Recipient | Biographies | Photo Gallery | News Release | History of Ad Lucem Award

The Ad Lucem Award is presented by the President of La Roche College and its Board of Trustees to individuals whose vision, leadership and determination transformed their dream into reality. Known as founders or inventors, the recipients of this award epitomize the meaning of the Latin words Ad Lucem (to light). Their dedication and consistent effort has illuminated a new path and made a positive and lasting contribution to society, the community and the professions. The recipients of the Ad Lucem Award exemplify the mission of La Roche College to educate future leaders and to promote peace and justice in a constantly changing global society. They also serve as role models for the power of education and the dissemination of knowledge.

Since its founding in 1851 in Germany, the Congregation of Divine Providence has responded to the needs of the times in its ministry to people throughout the world. This response to “the needs of the times” led six pioneering Sisters to Pittsburgh in 1876 where they eventually established the Sisters of Divine Providence in the United States.

Throughout their 150-year history, the Sisters of Divine Providence have devoted their lives to their mission of co-creating a world of compassion, peace and justice and to making God’s providence more visible in the world. The founding of La Roche College in 1963 was another response to the needs of the times – the education of the great number of young women entering religious communities. However, the challenges associated with establishing, maintaining and growing the College were numerous and often ominous. Trust in a Provident God, personal sacrifice, congregational resources and visionary leadership, coupled with their dauntless spirit and commitment, helped the Sisters prevail over these obstacles.

The Sisters of Divine Providence are a group of women who are called by God to serve, love, help others and build the future based on Christian values. They are compassionate nurturers who work tirelessly to make the world a better place for all people and those most affected by poverty and oppression. Their legacy at La Roche College encompasses a trailblazing group of religious Sisters whose vision, leadership and determination created the path and light (Ad Lucem) necessary for the establishment of the College. Four decades later, La Roche College has evolved from a small college for religious Sisters into one of southwestern Pennsylvania’s finest co-educational institutions offering liberal arts and pre-professional academic programs.

 

 

For more than 50 years, Federated Investors, Inc. has focused on delivering world-class investment solutions and expertise to millions of investors with a broad array of investment needs. Pursuing a vision of new investment horizons, and bolstered by their faith in the future and their courage to follow a dream, three Central Catholic graduates – John F. Donahue, Thomas J. Donnelly, and Richard B. Fisher – founded the company in 1955. In the intervening years, these imaginative industry pioneers pursued their business model with remarkable vision, astute planning and unrelenting drive. Now more than five decades later, Federated Investors has grown to be one of the largest institutional money market fund managers in the nation, with more than $237 billion in assets under management.

Along the way, the company has reached a number of milestones and industry firsts. Federated introduced one of the first exchange funds in the industry, created one of the first government bond funds, introduced one of the first high-yield bond funds, provided small investors access to U.S. money market investment vehicles by offering one of the first money market mutual funds, and created one of the first municipal bond funds. All of these accomplishments, along with the day-to-day commitment to evaluating successful business traditions of the past, exploring present trends and opportunities, and extending the vision to meet the needs of the future have benefited the financial lives of millions of individuals.

We honor these three outstanding corporate patriarchs both for their initial vision and determination and for their leadership, integrity and dedication which have spurred the more than 50 years of growth and innovation that are the hallmarks of Federated Investors.