Villanova University: A Legacy of Leaders and Achievers

Villanova University, with its rich history dating back to 1842, has cultivated a legacy of producing influential figures across various fields. From the classrooms of Tolentine to the dorm rooms of Sullivan, generations of students have been shaped by the University's Augustinian Catholic values, its commitment to service, and its dedication to academic excellence. These values create meaningful bonds across generations of Wildcats. This article explores the lives and achievements of some of Villanova's most notable alumni, showcasing the breadth and depth of their impact on the world.

A Foundation of Service and Leadership

“Service is an integral part of this university’s mission,” Father Stack said. Celebrities and typical graduates alike have both been influenced by that notion of service. Villanova instills in its students a sense of responsibility and a desire to contribute to the greater good. NBA Star and Villanova graduate Kerry Kittles prescribed to that idea of service. In addition to his involvement on the basketball team, Kittles was an active Eucharistic minister. Many graduates carry this ethos into their professional and personal lives, making a tangible difference in their communities and beyond.

“A lot of people who have graduated from Villanova have the ingredients to be successful in whatever field they choose,” Father Stack said. The average students that arrive at Villanova are not fully aware of how privileged and blessed they are,” Father Stack said. “Most students get exposure in their four years, though, to people who are less fortunate than they are.

Ed Sullivan started a program in the early ’80s to outreach to the Philadelphia homeless. In the late ’70s, Foti and a few of her friends who were involved in the Villanovans for Life organization decided to branch out from the group to form a small Special Olympics chapter on campus that started as a one-day event with only one sport. Having a brother with Downs Syndrome, Foti devoutly committed herself to creating this chapter. The contributions that students make on a daily basis to Villanova are countless. There are currently about 140 student organizations on campus, and that number is consistently rising.

John Drosdick, Chairman of the Villanova Board of Trustees, is the CEO of Sunoco Oil and makes significant annual contributions to the University. Jim Curvy is another member of the Board of Trustees. He came to Villanova from a small, impoverished coal mining region in Pennsylvania, but after leaving Villanova he raised up to the No. 2 man in the Fidelity Investment Corporation. Some graduates, meanwhile, leave Villanova and enter the world without ever earning worldwide fame, but their legend at Villanova will always be remembered.

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Notable Alumni Across Disciplines

Villanova's alumni network spans a wide range of fields, from arts and entertainment to politics and business. Here are some of the most prominent figures who have called Villanova their alma mater:

Arts and Entertainment

Bradley Cooper: A highly acclaimed actor and filmmaker, Bradley Charles Cooper is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and three Grammy Awards. In addition, he has been nominated for twelve Academy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award. Cooper appeared on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list three times and on Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world. His films have grossed $13 billion worldwide, and he has been placed in annual rankings of the world's highest-paid actors four times.
Maria Bello: You may know Bello for her roles as Edie Stall in A History of Violence and as Donna McLoughlin in World Trade Center. Maria Bello is an American actress and producer. Her first major film role was in 1998's Permanent Midnight. She followed this with a range of supporting and leading parts in films such as Payback (1999), Coyote Ugly (2000), The Cooler (2003), Secret Window (2004), Assault on Precinct 13, A History of Violence, Thank You for Smoking (all 2005), World Trade Center (2006), The Jane Austen Book Club (2007), The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), Grown Ups (2010), Prisoners (2013), and Lights Out (2016).
Jim Croce: James Joseph Croce was an American folk and rock singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, he released five studio albums and numerous singles. During this period, Croce took a series of odd jobs to pay bills while he continued to write, record and perform concerts. After Croce formed a partnership with the songwriter and guitarist Maury Muehleisen in the early 1970s, his fortunes turned. Croce's breakthrough came in 1972, when his third album, You Don't Mess Around with Jim, produced three charting singles, including "Time in a Bottle", which reached No. 1 after Croce died. The follow-up album Life and Times included the song "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown", Croce's only No. 1 hit during his lifetime.
Toby Keith: Toby Keith Covel was an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and businessman.

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Victor Buono: Victor Charles Buono was an American actor, comic, and briefly a recording artist. He was known for playing the villain King Tut in the television series Batman (1966-1968) and musician Edwin Flagg in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), the latter of which earned him Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations. He was a busy actor from his late teens until his death at the age of 43 and, with his large size and sonorous voice, he made a career of playing men much older than he was.
Vincent Piazza: Vincent Piazza is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of gangster Lucky Luciano in the HBO television series Boardwalk Empire. He has also played Earl Hefner in the comedy-drama Rocket Science (2007) and singer Tommy DeVito in Clint Eastwood's film adaptation of Jersey Boys (2014).

