrounds and interests. From Astoria, New York, to Sandy Hook, Connecticut, to Montreal to Bloomfield Hills, Missouri, to Houston to Long Beach, California, the scholars represent nearly every region of the country—and beyond. Their passions are just as varied. Conner Chang studies business administration, Sarah Grandinetti majors in Russian, and Saeef Hossain focuses on psychology.

In an amusing speech prepared for the event, senior Devin D’Agostino, who majors in integrative neuroscience and philosophy, addressed how the University fosters diversity of thought. Though he didn’t get the chance to deliver it at the Hilton, he kindly recorded the speech on his phone from his home in Remsenburg, New York. In it, he described how a childhood interest in dinosaurs evolved from paleontology to biology to his current majors. He spoke of an initial conference with his adviser that began his evolution.

“For the first time in my life, I doubted dinosaurs,” he said. “Suddenly my image of the paleontologist became less of Dr. Grant from Jurassic Park … and more of Ross from Friends.”

Despite the seeming abandonment of his early interests, he said dinosaurs kept coming up his studies.

“I was suddenly encountering dinosaurs everywhere: in Ancient Literature …a picture of the Corinthian helmet clarified to me how the dome-headed Corthyosaurus got its name. In Philosophy of Human Nature … a reading on Plato’s concept of the forms provided to me a method of distinguishing between species in early Archosaurs. In Biopsychology … a lesson on localization in the brain revealed to me how scientists determine the sensory capacities of Tyrannosaurus rex,” he said.

He credited Fordham’s classic liberal arts education to opening his mind, allowing him to find dinosaurs in unexpected places.

“That is the magic of a Fordham education: With its multidisciplinary focus and emphasis on exploration, Fordham encourages us to find the unity in all things—a unity that comes from our pursuit of knowledge,” he said. “Whether it be finance, medieval literature, or dinosaurs, our passions create the unity.”

Looking to the Future in a Time of Crisis

Todd Cosenza, GABELLI ’95, LAW ’98, chair of the President’s Council and member of the Founder’s 2020 Dinner Committee, met Elizabeth Pinho-Cosenza, FCRH ’98, at Fordham College at Rose Hill. The couple eventually married at the University Church and continue to support Fordham through their work on the council and by giving to the Founder’s Scholarship Fund. Each year, they rally friends to come to the event. Cosenza, a partner at the law firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher, LLP, said that while he most certainly understood that the event had to be canceled, he admitted that he was looking forward to seeing old college roommates and mentors as well as getting to meet the honorees.

“This year we have Joe Moglia who was being honored, and I was looking forward to meeting him,” said Cosenza.

Cosenza noted that an often-overlooked aspect of the event is that it showcases how far the University has come on the national stage.

“From the alumni perspective, given the prestige of the University, it really shows how our footprint has grown over the last 20 years, and how impressive our student body has become,” he said. “I think it’s just something that resonates with all the alums. It instills, even for the new scholars, the sense of community and the Fordham alumni network.”

Regardless, he stressed the main purpose of the event remains the Founder’s Undergraduate Scholarship Fund.

“We need to make sure people don’t lose sight that the goal of the dinner is to help the scholarship fund, and ensure Fordham remains competitive with its peer universities,” he said. “So, we just go onward to 2021.”

Susan Conley Salice, FCRH ’82, concurred.

“The importance of the Founder’s Dinner is the impact it has on students,” said Conley Salice, a member of the Board of Trustees, a Founder’s 2020 co-chair, and co-chair of the Faith & Hope campaign. “So, we weren’t able to have an exciting and fun-filled dinner party, but the need for scholarship dollars still exists and actually is growing. Many parents, and students, will be unable to work and their savings will be impacted.”

Conley Salice said that leaving the funds in place for the scholarships was more than a kind gesture; it shows support for the future of the city and the world at large.

“Once the students are able to get back to academics, we’re going to need them to be men and women for others and find ways to help our society learn from the experience and work well together to serve our neighbors,” she said. “Scholarship dollars are a great example of an opportunity to support that.”

Amanda Jara, FCRH ’18, a former Founder’s scholar who had also bought a ticket to Founder’s 2020, said that she is currently being solicited for donations by a variety of institutions, but giving to education hits home.

“I know what it meant to have everyone donate, to be a recipient, and to be on the other side of the equation,” she said. “I understand why it’s really important for the students to see that these donors and their community still have faith in them. We still hope for the best for them, and I feel that if we can demonstrate that with leaving our donations in place, then the whole campaign of Faith and Hope is worth it. We still have faith and hope in our students.”

The event, the first of a series dedicated to the centennial, was held at the Times Square headquarters of PVH Corp., the parent company of brands such as Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. The firm, whose chairman and CEO is Manny Chirico, GABELLI ’79, made a gift of $1 million to the Gabelli School. It also established a partnership with the school to enhance corporate social responsibility through coursework, speakers, visiting scholars, and academic conferences that will convene global thought leaders.

Mario J. Gabelli, a 1965 graduate of the school that bears his name, kicked off the evening with welcome remarks. His wife, Regina Pitaro, FCRH ’76, joined him at the podium, using the opportunity to play a clip of Frank Sinatra’s “The Best is Yet to Come” over her phone for the audience.

