Dowdle Family of Wilmette honored by Loyola Academy
December 19, 2011 9:44PM
Loyola Academy President Rev. Patrick E. McGrath, S.J., President’s Dinner chairwoman Christina Massi Filippini of Lake Forest and honorees Sally and James C. Dowdle ’52 of Wilmette | Photo courtesy of Steve Donisch
BENEFIING: Loyola Academy’s Tuition Assistance Program
DATE: Nov. 4, 2011
LOCATION: Chicago Hilton
ATTENDED: 600+
RAISED: $350,000+
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Updated: January 13, 2012 12:38PM
The Loyola Academy community honored the Sally and James C. Dowdle Family of Wilmette with its Rev. Daniel A. Lord, S.J. Award for Distinguished Service in the Cause of Youth at its 54th annual President’s Dinner on Nov. 4, 2011.
Over six hundred supporters attended the black-tie soiree, held in the Grand Ballroom at the Chicago Hilton and raised more than $350,000 for Loyola’s tuition assistance program, which supplies more than $4 million in funding to 30 percent of the school’s 2,000 students.
“The Dowdles have been a vibrant part of the life of Loyola for generations,” stated Loyola President Rev. Patrick E. McGrath, S.J. “As role models for youth, the example that Sally and Jim have set in their own lives is more powerful than words could ever be,” notes Fr. McGrath. “Their warmth, generosity and compassion are inspiring, as is their enduring commitment to young people at Loyola and in so many other communities.”
James Dowdle, a 1952 graduate, followed in his older brothers’ footsteps traveling daily from the St. Philip Neri parish area on Chicago’s South Side to the Academy’s first home at Loyola University’s Dumbach Hall. In 1956, he married his childhood sweetheart, Sally Sayers, and the couple raised five children as Jim rose through the ranks in the television industry. In 1981, he served as the president and chief executive officer of the Tribune Broadcasting Company, until 1991, when he was named executive vice president of the Tribune Company—a position he held until he retired in 1999.
Today, the Dowdles have 16 grandchildren, 10 of whom are Loyola Ramblers and another to matriculate in 2012. The couple’s hospitality is legendary, often hosting their grandchildren’s sports teams for pasta dinners or spring break stays in their Florida home.
Over the years, Jim and Sally and their children have served on countless boards that benefit youth, including the Big Shoulders Fund, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Junior Achievement of Chicago, Maryville Academy and Misericordia, to name just a few.
Mrs. Christina Massi Filippini of Lake Forest was the event chairwoman.
For more information, please see goramblers.org.
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