Alumni Association to Honor 9/11 Hero, Class of '93 Graduate at upcoming dinner
Dale Phillips
Issue date: 1/31/07 Section: News
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It is not every day that one hears a story like that of Thomas Sullivan. It has been almost 14 years since his graduation from the Mount, and his life has changed quite a bit since that day in May of 1993.
Tom is being honored at the Class of 2007 Young Alumni Dinner as this year's recipient of the Distinguished Young Alumni Award. This event, to which all members of the senior class are invited, is a chance for the class to come together and celebrate, as well as look to the future as they prepare to join the ranks of the National Alumni Association. It is also an opportunity to pay tribute to some of our young alums, like Tom, who have accomplished great things since their graduation.
Up until a fateful Tuesday in September of 2001, Tom's life was pretty similar to that of many other Mount graduates - he lived in New York with his wife, Debbie (also a Mountie). He worked as a performance analyst at Fiduciary Trust Company International, in the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.
In fact, the morning of September 11, 2001, Tom knew that his life was about to change. He arrived at work early that day to send e-mails to friends and family members letting them know that he and Debbie were expecting twins. As he sat in his boss' office a little more than an hour later, sharing the good news with him, Tom noticed something out of the corner of his eye.
After witnessing the first airplane strike the North Tower and feeling the heat from the impact, Tom didn't waste any time. He directed his friends and colleagues towards the stairwell to begin their descent from the 95th floor.
By the time he reached the 70th floor, he heard an announcement assuring everyone that they were safe. "They told us that the situation was under control, to stay where we were," Tom told the New York Daily News. "But a lot of us in the stairs had the same reaction: 'Let's go down and let them tell us to come back up.'"
Eighteen minutes after the first plane hit, Tom felt the second airplane collide with the South Tower. "The building shook unbelievably," Tom said in an interview with Sunburst Magazine. "I could feel a subtle burst of warm air and light debris and dust coming down the stairwell."
Tom is being honored at the Class of 2007 Young Alumni Dinner as this year's recipient of the Distinguished Young Alumni Award. This event, to which all members of the senior class are invited, is a chance for the class to come together and celebrate, as well as look to the future as they prepare to join the ranks of the National Alumni Association. It is also an opportunity to pay tribute to some of our young alums, like Tom, who have accomplished great things since their graduation.
Up until a fateful Tuesday in September of 2001, Tom's life was pretty similar to that of many other Mount graduates - he lived in New York with his wife, Debbie (also a Mountie). He worked as a performance analyst at Fiduciary Trust Company International, in the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.
In fact, the morning of September 11, 2001, Tom knew that his life was about to change. He arrived at work early that day to send e-mails to friends and family members letting them know that he and Debbie were expecting twins. As he sat in his boss' office a little more than an hour later, sharing the good news with him, Tom noticed something out of the corner of his eye.
After witnessing the first airplane strike the North Tower and feeling the heat from the impact, Tom didn't waste any time. He directed his friends and colleagues towards the stairwell to begin their descent from the 95th floor.
By the time he reached the 70th floor, he heard an announcement assuring everyone that they were safe. "They told us that the situation was under control, to stay where we were," Tom told the New York Daily News. "But a lot of us in the stairs had the same reaction: 'Let's go down and let them tell us to come back up.'"
Eighteen minutes after the first plane hit, Tom felt the second airplane collide with the South Tower. "The building shook unbelievably," Tom said in an interview with Sunburst Magazine. "I could feel a subtle burst of warm air and light debris and dust coming down the stairwell."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Mara Lockard
posted 2/09/07 @ 9:29 AM EST
God bless Tom for his actions on 9/11 and today in Iraq. My husband Bill has been serving in Iraq since last April, so I can relate to the sacrifices his family is going through. (Continued…)
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