The family of Thomas Kennedy, Sr., ’55, established a first-generation scholarship in honor of their dad’s 90th birthday.

The tight-knit Kennedy family’s five adult children, with deep La Salle and Philadelphia roots, were in a bind. What could they give their smart, dynamo of a dad who has everything he needs or wants (golf shirts, sweaters, sports tickets, trips) for his 90th birthday?

Scheming among the siblings and their spouses, followed by talks with La Salle University advancement officials, set in motion the ideal solution: create a scholarship to honor their father, Thomas J. Kennedy, Sr., ’55, a first-generation graduate of the former La Salle College.

“La Salle is in our DNA,” Kevin Kennedy, ’87, a finance major who currently serves as executive vice president of North American markets for Nasdaq and helped coordinate the family scholarship effort said. All four of Tom and Trudi Kennedy’s sons: Tom, Jr., ’82, Gary, ’86, Kevin, and Mark, ’93, MBA ’01, are La Salle graduates and their only daughter Debbie’s two children are proud alumni. Mark also earned his MBA from La Salle in 2001 and one of Gary’s children is an Explorer, and several Kennedy brothers have or still serve as mentors to students at La Salle.

The core of the Kennedy-La Salle connection can be traced to the pluck of the family patriarch and his mother. Tom attended La Salle College High School on a scholarship as a youth from the Mayfair section of Northeast Philly. When Tom’s father died, his mother (Mom Mom) took a job as a cashier in the La Salle cafeteria to support her three boys.

For eight years, Tom commuted 50 minutes via bus to 20th and Olney and back. His grit paid off with an industrial management degree and job at the Naval Aviation Supply Office. Officer Candidate School training led to progressively challenging roles with the U.S. Navy (attaining rank of lieutenant) and other organizations. Later, Tom launched a successful financial and tax consulting firm, Kennedy Financial Advisors, where he still works today.

The Kennedy kids’ scholarship gift was unveiled at “Gramps’” landmark birthday celebration with his family.

“My Dad is not an emotional guy, but this one got to him,” Kevin, the fourth eldest child, said. Big Tom concedes he was amazed and “very pleased” with the philanthropic present.

“It was a surprise gift from the children at my 90th birthday dinner. I was glad that they picked La Salle. It’s wonderful to be able to help first-generation students achieve their educational goals,” Tom said, noting that his brothers and cousins lacked that prospect.

When planning the framework for the endowment, the siblings settled on a simple, unassuming approach. Each family member could chip in any amount they wished, anonymously, with the initial goal an endowment totaling $50,000. As the family grows, the thinking goes, so will the opportunity to sustain the scholarship for a long time. With Tom and Trudi already blessed with 16 grandchildren, the family’s expanding footprint and tradition of valuing education favors enduring ties to La Salle and its mission to improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities worldwide.

These days, Tom gets energized working at the thriving financial services firm he founded in 1990. His daughter, Debbie, works there too, offering lots of opportunity to banter. The Kennedy clan has regular get-togethers in the Philly area—where all five siblings and their parents reside—or at their home away from home at the Jersey shore.

Tom still enjoys sporting events and catching an occasional basketball game, bringing him full circle.

“I loved basketball and that was one of my attractions to La Salle. We won the NIT in 1952, were NCAA champions in 1954, and finished second in the NCAA in 1955,” he said. Indeed, La Salle touts the Explorers “The Atlantic 10’s only NCAA & NIT Champions.”

—Trish Gilmartin Williams