Saint Peter's College

John Tagliabue ‘71 and Paula Butturini at the
launch of the John Tagliabue Lecture Series
in 2006.
and their values — hard work,
discipline and personal care,” he
said. “The Jesuits taught me that an
individual can make a difference and
I’ve carried those values with me.”
Making Saint Peter’s A
Little Richer
Journalist Paula Butturini discussed
the fall of communism in Eastern
Europe and its impact on the lives
of ordinary citizens. Rev. Keith
Pecklers ’80 S.J., one of the
foremost authorities on Catholic
liturgy, spoke about “Catholic
Liturgy in the 21st Century and the
Mission of the Church.” Both of
these lectures were made possible by
a gift to the endowment by former
NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue
in honor of his brother, John
Tagliabue ’67, a New York Times
journalist who currently reports from
Paris. Launched in 2006, the John
Tagliabue Lecture Series enriches
academic life at Saint Peter’s, allowing
students and faculty to interact
with noted journalists, writers and
authors who discuss their work,
the media and current issues and
trends in their respective fields. For
the Tagliabue brothers it’s about
remembering where you came from.
“The place has changed, the faces
have changed, but two things never
change: the excellence of Saint
Peter’s College and the vast array of
possibilities open to graduates of fine
colleges like this one,” said John
Tagliabue at Saint Peter’s 2005
commencement, at which he and
Paul received honorary degrees.
“Our families had great hopes for us.
They made sure we were educated
by Jesuits, for which we are now
immensely grateful. You will be,
too, if you’re not already!”
A Stepping Stone to Success
For many first generation college
students like Joseph Yewaisis ’61,
where you went to college depended
on the city bus route. Fortunately for
Yewaisis, who was born and raised in
Newark, the bus carried him to Saint
Peter’s College each day. There, with
the help of the Jesuits, he discovered
a wealth of opportunities that would
propel him farther in life than he
imagined.
After graduating from Saint
Peter’s, Yewaisis joined Peat Marwick
Main & Co. (now KPMG), a
public accounting firm, and rose in
the banking industry, serving as
president of First Savings Bank for
24 years until his death in 1996. He
was also a leader in the community,
serving as Chairman of the Board of
Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth
Amboy and Chairman of the Board
of Regents at Saint Peter’s College.
Nancy Yewaisis
“My husband always appreciated
and loved to go back to Saint
Peter’s,” said Nancy Yewaisis, wife of
the late alumnus. “He knew the
College opened doors for him that
changed his life completely.”
With that sentiment in mind,
Nancy established the Joseph Yewaisis
Scholarship to help a new generation
of Accounting majors achieve the
level of success her late husband
enjoyed. “The Jesuits were like a
family. They brought recruiters to
campus and opened doors into a
society men like my husband never
knew. The discipline and learning
from Saint Peter’s carried them
through their whole lives.”
Today, Nancy continues the
Yewaisis tradition of giving back as a
member of Saint Peter’s College
Board of Regents. Each summer, she
hosts a reception for Saint Peter’s
College alumni and friends at her
Lavallette home on the Jersey shore.
“I love it,” she said regarding her
involvement with the College. “I’ve
met a lot of nice people. Everyone
has been so nice and gracious to me.”
Saint Peter’s College Magazine
9