Politics and Public Service

Jill Biden: Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden is an American educator who served as the first lady of the United States from 2021 to 2025 as the wife of President Joe Biden. She previously served as second lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017 when her husband was vice president. Since 2009, she has been a professor of English at Northern Virginia Community College. She is believed to be the first wife of a vice president or president to hold a salaried job during the majority of her husband's tenure. She enrolled in Villanova University In 1987 graduated with Master of Arts in English.
Ed Rendell: Edward Gene Rendell is an American politician, author, and former prosecutor who served as the 45th governor of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2011. He previously served as chair of the national Democratic Party from 1999 to 2001, as mayor of Philadelphia from 1992 to 2000, and as district attorney of Philadelphia from 1978 to 1986.
Kelly Ayotte: Kelly Ann Ayotte is an American attorney and politician serving since 2025 as the 83rd governor of New Hampshire. A member of the Republican Party, she served from 2011 to 2017 as a United States senator from New Hampshire and from 2004 to 2009 as New Hampshire Attorney General. She Enrolled in Villanova University In 1993 graduated with Juris Doctor.
Jacob Frey: Jacob Lawrence Frey is an American politician and attorney who has served as the mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota since 2018. A member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, he served on the Minneapolis City Council from 2014 to 2018. He Enrolled in Villanova University Graduated with law degree.
Buddy Cianci: Vincent Albert "Buddy" Cianci Jr. was an American politician, attorney, radio talk show host, and political commentator who served as the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island from 1975 to 1984 and again from 1991 to 2002. Cianci was the longest-serving mayor of Providence, having held office for over 21 years.
Chad Wolf: Chad Fredrick Wolf is an American former government official and lobbyist who was named the acting United States secretary of homeland security in November 2019. His appointment was ruled unlawful in November 2020. Wolf was also the under secretary of homeland security for strategy, policy, and plans from 2019 to 2021. He Enrolled in Villanova University 2012-2013 graduated with graduate certificate in contract management and government.
Ali Soufan: Ali H. Soufan is a Lebanese-American former FBI agent who was involved in a number of high-profile anti-terrorism cases both in the United States and around the world. A 2006 New Yorker article described Soufan as coming closer than anyone to preventing the September 11 attacks and implied that he would have succeeded had the CIA been willing to share information with him. He resigned from the FBI in 2005 after publicly chastising the CIA for not sharing intelligence with him which could have prevented the attacks.

Sports

Kyle Lowry: Kyle Terrell Lowry is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A six-time All-Star, he was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2016 and won an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, their first and only title in franchise history. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Raptors players of all time due to his work with turning the franchise around, from the post-Vince Carter era to their first-ever championship in 2019. As starting point guard, Lowry played an integral role in the Raptors' success from 2012 to 2021. national team that won a gold medal in the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Jalen Brunson: Jalen Marquis Brunson is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted with the 33rd overall selection of the 2018 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks and played his first four seasons in the NBA with them. He played college basketball for Villanova University, where he was the National Player of the Year as a junior and won two national championships.
Mikal Bridges: Mikal Bridges is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Villanova Wildcats, winning national championships in 2016 and 2018. Bridges was selected with the tenth overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2018 NBA draft before being traded to the Phoenix Suns on draft night, where he was a part of the team that reached the 2021 NBA Finals. He was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in February 2023 and was later traded to the Knicks in July 2024. Nicknamed “the Warden”, Bridges holds the active record for the most consecutive games played, having not missed a game in his NBA career since being drafted.
Donte DiVincenzo: Donte DiVincenzo is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Villanova Wildcats, where he won national championships in 2016 and 2018, being named Final Four Most Outstanding Player (MOP) in 2018. Selected with the 17th overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2018 NBA draft, DiVincenzo won his first championship with the Bucks in 2021, before being traded to the Sacramento Kings the following season. He has since played for the Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks, and holds the Knicks franchise records for single-game and single-season three-point shots made. He also holds the NBA record for most three point shots made in a playoff game 7 (9).
Josh Hart: Joshua Aaron Hart is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected in the first round of the 2017 NBA draft as the 30th overall pick by the Utah Jazz before being traded on draft night to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Howie Long: Howard Matthew Moses Long is an American former professional football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He spent his entire career with the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders franchise, who selected him in the second round of the 1981 NFL draft. Long received eight Pro Bowl and three first-team All-Pro selections while helping the team win Super Bowl XVIII. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
Saddiq Bey: Saddiq Jaleel Bey is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Villanova Wildcats.
Omari Spellman: Omari Rasulala Spellman is an American-Lebanese professional basketball player who last played for Zenit Saint Petersburg of the Russian VTB United League. He played college basketball for the Villanova Wildcats, winning a national championship in 2018. Spellman was drafted 30th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2018 NBA draft.
Randy Foye: Randy Foye is an American former professional basketball player. He played collegiately at Villanova University. He was selected seventh overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics, but was immediately traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, and later traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves where he began his career.
Kris Jenkins: Kris Jenkins is an American former professional basketball player who is a student athlete development assistant at Villanova University. He played college basketball for the Villanova Wildcats and is best known for making the buzzer-beating three-point shot to win the 2016 NCAA championship game.
George Raveling: George Henry Raveling is an American former college basketball player and coach. He played at Villanova University, and was the head coach at Washington State University (1972-1983), the University of Iowa (1983-1986), and the University of Southern California (1986-1994).
Ryan Arcidiacono: Ryan Curran Arcidiacono is an American professional basketball player for the Windy City Bulls of the NBA G League. Nicknamed "the Arch of Dimes", he attended Neshaminy High School, where he averaged 20.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as a junior to lead Neshaminy to the PIAA playoffs. He Enrolled in Villanova University Studied in 2012-2016.
Red Donahue: Red Donahue was the first former Wildcat to make it to the Major League level. Did you know that there were fifty-one former Villanova University ballplayers who made it to the majors? In '46 (batting .353). The Villanova University baseball program started in 1866. There's a certain amount of luck, and a certain amount of talent. If you put it all together, you can have a big year like I had in '46 (batting .353). President Eisenhower had a favorite player and it was Mickey Vernon. On Opening Day in 1954 Vernon hit a two-run, tenth-inning homer off the Yankees' Allie Reynolds to win the game for the Washington Senators.

