Title:Letter from the Editors

Jeff Donahoe, the longtime editor of Georgetown Magazine, began his retirement in December 2020. Jeff had a gift for choosing wonderful people and meaningful projects to highlight in each issue. For nearly 30 years, he helped Georgetown alumni around the globe feel more connected to their alma mater and each other.

Following his well-deserved retirement, we stepped up as a team to produce this Spring 2021 issue. Despite the ongoing challenges of our pandemic world, there’s still an abundance of inspirational Georgetown stories, from veterans becoming entrepreneurs to ethicists advocating for equitable vaccine distribution.

In the Fall 2020 issue, we dedicated a feature story to the life and work of legendary Coach John R. Thompson Jr. This March, one of his protégés, Coach Patrick Ewing (C’85, Parent’08), led the Georgetown men’s basketball team to a Big East championship for the first time since 2007. In fact, it was the first time that a Big East championship player had gone on to become a Big East championship coach. And, to add a note of serendipity, it happened on the 49th anniversary of the day John R. Thompson Jr. was hired. In remarking on the team’s impressive road to victory, Coach Ewing spoke of their sorrow and motivation since Coach Thompson’s passing, saying “We’ve been through some trials and tribulations, but everyone has done their part to get us to this point.”

It is a pleasure to share with you this issue of Georgetown Magazine, another team effort successfully pursued at a difficult time. This past year has reinforced the value of working together for a common purpose, even when that work is remote. There’s much to celebrate at Georgetown, and everywhere the world is finding glimmers of hope.