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A few moments with Bill Doran '77, whose gift of $550,000 to the campaign brings the total amount raised past the $100 million mark.
What lessons did you learn as an athlete at Holy Cross?
I played basketball and baseball at Holy Cross. Through my athletic experiences, I learned many valuable lessons. The ones that stick out in my mind are: be prepared, work hard, do things the right way, work together as a team and, lastly, have fun. Those lessons and values have been very important in my career at Morgan Stanley. I am part of an outstanding trading group that incorporates these values, which has contributed to our success.
What did you think of the Holy Cross vs. Kansas game?
I watched the game with many other HC alumni, which was a great deal of fun. The game was very exciting, and the team played tremendously. I called my wife, Susan, at halftime, and we agreed that the family would all go to St. Louis for the next round, but unfortunately they fell a little short. Overall, I am very excited about what the basketball team has accomplished over the last two years. They have won two Patriot League titles and have taken two top-ranked teams to the limit in the NCAA Tournament. Coach Willard has done an outstanding job, and I believe Holy Cross is in a great position to build on these successes. For many of the alumni of my era, this is a very welcome development.
What are your hopes for your gift to the Lift High the Cross Campaign?
We do not have a specific goal for the gift yet. Ideally, we would like something that is targeted toward both academics and athletics, because it was the overall Holy Cross experience that I appreciated. I wanted to make a contribution to the College because it is a great school with great people, and it did a lot for me. Many of my closest friends are still the people I met at Holy Cross. The camaraderie and bond between Holy Cross students, faculty, administration and alumni is very special and the envy of other colleges. We need to continue to leverage this to help Holy Cross reach its tremendous potential.