Stephen K. Fogg

As a partner at Day, Berry, & Howard LLP, Stephen K. Fogg, BC ’72 and BC Law ’75, spends his days on high stakes mergers, acquisitions, and international transactions. That is in addition to his responsibilities as a board member of several corporations and investment companies, and as a member of the American, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Ohio bar associations. He also served as a trustee of the Catholic Charities Foundation for the Archdiocese of Boston from 1988-1999.

Despite his professional obligations, however, Fogg has never forgotten the Jesuit tradition in which he was immersed as a Double Eagle and member of the last class to call More Hall home before the Law School moved to the Newton Campus.

Indeed, as the new co-chair along with Neal Tully of the Law School Fund, a member of the BC Law Board of Overseers, and a participant in various BC fundraising efforts, Fogg has demonstrated his commitment to his alma mater and future generations of students.

“I know a significant portion of what we raise goes towards defraying the cost of law school to students who can’t afford big loans but who still want to become part of the BC family,” he said.

Fogg sees continuous involvement with the Law School as professionally beneficial because of recruitment and networking. But his connection to the Law School goes deeper. It springs from his gratitude for the Jesuit values that instilled in him a sense of being part of something bigger than the individual.

“Giving back to the Law School in person and through financial resources is the right thing to do so others can find what I found,” he said.

Classmate David Weinstein ’75, chair of the 2005 Reunion Gift Campaign, remembered Fogg as a dedicated and serious-minded law student whose love of Boston College has carried over into his postgraduate years.

“It’s a pretty good bet that when someone’s a Double Eagle they’ve got [loyalty to BC] in their blood,” Weinstein said. “He’s very focused, very deliberate, and very personable. He uses the same skills in fundraising to close a big corporate deal, and he genuinely likes connecting with his classmates, seeing what they’re doing now, and celebrating their successes.”

He has some successes of his own to celebrate. The most recent were his results as co-chair of the Class of 1975 Gift Fund, during which he reached out to his classmates and achieved a 40 percent participation rate. It was the largest turnout among the six classes in the 2005 Reunion Gift Campaign. His class raised $1.5 million, an unprecedented amount in the Law School’s history.

Weinstein shares his classmate’s sense of nonprofit volunteerism. “One of the most common things I heard in talking to alums is the sense of heart that the Law School has, heart meaning compassion for human beings, for social situations, for situations where people need volunteers to help them get the legal assistance they deserve,” said Weinstein. “I think there’s a very strong sense of urgency when you’re at BC to understand these types of needs and to meet them.”

That sense of heart was especially strong in the Class of 1975, according to Robert P. Joy ’75. “I think our class in particular had a view that seemed to understand that while practicing law was important, it’s also important to have a view of the world that maintains a sense of humor to interrelate with other humans and to solve problems,” said Joy. “Steve understands this, and it comes through when you speak with him that he knows that, in order to compete with the best schools, we have to have the resources to attract top faculty and students.”

Joy, whose father was a graduate of the Law School, said, “I think to a large degree those of us who have stayed active in the Law School feel a sense of gratitude and a sense of obligation to the school from a family perspective. I think Steve shares that feeling,” said Joy.

Weinstein agreed, saying that the future of the Law School lies with people like Fogg. “Students at the Law School really feel that faculty care about their success as people, and are not just taught to be good lawyers. That’s a very unique thing,” he said. “Steve clearly understands this and wants to help others realize the value of what they got at BC Law School.”

Law Day 2006
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