“What made America great? Manny is a good example. PVH is a good example. Same thing with Fordham. It was the rule of law and the meritocracy with all its flaws,” said Gabelli, who made a $25 million gift to the Gabelli School in 2010.

“But meritocracy requires education, and education requires facilities, students, faculty, and leadership.”

A New Capital Campaign

To that end, Donna Rapaccioli, Ph.D., dean of the Gabelli School, announced that the school is embarking on a $75 million capital campaign. Among the goals of the campaign are funding scholarships for students, enhancing the school’s MBA and Ph.D. programs, and providing faculty support in recognition of outstanding research and innovative teaching.

“The campaign will support faculty as they engage in research with impact and ensure our curriculum is industry-relevant, with a focus on technology, ethics, and leadership,” she said.

“It will support leadership and career development and programs that help our students prepare for an ever-changing world.”

Rapaccioli reflected on the school’s past and noted how much has changed since its founding in 1920. The subway cost five cents to ride, and tuition to Fordham’s business programs was $175 for day students and $100 for evening students per semester. Women also won the right to vote that year when the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution passed.

“1920 was also the year prohibition started—thank goodness that changed,” she joked.

Looking to the future, she said the school’s success will depend on relationships like the one with PVH, noting that the partnership is “a unique one for us because it touches so many different stakeholders.”

She noted that the school also has relationships with academic institutions like Peking University and Bocconi University and with organizations like the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board and UN PRME Principles for Responsible Management Education.

In introducing Chirico, Rapaccioli praised him for his leadership in business and fashion.

“We educate compassionate, global leaders who are forward-thinking and making positive change. Leaders who change the way the world does business. Manny Chirico is a true example of a leader who is changing the way the fashion industry operates.”

A Partnership Focused on Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability

Chirico said he was excited to join forces with his alma mater to establish an academic hub dedicated to the study of corporate responsibility and sustainability. PVH is also celebrating an anniversary this year, as one of only 29 companies to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange for 100 years.

“Our two organizations have survived and prospered through two world wars, one Great Depression, 14 financial recessions, and 27 New York Yankee world championships. I believe our track records are a testament to both Fordham’s and PVH’s resiliency and ability to adapt to change,” he said.

The partnership with the Gabelli School, he said, will help PVH pursue “Forward Fashion CR Strategy,” a five-year plan it launched last year that aims to reduce the firm’s negative impacts on the environment, ensure all its products are ethically resourced, and improve the lives of an estimated one million people connected to the firm’s value chain. In March, the two organizations and EY will explore these issues in a conference, Work 2040: Future of Work in a Sustainable World Conference.

“This partnership builds on both our organizations’ shared belief that businesses are accountable for contributing to a sustainable and responsible future for all,” he said.

Inspired by Social Entrepreneurship

Natalie Dowd, a senior majoring in marketing, shared how transformative an education at the Gabelli School can be. Although she found it difficult to find her place when she enrolled in 2016, something clicked when she discovered Social Impact 360, a social entrepreneurship fellowship for freshmen.

“When I showed up at the meetings and got to brainstorm socially innovative venture ideas alongside other freshmen, I felt as though I had found both my place and my friends. I found myself so excited by SWOT analyses, writing out business plans, and creating slide decks,” she said.

“Social Impact 360 taught me that my passion for social justice could not only co-exist with my interest in business, it could also help shape the future of business itself.”

In closing remarks, Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, compared the gathering to the Jesuit tradition of reciting a prayer at the end of the day known as the “litanies,” where the good deeds of Catholic saints are recalled.

Standing before an estimated 400 members of the Gabelli School community and employees of PVH, he said the centennial was the proper occasion to celebrate the saints of the school. Those include Gabelli and Pitaro, Chirico, and Rapaccioli, as well as all those in attendance.

“You’re men and women with a difference, who show the world what true business leadership is about. You are for me, saints in the world,” he said.

“People come up to me and ‘Oh Father, I’m no saint.’ I’ll have nothing of that. I won’t hear that. Through you, the Gabelli name gets stronger by the day. People look at Gabelli and they say, ‘This is the school with a difference, turning out men and women with a difference, men and women whose lives are marked by competence, conscience, compassion, commitment to the cause of the human family, and character.”

It has stuck with him ever since. “He basically said the world is out there, you have to find your purpose.”

It’s safe to say he found it. Today he is chairman and CEO of PVH Corp., the world’s second-largest apparel company and parent company of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. Manny, GABELLI ’79, has won numerous accolades for proving that profitability and corporate social responsibility are compatible. For example, PVH recently placed at No. 16 out of 300 firms in the recent Newsweek ranking, “America’s Most Responsible Companies 2020.”

This month, the company announced a partnership with the Gabelli School of Business to help develop its sustainability curriculum, and is contributing $1 million to the effort. On January 28, at its Calvin Klein offices, PVH will host the kickoff event for the Gabelli School’s yearlong centennial celebration.

