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By Kathleen S. Carr '96
"A Supreme Way of Life": Jane Sullivan Roberts '76
Jane Roberts '76 is busy. With husband John Roberts' recent appointment to the Supreme Court, she has seen a few more demands on her time.
"Everybody wants to invite us somewhere," she says—"whether to speak, or be a guest, the invitations are flowing in. It's a busy time; we're also in the middle of renovating our house, and we have two young children, Josie and Jack, both 2 years old."
That's busy.
I ask her if the children understand what's happened, and who their father is now.
"Oh, they're aware. In the summer, they often saw their dad's photo in the newspaper and on TV. They ran around saying, ‘Daddy is famous, daddy is famous.' They saw the TV cameras outside our house, and at church. They've been introduced to another world. They'd already been in courtrooms, and Jack often simplifies cases so that they can talk to him about them and understand. But they know something different has happened now. They've met lots of senators, and they address them properly and shake their hands. They also know the White House and the Supreme Court. They were there when 200 cameras were clicking, and they knew it was all for their dad. At Halloween, Josie was running around while her little friend's brother was chasing her. When he wouldn't stop, she put her hands on her hips and said, ‘Stop it, my Daddy is the Chief Justice.' Seems like she made a connection between her father and some authority."
HCM: Have you had any unique opportunities these first few months?
Roberts: We've had some great opportunities come with this. We went to a White House dinner with Prince Charles and Camilla. It was a magical evening, like a 19th-century dinner. We had drinks in the state dining room, photos with the president and prince and duchess, and a concert by Yo-Yo Ma in the East Room. The Air Force Strings serenaded us during dinner. Oscar de La Renta was there. I used to sew his patterns as a kid. I now have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. I spend a lot of time just pinching myself wondering, "Is this my life?"
HCM: How is the new Chief Justice holding up?
Roberts: It's been a fabulous experience, and Jack is so well suited to this role. He's enjoying it, and the people around him are enjoying working with him.
HCM: Are there any down sides to all the glitter?
Roberts: There's a decrease in privacy. It's difficult to go out to a public place without being stopped. It's hard for him to get through a supermarket, and that's true for me too, but to a lesser extent. I get stopped a lot with the children. It just means talking to a lot of people when you're in a hurry. And it's difficult to go out to a restaurant as a family anymore. But hey, we might lose a few pounds.
As for Jane, she now joins other Holy Cross alumni with Supreme Court ties—Associate Justice Clarence Thomas '71 and Rev. Paul D. Scalia '92, son of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia.
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"Be Passionate": Joseph P. Donelan II '72
Joe Donelan loves wine.
"Wine is romantic," he says. "Wine is fun." He speaks easily about Rhone varietals, namely Syrah, and apparently he knows what he's talking about. He has received four great Robert Parker reviews (Robert Parker is the wine critique, of The Wine Advocate fame), and Food and Wine has selected his winery, Pax Wine Cellars, as the best new winery of 2005.
But Donelan doesn't actually own a vineyard—instead, he manages grapes.
HCM: How did you get into the wine business?
Donelan: Twenty years ago, I started learning about wine. I had a sommelier teacher on Nantucket, and I helped him develop a couple of business plans to start a store and a tour business. I met a lot of winemakers and owners, but I didn't know what kind of business I could make of it.
HCM: How does Pax Wine Cellars operate?
Donelan: We don't own any land. We buy grapes on long-term contracts, and we manage the vineyards as if they're ours. Individuals either own their own vineyard, or they buy grapes from vineyard owners on long-term contracts. We buy grapes. It's a great way to start a business. If you have a winery, and the grapes only come from your property, you're limited in how big you can become. We were interested in demonstrating what wines you can make from different locations. We make Rhone varietals, primarily Syrah, and we demonstrate how unique these wines can be.
HCM: Have you seen success?
Donelan: Our cornerstone is quality. Our model was to sell 70 percent of the wine through a mailing list, and we've done it. I'm passionate about wine, and people are attracted to passion.
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Discovering Art: Meg Maggio '82 operates The Courtyard Gallery in Beijing.
HCM: Let's start with the obvious question: "How did a Crusader end up running an art gallery in China?"
Maggio: I went to law school, and, every summer, I spent half my time working and half my time traveling. The first time I went to Asia was in 1984, to visit a Holy Cross classmate, Jon Akasten '82. In 1984, he was teaching English in Nagoya, Japan. I traveled for a month with him, and I loved it. The following summer, I applied for a summer law program with the University of Santa Clara. It involved a summer legal clerkship in Hong Kong with the Bank of America. I got some work experience, and, in 1985, I went to Mainland China. I was studying Chinese law and trade regulations and the new foreign economic legal infrastructure, and I thought it would be ridiculous to sit in Hong Kong and not go to China, so I did.
HCM: Where did you go to law school?
Maggio: I graduated from Catholic University in 1985. Much to my parents' shock, I did another year of university at Beijing to get language skills. If you want any career in the Far East, you better speak Chinese or Japanese. I studied Chinese for one year and then stayed in Beijing for four years, from 1986-1990. Then I moved to Hong Kong and worked for two London law firms, spending time in Shanghai. In 1995, I went back to Beijing.
HCM: Are you practicing law in China?
Maggio: I haven't been practicing for the past three years. A group of lawyers decided to invest in Courtyard, which is an art gallery and restaurant under one roof. I was on the board of directors—and then got involved in the gallery's day-to-day operations. I stepped in to help and then never left. I stopped practicing law to run the gallery full time. We are an international contemporary art business. We represent artists globally and put their work in public and private collections. We represent cutting edge, emerging and established artists who are moving onto the international stage. It's like trying to pick a horse—we figure out who will be the next big star.
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Veritas: Get a reservation now, if you can.
Recently, Veritas, a New York City restaurant known for great food and great wine and owned by Park B. Smith '54, was one of only 31 New York restaurants (out of 15,000) to get a Michelin star.
What is a Michelin star you ask? It's a big deal. First introduced in 1900, the then free Michelin Guide for motorists offered tips on where to get your car repaired, where to spend the night, or grab a bite.
By the 1920s, it had evolved into a restaurant guide; searching for the best food in the world, it sent out teams of inspectors to test local fare.
As for Veritas, it has been tested, and found worthy.
According to Smith, "The Michelin star, combined with the New York Times previous award of three stars and Zagat's '06 review awarding 27 for food (28 is the highest they've ever given), puts us in an enviable position, which we do not take lightly. We entered our seventh year in January and are, with few exceptions, sold out every night. We have also been recognized for having the finest wine list in America. I received the first ever Copia Award in California last year. This award is given to the wine collector deemed to have the finest wine collection in the United States."
Kathleen S. Carr is a freelance writer based in Melrose, Mass. She can be reached at kath.carr@gmail.com.
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