Alumni Success Stories
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Peter Jankowski ’86 Producer, Law & Order -
Edward P. Jones ’72 Award-winning novelist -
Joyce O’Shaughnessy ’78 Prominent oncologist -
J.D. “Dave” Power III ’53 Founder, J.D. Power -
Mary Pat Ryan ’78
SIRIUS Radio executive -
Ann Dowd ’78
Actress - TV, film, stage -
Maggie Wilderotter '77
Telecommunications CEO -
Chris Matthews ’67
Host, Hardball -
Anthony Fauci '62
AIDS researcher -
Clarence Thomas '71 Supreme Court justice
Alumni Success Stories
Peter Jankowski ’86
Peter Jankowski ’86 produces Law & Order as president of Wolf Films. “There’s no flight plan for a career in TV, so liberal arts is a great background. At Holy Cross, I learned to think for myself, hold onto my values, and listen to others – all valuable skills in Hollywood,” says producer and former history major Peter Jankowski. President of Wolf Films since 1996, Jankowski oversees the company’s operations and is executive producer of the Law & Order franchise. Before that, he spent 10 years at Universal Television, where he became executive in charge of production for such successful series as Northern Exposure, Coach, and Quantum Leap.
“Producing is the right career for me,” he says. “First and foremost, I’m a fan of TV and film. I enjoy working with different people, especially making it possible for those with something to say to say it. And I’m bull-headed – you have to be, because everyone in this business wants to say ‘no.’ Some of the best shows in television history weren’t successful at first, including Cheers, Seinfeld, and Law & Order.”
Jankowski ponders major issues in television, from the effect of new technologies to the responsibilities of news reporting. He is married to his Holy Cross classmate Linda Caruso, a lawyer, and they have two young sons who, as he observes, “can’t watch any of the shows I work on.”