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donor imPAct rePort
The Calihan Endowed Fund

oe Calihan ’56 still remembers the visit Father Gardner, CSB paid him in Pittsburgh more than thirty years
Jaft er graduating high school because, he said, “it’s what brought me back to Aquinas.”

At the time, Joe and his wife Brenda were presented with the opportunity to name the school’s chapel, which
for Joe, was the opportunity he had been waiting for. Since 1991, it has been known as the Martin J. Calihan ’45
Chapel in memory of his brother Marty, who Joe remembers as his hero and someone who “stood for a belief in
serving others.”

Building on that legacy and belief in serving others, Joe and Brenda Calihan started the Calihan Foundation with
the objective of supporting the institutions that have helped them and their family members throughout their
lives. “We feel strongly about the importance of the values that Aquinas provides to students during the teenage
years that are critically important to the development of their character and their roles as citizens,” said Joe. “We
think the school is doing an amazing job of providing both academic and personal values.”

For these reasons, Joe and Brenda have recently made an unrestricted gift to Aquinas that will undoubtedly have
a lasting impact on the students, faculty and staff , and allow them to continue to deliver the core values that
Aquinas represents.

Joe is the Managing Partner of Bradford Capital Partners – a venture capital and private equity fi rm specializing
in venture capital investments and acquisition and development of entrepreneurial businesses. He admits that he
has been very lucky and fortunate in his business career, which has allowed him to give back – both fi nancially
and with his time and talent. Joe has served on the Board of Directors for many Pittsburgh area organizations
including Bradford Schools, Inc., Tender Care Learning Centers, Extra Mile Education Foundation, the Pittsburgh
Foundation, the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and the
Pittsburgh Symphony. In 2014, he started the Mansmann Foundation, to assist the development of entrepreneurs
in the underserved communities of Pittsburgh seeking economic revitalization.

Joe and Brenda raised four children and are now the proud grandparents of 14 grandchildren ranging in ages
from nine to 22. With his personal and professional success Joe gives a lot of credit to Aquinas. “I still remember
things said to me by the priests and nuns that resonate with me about how to live one’s life appropriately,” he
stated. “I hope that maybe this message resonates with someone out there who will also give back.”

34 AQUINAS LANDMARK | SPRING 2018