Business and Technology

Michael G. Rubin: Michael Gary Rubin is an American businessman. He is the founder and CEO of Fanatics, a global digital sports platform that consists of several businesses, including licensed sports merchandise, trading cards and collectibles, sports betting and iGaming, special events, and live commerce. He is a board member of Rue Gilt Groupe, which includes RueLaLa.com, Gilt.com, and ShopPremiumOutlets.com. He previously founded GSI Commerce in 1998, selling it to eBay in 2011 for US$2.4 billion.
John L. Hennessy: John L. (Google). Hennessy is one of the founders of MIPS Technologies and Atheros, and also the tenth President of Stanford University. Hennessy announced that he would step down in the summer of 2016. He was succeeded as president by Marc Tessier-Lavigne. Marc Andreessen called him "the godfather of Silicon Valley."

Academia and Theology

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin: Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was a French Jesuit, Catholic priest, scientist, palaeontologist, theologian, philosopher, and teacher. He was Darwinian and progressive in outlook and the author of several influential theological and philosophical books. His mainstream scientific achievements include his palaeontological research in China, taking part in the discovery of the significant Peking Man fossils from the Zhoukoudian cave complex near Beijing. His more speculative ideas, sometimes criticized as pseudoscientific, have included a vitalist conception of the Omega Point. Along with Vladimir Vernadsky, they also contributed to the development of the concept of a noosphere.

Journalism

Peter Doocy: Peter James Doocy is an American opinion correspondent and a Senior White House correspondent for Fox News.
Tim Donaghy: Timothy Francis Donaghy is an American former professional basketball referee who worked in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 13 seasons from 1994 to 2007 until he was caught in a gambling scandal. During his career in the NBA, Donaghy officiated in 772 regular season games and 26 playoff games.

The Villanova University Alumni Association (VUAA)

The feeling of community and support that Villanova nurtures does not end at graduation. All Villanova graduates, regardless of graduation year, college or degree, are considered members of the VUAA. Villanova parents, families and friends are also members of the VUAA. The VUAA offers a variety of ways for alumni to stay connected with the University and with each other, including Affinity Networks, Regional Clubs, and volunteer opportunities.

Tom Sanzone ’68 COE is part of a remarkable four-generation, 100-year Villanova legacy that began with his cousin in 1925 and continues with his granddaughter in the Class of 2028. A highly engaged and dedicated alum, he has served on the Villanova University Alumni Association Board of Directors, chaired his Reunion Class Committee three times, and was the first vice president of the Club of Houston. Tom encourages fellow alumni to stay connected by embracing Villanova’s Augustinian Catholic values, which create meaningful bonds across generations of Wildcats.

Giving Back: Alumni Contributions to Villanova

Behind every achievement, every scholarship and every championship, stand the alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends who invest in our students and fortify the University’s future by giving to Villanova. At Villanova, John ’88 VSB and Suzanne ’88 CLAS Stadtler received far more than college degrees-they joined a special community that would not only shape their lives, but also that of their daughter, Caitlin Stadtler ’18 VSB. Since graduation, Camille Smith ’20 has been creating opportunities for fellow Villanova engineers through her professional networking and leadership in the Engineering community. Since earning her degree in Mechanical Engineering, Kerry Bruggemann ’06 COE has stayed engaged with Villanova from her home in Minnesota by serving on the Villanova University Alumni Association (VUAA) Board of Directors and the Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women’s Leadership Advisory Council. According to Kerry, these connections not only provided her with insights into where the University is headed, but also with the opportunity to help shape the next generation of Villanova leaders who will go on to ignite change in their fields. For Joseph Gulino, Esq., ’00 CLAS, studying Italian at Villanova opened doors for him to spend a year abroad and land internships that shaped his career in law and international affairs. Ellen M. The impact of Villanova’s M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing has extended far beyond the classroom for Ellen M. Tracy ’81 FCN, ’97 MSN. Nearly 45 years after starting at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Tracy now serves as vice president of nursing and stays connected to Villanova through the Alumni Workplace Engagement Program and mentoring current nursing students.

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