"Because the Pope Said So"

How Mary Paxon’s decision to send her son to St. Joe’s led him from the halls of 845 Kenmore Avenue to the halls of our nation’s Capitol

Congressman Bill Paxon ’72 was raised in Akron, NY, at a time where the 25-mile drive to St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute was a significant hike for him and his Dad everyday. So, how did he end up so far away from home? He points to his parents’ support.

“According to my Mother, there was never any doubt that my brother Robert, Class of ’75, and I were going to go to St. Joe’s,” Paxon said. “When my Dad asked why we weren’t going to attend Akron High School, my Mother replied ‘because the Pope said so.’”

Paxon remembers walking into the building on the first day of school like it happened just yesterday. Small, nonathletic, and a self-described “at best, average” student, Paxon walked through the hallways without knowing a single person. He was asked by fellow students, “Where are you from?” and he answered “Akron.” He was quickly corrected that the proper answer to that question was to name your parish.

Instead of joining a sports team or immediately excelling academically, Paxon was known for hanging a picture of Richard Nixon in his locker. He was different from the traditional student, and he knew from a young age that he wanted to go into politics.

But that’s what makes St. Joe’s unique. Students from any community, with any interest, just like Paxon, can come to the welcoming arms that De La Salle opened in 1684 for students in France.

“St. Joe’s embraced my nerdiness and out-of-theordinariness,” Paxon says. “A lot of places would have pushed me over in the corner and said ‘good luck, kid.’ St. Joe’s did just the opposite. The school looks for each student’s extraordinary talents and embraces their differences to become part of a whole Lasallian community.”

At 15, Paxon officially entered the political space while volunteering for the first congressional campaign of former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jack Kemp. Just a short eight years later and with a Political Science degree from Canisius College, he was elected to the Erie County Legislature as the youngest member ever.

He held a position in the New York State Assembly, and was in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1989-1999 representing the 27th District.

While in Congress, he married fellow Congresswoman Susan Molinari from the 13th NY District, and they became the first active congressional married couple. Their oldest daughter, Susan Ruby, is the first child to be born to two members of Congress.

In 1992, Paxon was unanimously elected by House Republicans to Chair the National Republican Congressional Committee, and is credited with leading the 1994 “Republican Revolution.” He is the former Chair of the Republican House Leadership Committee, and former member of the Banking, Budget, Small Business, Veteran Affairs, and Energy and Commerce Committees.

After leaving Congress, Paxon remained an active advisor and fundraiser for GOP congressional candidates, and joined Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP to consult with private and public sector clients on policy issues.

He had the opportunity to represent and lobby for global businesses such as Boeing and AT&T, and Western New York organizations such as the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority.

With all of his incredible achievements throughout the years, Paxon circles back to his foundation and credits St. Joe’s as “the reason I am who I am today.”

Whether it was Mr. Joseph Chaya’s Freshman history class where he debated with other students about hot topic issues such as President Nixon and the Vietnam War, or the speech team that developed his ability to give effective elevator pitches, he took the lessons and principles learned from the classroom and linked them to the responsibilities of his professional career.

“People such as Principal Brother Victor Hickey saw my mediocre academics and surrounded me with encouragement and the confidence needed to succeed,” recalled Paxon.

Paxon walked into a building where no one knew him, and students and teachers alike embraced his strong faith and passion for politics.

He’s thrilled to share his story with others as part of the strong alumni network and to give back to the school that helped fuel his growth as a student and person.

In 1999, he started the Leon W. and Mary P. Paxon Endowment Fund with the goal of providing financial aid to deserving students. He is also a generous contributor to the St. Joe's Fund, the school's annual fund that supports students with financial aid and other resources.

He was inducted into Signum Fidei in 1998, St. Joe’s lifetime achievement award and highest accolade.

As Paxon looks to the future of SJCI, he is very aware of the role that St. Joe’s played in his life, career, faith, and family. He hopes that his support of his alma mater will help future generations of St. Joe’s students, “grow and succeed in life and in faith from the foundation built nearly 350 years ago by St. John Baptist de La Salle.”

Today, Mr. Paxon and his wife reside in what he terms “Buffalo South,” Sarasota, Florida. Susan Ruby is a lobbyist in Washington D.C. with Capital Policy Group, and their youngest daughter, Katie, is a senior at University of Wisconsin-Madison.