Peter and Carolyn Lynch

Assumption College Announces Commencement Speakers
Carolyn and Peter Lynch to Deliver 2003 Commencement Address

Worcester, MA—While it is rare for a college to ask two individuals to share the podium to deliver a commencement address, Assumption College is deeply honored that Carolyn and Peter Lynch of Marblehead, MA, have accepted an invitation from the students and Trustees of the College to speak at the 2003 Commencement on Saturday, May 24, 2003 at 10:00 a.m. This will be the first formal event of the College’s 19-month Centennial Year celebration.

Carolyn Lynch is president of the Lynch Foundation, which funds innovative programs in domains of education, healthcare and medical research, religious and educational efforts of the Roman Catholic Church, culture and historic preservation. Well known as America's most successful mutual fund manager, Peter Lynch is vice chairman of Fidelity Management & Research Company and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Fidelity funds. Together as a couple, they have become strong advocates for Catholic education.

"We are delighted that Carolyn and Peter Lynch will be our Commencement speakers," stated President Tom Plough. "The example they set as a couple who do so much for Catholic education is one that is most appropriate for our graduates to see and hear. The team leadership and support the two of them bring to the cause of education based on both faith and reason resonates with our Assumption College mission. Our motto of 'Until Christ be Formed in You' and our slogan of 'Learn. Achieve. Contribute.' speak to the same educational values."

Perhaps influenced by her father's passion for teaching, Carolyn Lynch is committed to supporting the education and training of teachers, especially within urban elementary and secondary schools. As a Trustee of the University of Pennsylvania and Deerfield Academy, and having served as a member of the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities (Boston) and the Boys and Girls Club of Boston, Carolyn Lynch is focused and attentive to the issues of education and the needs of youth and disadvantaged families. A 1968 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Carolyn Lynch serves on numerous boards ranging from the Peabody Essex Museum to The Campus School at Boston College to the Gregorian Institute of Rome.

Peter Lynch's father was also an educator who taught in the mathematics department at Boston College. Peter is a 1965 graduate of Boston College and received his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1968. Along with serving on the Board of Trustees of Boston College, Peter Lynch is actively involved in a large number of civic and not-for-profit organizations.

As Chairman of the Inner-City Scholarship Fund and president of the Catholic Schools Foundation, Peter Lynch devotes hundreds of hours each year raising funds for under-privileged children. The ICSF provide tuition assistance for disadvantaged students, enabling them to attend Boston's inner-city Catholic primary and secondary schools. The Inner-City Scholarship Fund has grown significantly during his leadership. In 1991, the ICSF provided $121,000 to 396 students. Last year, the Fund distributed $4.8 million, helping to educate 5,000 children!

Both Carolyn and Peter Lynch will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters during the Commencement Exercises. "As a couple, their commitment to Catholic education is exemplified in their leadership to supporting educational opportunities to those who without financial assistance would not have the access. Like Assumption College and its sponsors, the Augustinians of the Assumption, Carolyn and Peter Lynch believe in providing a level playing field for all young people," added President Tom Plough.