Outstanding Achievement in a Chosen Profession
The Outstanding Achievement in a Chosen Profession award is presented annually to a member of the alumni community whose professional accomplishments and achievements are exceptionally noteworthy and distinctive in his or her profession.
2023 Recipient
Michael C. Pascucci '58, P'81, P'87, G'21, G'22
As a first-generation college student, Michael Pascucci saw Bucknell as a great opportunity. He earned a bachelor's degree in finance and went on to receive his M.B.A. from New York University. His finance background helped him to pursue many successful business ventures including Duck Pond Associates, a private investment company of which he is the chairman, and Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., which he owns together with his family. He is also a principal investor in Duck Pond Realty, an owner/operator of multi-family residential developments in several Southeast United States markets.
Michael has been the principal and driving force behind many enterprises throughout his career. In 1974 he formed Oxford Resources Corp., which became one of the nation's largest publicly-traded independent automobile leasing and finance companies. Oxford Resources was acquired by Barnett Bank in 1997 and is now part of Bank of America. Michael was chairman of WLNY TV, a commercial television station in New York, which he founded in 1985 and sold to CBS in 2012. He also founded Oxford Solutions, a cybersecurity firm which he sold in 2017.
Michael is involved in numerous charitable and philanthropic causes and organizations. He is chairman emeritus of the Catholic Faith Network, the television station of the Catholic Church in America. He is the past chairman and a current trustee emeritus for the Viscardi Center, a non-profit corporation working to educate disabled children, and providing job placement and other resources to individuals with disabilities. He also serves as a trustee of the Pope John Paul Cultural Center in Washington, D.C., and the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation in West Palm Beach, Fla. He is a past trustee of St. John's University in New York, a former trustee and current member of the Knights of Malta, and former trustee of St. Francis Hospital.
In 2021, Michael pledged more than $40 million to Bucknell, the largest one-time commitment in the University's history. Of this historic pledge, $30 million will support unrestricted, need-based financial aid endowment through the Pascucci Family Scholarship, providing a transformative boost for the University's top fundraising priority. That same year, he was selected by the Columbus Citizens Foundation for the high honor of serving as the grand marshal of the prestigious NYC Columbus Day Parade, the nation's largest celebration of Italian American heritage and culture.
Michael has been married for 66 years to Jocelyn and has four children: Michael Pascucci Jr. '81, Christopher Pascucci P'22, Ralph Pascucci '87, P'21 and Dawn Barnard, along with 11 grandchildren and one great grandchild.