A Word from the President

Since Rockhurst High School’s first graduating class in 1917, more than 15,000 men have earned the honor of Rockhurst alumnus. Around 11,000 of alumni had their Rockhurst experience here on Greenlease Memorial Campus before going out into the world to live as “men for others”.

The foundation of their lives was built in these classrooms and hallways, and although campus may look slightly different than it did when you were a student, the Jesuit spirit remains as strong as ever.

In my role as President of the Board of Governors of the Rockhurst High School National Alumni Association, I have frequent interactions with the Board of Trustees, the school’s administration, faculty, and staff. I can personally attest to

I am most excited about new opportunities to continue to engage the alumni community and the broader Rockhurst community in support of the mission of the school.

The purpose of the Rockhurst High School National Alumni Association is to cultivate a highly engaged, diverse alumni community that strengthens the ties between alumni, the Kansas City community, and Rockhurst High School.

Over the past several years, the Board of Governors (the Alumni Board) has been canvasing our alumni community to understand what meaningful engagement looks like to our alumni. Based on that input the board has collaborated with Meredith Suarez, Director of Alumni Engagement, and the school’s administration to reshape our alumni engagement priorities and programs.

The focus of our alumni engagement strategies is to cultivate the interest of our alumni community and help them support and connect with the mission of the school.

• Enhancing our alumni database • Revamping our alumni recognition programs • Providing meaningful alumni volunteer opportunities • Facilitating opportunities for alumni to connect with each other and with students.

Every Rockhurst alumnus has the potential to help us to realize these opportunities and make an impact on the mission of Rockhurst High School and the lives of current and future students. The Board of Governors is actively looking to fill volunteer roles on our various committees which produce our alumni engagement programs. Please reach out to Meredith Suarez (msuarez@rockhursths.edu) if you are interested.

Lastly, I would like to welcome Todd Schieffer ’90, Nick Porto ’96, and Blaise Gassman ’16 to the Alumni Board and to extend sincere gratitude to Tom Knox ’88 and Frank Reardon ’07 who have concluded their service on the board.

These dedicated volunteer leaders embody what it means to be an engaged alumnus by intentionally giving their time, expertise, advocacy, and financial means to support the mission of Rockhurst High School.

Thank you for all that you do to support the mission of the school, the current students and families, as well as the broader Rockhurst community. I look forward to connecting with many of you through our upcoming alumni programs.

Frank Allen ’05, National Alumni Association President Pat McInerney ’82, Tom Knox ’88, Blaise Gassman ’16, Frank Allen ’05, and Todd Schieffer ’90 have dedicated their service to the Alumni Board. Knox has concluded his service, while Gassman and Schieffer have recently joined.

The National Alumni Association Executive Committee presented Peter B. Browne ’85 as its 2022 Alumnus of the Year during the school’s Homecoming Mass on September 29, 2022, and formally recognized Browne at the annual Fr. Puricelli, SJ, Alumni Spaghetti Dinner on November 3.

“Pete is a fantastic example of what it means to live out the Jesuit ideals,” said Frank Allen ’05, president of the Alumni Board of Governors. “He has continually reinvested his time and resources to support his local parish, the Rockhurst community, and the broader Kansas City community. We are fortunate to have him as an alumnus of Rockhurst High School and we are pleased to recognize him with this award.”

While a student at Rockhurst in the early 1980s, Browne developed his passion for community building and service. Those experiences would shape his professional calling a decade later.

“I had a wonderful experience at The Rock,” commented Browne. “Beyond the great education, it was dedicated teachers like Mr. Tom Norman and the Jesuit ‘men for others’ ethos that have informed my approach to building a business and serving our community.”

Browne co-founded Kissick Construction in 1994 with fellow longtime Rockhurst supporter Jim Kissick ’68. They began the construction firm with a commitment to provide quality service to their Kansas City client base. That dedication has led to employing almost 400 team members and managing projects as large as $100 million. Throughout his more than 36 years of experience and leadership in the construction industry, Browne has developed a strong reputation for providing innovative solutions to complex engineering challenges for their clients, including Rockhurst High School.

The same enthusiasm and care are devoted to Browne’s community service work. He is an advocate for the arts, education, and community development.

Browne currently serves in leadership roles with Notre Dame de Sion Schools of Kansas City, the Folly Theater, The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, The Heavy Constructors Association, and is a member of the KCUR Radio Community Advisory Board. He previously served the Roanoke Park Conservancy, Kansas City Industrial Council, and Kansas City Area Development Council.

His most recent undertaking has been his election as the president of the Kansas City Public Library’s Board of Trustees. Browne joined the board in 2020 and accepted his new role in January 2022, becoming the first new president in 17 years. “Pete exudes what it means to be a ‘man for others’,” said Spencer Hardwick ’07, Alumni Board of Governors secretary and Alumnus of the Year Chairman. “His accomplishments both in the private and public sector over the course of his career speak for themselves as well as his steadfast commitment to Rockhurst in a variety of ways. We’re humbled to honor his contributions in this capacity and celebrate knowing that his best work is still ahead.”

