August 13, 2012
Two seems to be a special number for Thomas Joyce ’73CBA,
’77MBA, at least when it comes to his involvement with St. John’s
University. He earned two degrees at St. John’s, studied on two
different campuses as an undergraduate, and remains exceptionally
active with two separate alumni constituent groups.
Joyce began his studies at the Schermerhorn Street campus
in downtown Brooklyn, and quickly developed an attachment to the
camaraderie for which the “vertical campus” had always been
known.
“The Schermerhorn Street campus was very packed and filled with
lots of energy and excitement,” he recalled. “I think it created a
good comradeship because when we were not in class everyone was in
the cafeteria. We were all in what they called the Quonset Hut at
that time. There actually were Quonset Huts in the back of the
building! There was a good espirit de corps there among all the
students. I remember that the Business students and the Education
students seemed to get along well together, and I was involved in
some of those groups as a student.”
When the Schermerhorn Street campus closed in 1971, Joyce continued
his education on the University’s new Staten Island campus, the
site of the former Notre Dame College on Grymes Hill. It was a
smooth transition, and it didn’t take him long to take advantage of
what the new location had to offer.
“Going from Schermerhorn Street to Staten Island, the first thing
that struck me was that we now had a much lovelier campus with more
buildings and, of course, grass and trees that we didn’t have in
downtown Brooklyn. But it was still a small campus with a
relatively small number of students. You kind of knew everybody.
Even if you didn’t know their name, you knew their face, so we all
felt pretty close to each other. And we had more places to go on
campus, plus there were more places to do things in the surrounding
neighborhood. Schermerhorn Street and Staten Island each had very
different characteristics, of course, but what really kept the
attachment strong, at least for me, were the people. For me, the
people of St. John’s have always been very special.”
Joyce credits the University with helping to get him started on his
successful business career. He believes that the combination of his
solid Business education coupled with St. John’s reputation for
excellence among New York employers gave him an advantage that
wasn’t available to graduates of other institutions.
“St John’s has always been known for its Business students, and
being in New York I had plentiful opportunities for interviews that
the University set up for me when I was starting out. I’ll always
be thankful for that.”
This loyal alumnus expresses his gratitude in a variety of ways.
Currently Director of Securities Processing at Depository Trust and
Clearing Corporation, he is instrumental in
inviting
St. John’s students to get a firsthand look at the inner workings
of the financial services industry as part of the Alumni Insider’s
View…Day on Wall Street, a unique program in which alumni share
their personal and professional expertise in career-related
settings. As a successful business executive, he continues to be
impressed with how the quality of St. John’s students has remained
consistently high over time.
“It’s a little hard to get a good feel for the students after only
having them tour here for one hour,” he said, “but I have to say
that the ones who come here are great. I have stayed involved with
even more current students through things like the Staten Island
Alumni Association. I’ve gotten to see the students from the 1970s
all the way up to the past few years, so I’ve been able to judge
the product that the University turns out. St. John’s is still
turning out a good product. The faces may have changed a bit over
the years, but the end result is the same.”
Joyce has never forgotten his ties to the two campuses that served
as home during his student days. He is an active participant in
activities sponsored by both the Schermerhorn Street Alumni
Association, where he serves on their Reunion Committee, and the
Staten Island Alumni Association. He is also a Red Storm men’s
basketball season ticket holder.
Looking back on the more than four decades that have passed since
he became a member of the St. John’s family, he readily
acknowledges that the University is as important to him today as it
ever was.
“My connection to St. John’s has always been a personal thing,” he
noted, “as much or more about the people than simply about the
academic education. Not to discard the education, obviously, but
the people made the University what it was when I was going to
school, and it’s still that way today. The University helps to mold
people. It’s a mixture of the education, the Vincentian values, and
the people that you meet at St. John’s. For me, the St. John’s
family will always be a special part of my life.”