Manny and his wife, Joanne, support a variety of health- and education-related organizations, including investing in Fordham, particularly in the area of career services and experiential education. Their consonance with the mission of Fordham will be highlighted on March 30 at the Fordham Founder’s Dinner, where they will be among the recipients of the Founder’s Award. (Editor’s note: The 2020 Founder’s Dinner has been canceled; the Chiricos will be honored at the Founder’s Dinner on Monday, March 22, 2021.)

The Chiricos have long been involved with the University; two of their three grown sons are Fordham alumni, and Manny has served on the Board of Trustees. They recently spoke with FORDHAM magazine about some of the balancing acts in their lives—between profit and purpose, and between helping your college-age children versus letting them learn hard lessons on their own.

How has your Fordham education influenced your leadership of PVH?
Manny: I’ve always admired the Jesuits for putting forward the Catholic social justice traditions and engaging with societal issues, and I’ve tried to bring that perspective into my decision-making. I’ve been with PVH for more than 25 years, and we’ve always had a purpose as a company that went beyond just driving profitability each quarter. I think it’s important that you have that corporate purpose and that you balance all your stakeholders when you’re making business decisions. Our corporate purpose, “we power brands that drive fashion forward for good,” sums up how we manage our business.

How does that work in practice?
Manny: Our company has a number of stakeholders—our shareholders, associates, suppliers, customers, and the communities where we operate. All of these groups are impacted by our business decisions, and the most difficult decisions are the ones that negatively impact people’s lives. For example, if a decision is made to close one of our factories and outsource the production in order to save $10 million per year, two stakeholder groups are going to be directly impacted: our shareholders positively and our factory employees negatively. Our shareholders will enjoy the financial benefits of the cost savings while our factory employees will lose their jobs. I think the only way to make these types of decisions is to always consider what is best for both the long-term health of the company and its stakeholders. The company must be financially strong and competitively positioned for the future so it can continue to invest in its business and its talent. For the negatively impacted employees, the company has as obligation to provide a reasonable transition through a generous severance and benefit package as well as future job training. It’s the right thing to do—for the employees but also for the company. Your company’s reputation in the market sits with customers, shareholders, and your future, current, and former associates.

Financial results are critical, but there needs to be a shift in focus from short-term quarterly results to long-term financial performance. By focusing on creating shareholder value over the long term, you bring all stakeholders’ interests into greater alignment.

As parents of three successful college graduates, what would you say to today’s students and parents? Fordham experts have warned of the increasing anxiety and perfectionism hampering today’s students. Any advice?
Manny: I would say there’s too much pressure put on grades and too much “your resume has to be perfect.” Those things are not unimportant, but as a parent, you want to try to bring some perspective to all of that. You don’t need to have five jobs, or be in 15 clubs. Bring some balance to it. And let them make mistakes, within boundaries. You have to experience failure. Everything is not going to be smooth all the time, and as a parent, I think you’ve got to get that point across. That’s the nature of life and business. I always say, “fail fast and move on.” At PVH, when we’re looking for talented people, we’re looking for people who can adapt, get things done, and deal with adversity and constant disruption. The only way you build resiliency is by struggling.

Joanne: As parents, you can’t fix everything. If one of our kids came home saying something negative about a professor, Manny would say, “Well, one of your bosses is going to be the same way.” I think college is a maturing process. You’re going to take classes you love, you’re going to take classes you hate, and maybe you’re going to find out in your third year that you’re in the wrong major and have to switch and make up a couple of classes. Sometimes your major isn’t even what you end up doing. And you need those different experiences.

Our kids always worked—not during the school year, but they had to work during summer. They weren’t going to sleep until noon, they had to get up with alarm clocks. They commuted to the city, they worked in mail rooms, they worked in different areas so they get a feel of what they wanted. Our youngest son worked at our church—answering the phones, painting the school bathrooms, and one day he came home covered with dirt because he had to help dig a grave. I thought it was a great experience for him because he knew he didn’t want to be doing manual labor in 90-degree heat in the middle of the summer. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but he knew that wasn’t for him.

Manny: We pushed very hard for our boys to be involved at Fordham, because clubs and activities balance out what you’re learning in the classroom. And they all played sports, which really teaches you how to work as a group, one of the most important things you have to do in a business. We always found their grades were better during seasons when they had less free time, because they had to manage the demands better.

How should students approach internships? Is it all about skills and hands-on experience?
Manny: It depends what you want. If you want to be in public accounting and you get the opportunity at an internship with one of the big accounting firms, you should take that experience because it’s going to lead to where you want to go. With the internships, it’s about the job you’re doing, but it’s also the experience you’re getting. And as much as possible, try to reach out and get exposed in that environment to as many people as you can. Talking to them about their experiences is as valuable as the actual job experience. It opens up a sphere and you get to see things through other people’s eyes. I think that’s one of the real benefits of internships.

Why did you feel it was important to invest in career services and experiential education at Fordham?
Joanne: Our kids’ advantage was that they had Manny at home. So, they had someone that was pushing them in the right direction, pushing them with mock interviews and things like that. Not everybody has that. Some kids are coming out of families that are not in the professional world. They don’t have that guidance, and that’s why it’s so important for the schools to help.