Generous supporters and advocates of Rockhurst High School, Browne and his spouse, Julie Walker Browne, are also proud to have their sons, Joe ’25 and Jack ’28, as a current and future Hawklet, respectively. Their daughter, Maureen, is a senior at Notre Dame de Sion.

“With my work in the construction business, we intentionally begin with a rock foundation. If the soils are sandy, we drill down deeper to anchor into rock because it’s just that important,” remarked Browne to the Rockhurst student body. “So I say to the thousand strong Rockhurst student body assembled here: this Rock is your foundation.”

Pete Browne ’85 and his family following his acceptance of the Alumnus of the Year Award in front of the student body on Sept. 29, 2022. Scan to watch Browne’s remarks at the Homecoming Mass.

Rockhurst High School celebrated its Alumni Reunion Weekend October 6-8, 2022 with an emphasis on campus and facilities tours and connecting with today’s Hawklets.

“Our Rockhurst community is strengthened by the stories told and lifelong friendships made by our alumni. Being back together on campus for Alumni Week activities was particularly special this year,” said Meredith Suarez, Director of Alumni Engagement. “Everyone enjoys connecting with old friends and seeing how their school has changed, but at Rockhurst, the bonds of brotherhood run deep. The guys had a blast laughing and reminiscing with friends, some of whom they have known for over 50 years. They had so much fun they’re already talking about the next reunion!”

On Thursday, three alumni attorneys offered their time to speak with current students interested in a career in law. Ivan Nugent ’99, Krigel & Krigel Shareholder, Sean McLaughlin ’01, City Attorney, City of Lenexa, and Henry Thomas ’06, Sportradar’s Global Group Counsel, shared their experiences and advice through a conversation facilitated by Mock Trial team members Sam Grilliot ’23 and Pete Mandacina ’25.

Shortly after, members of the great Class of 1967 returned to campus for a luncheon celebrating their 55th year reunion. They were surprised by an enthusiastic greeting from current junior and senior Hawklets, clapping and cheering for them as they made their way into the Dining Commons. new facility, The Goppert Rock Plex (formerly the Red Bridge YMCA). Then more than 30 alumni returned to campus to volunteer for the Freshman Retreat Alumni Talks, speaking with the newest Hawklets about their Rockhurst experiences and the amazing opportunities they have in front of them.

In the evening, Rockhurst hosted its annual football tailgate party and Hall of Fame induction celebration. Over 300 alumni joined together on the Al Davis, Jr. Field for dinner prior to the Football Hawklets beating Blue Springs 35-21. The seven new members of Rockhurst’s Sports Hall of Fame were recognized during the tailgate and at halftime of the game (see next page). Following the football game, reunion attendees went to individual class gatherings organized by class captains.

The annual Alumni Soccer Match, loyally organized by Tom Knox ’88, took place on Saturday afternoon and featured 40 former Soccer Hawklets competing on Severino Field at Dasta Memorial Stadium.

Alumni from all classes filled the Sacred Heart Chapel at 4:00 p.m. for a celebration of Mass, led by Rev. Michael Sheeran ’57, followed by a lively reception in the Pesci Atrium as classmates reflected on the weekend activities and continued to catch up with one another.

The highlighted class celebrations on Saturday night were for the great Classes of 1967 and 1972, celebrating their 55th and 50th reunions. Both classes enjoyed dinners on campus and shared Rockhurst memories spanning more than five decades. “Without a doubt, this was the best reunion program in my 55 years since graduation. It’s difficult to name the best part of the week since everyone made all events the best – even the students got involved to help us celebrate!” said John Oades ’67, class captain. “But two events that stuck out were the Friday Tailgate and our Class Dinner on Saturday. Both of these were on the school grounds, and both were done to perfection. And we can’t talk about the best parts of the reunion without mentioning the camaraderie with our classmates! We had guys come in from Arizona, Oregon, Texas, and even Belgium. To spend time reconnecting with all the guys at the reunion was priceless!”

Attendees for the Golden Jubilee (50th reunion) celebration shared similar sentiments.

“What a unique, enjoyable experience catching up with someone you haven’t seen or talked to in 50 years! Thanks again to the committees for organizing the weekend activities,” said Bill Ronan ’72.

Jim Van Dyke ’72, class captain, added that classmates returned for their Jubilee Reunion from Mexico, Alaska, California, Massachusetts, Texas, and many other places. Attendees expressed how many life-long friends they met while at Rockhurst and how grateful they were to have received such a well-rounded Jesuit education.

The great Class of 1972 celebrated its Golden Jubilee, which included a Saturday night dinner at the Hawklets Center.

Juniors and seniors lined the hallway outside of the Dining Commons for a surprise welcome and greeting for the great Class of 1967 prior to their luncheon together. Dr. Frank Huppe ’52 was the most senior alumnus attending Reunion Weekend and received special recognition at the tailgate party.

Members of the great Class of 2017 returned to The Rock for their five year reunion and were reunited with their classmates and significant others at the football tailgate party.