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SCU Honors Two Law Alumni
At the 2011 SCU Alumni Association Awards celebration in April, two law alumni received high honors from SCU: Hon. Edward Panelli B.A. ’53, J.D. ’55 along with his wife Lorna, and Brian Hennessy B.A. ’00, J.D. ’03.
The Hon. Edward A. Panelli and his wife, Lorna, received the Paul L. Locatelli, S.J. Award, which honors SCU faculty or staff for outstanding service to the Alumni Association and University. A noted legal expert and former California Supreme Court justice, the couple has been deeply involved in SCU for many years, and they are the proud parents of two Broncos. Over the years, the Panellis have been generous supporters of the University’s mission, giving of their time, energy, and expertise. Ed has served for 43 years on the Board of Trustees, including 19 as its chair. He was the first layperson elected, in 1963, and was a member of the search committee that brought Paul Locatelli, S.J. ’60, back to Santa Clara as president in 1988. Lorna has served on the advisory board of the de Saisset Museum and the board of the Kenna Club, building connections with neighbors, alumni, and friends. The Panellis were among the founders of the Bronco Bench Foundation, which raises millions of dollars each year for scholarships and athletic programs.
The Hon. Edward A. Panelli standing next to his signed historic photo, which was on display at the Centennial Gala in September 2011.
Brian Hennessey ’00, J.D. ’03 received the Ignatian Award, which recognizes alumni who live the ideals of competence, conscience, and compassion through outstanding service to humanity. A short time after graduating from law school, Hennessy was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Where others might begin to question or doubt, Hennessey found clarity. “Cancer helped to change me. I had a mission I hadn’t yet realized,” he says. He founded the Council of Goodness, with the objective of teaching through action. Students who join the council pledge 100 hours of community service each year for all four years of high school and make a commitment to return and mentor and support one other student. But before that, they focus on service inward to themselves. Hennessy’s methods of meditation and self-evaluation would be familiar to St. Ignatius of Loyola, whose own spiritual exercises have inspired growth and reflection for centuries. The Council of Goodness (councilofgoodness.org) is in its fourth year now, with more than 30 student members. Brian Hennessy is now cancer-free.
NOTE: A version of this article originally appeared in Santa Clara Magazine.
