The 2012 Awardees

Michael E. Karam

BSFS 1972, JD 1977 MLT 1981
Bethesda, MD

Michael Karam, a retired attorney with the Department Of Justice, received the John Carroll Award in ceremonies held at the Field Museum, Chicago, IL on April 28, 2012.

Raised in West Orange, NJ and a graduate of Seton Hall Prep, Karam fulfilled the dreams of his father, Emile, who attended Georgetown in the fall of 1925 but could not afford to return for his sophomore year; yet he remained an active donor throughout his life. Karam graduated from the School of Foreign Service in 1972 and following a year as a research assistant at the Agency for International Development, he entered law school, where he received his JD in 1976 and met Linda Morgan (L'76) whom he married after graduation in 1977.

Following two years in the U.S. Tax Court, Karam joined the Department of Justice, where he practiced law for 28 years until retirement in 2006. He served as the editor of the Federal Tax Enforcement Newsletter.

A former chairman of the Law Alumni Board, past president of the Hoya Hoop Club, and two term member of the Board of Governors of the Georgetown University Alumni Association, Karam has been an energetic and committed volunteer for Georgetown. In 2016, he established the Hon. Linda J. Morgan Memorial Opportunity Scholarship Fund at the Law Center, and continues to be a voice for closer ties between the Law Center and the greater Georgetown community.

Lee I. Miller

BSBA 1969, JD 1973
Deerfield, IL

Lee Miller, global chairman of the Chicago law firm DLA Piper, received the John Carroll Award in ceremonies held at the Field Museum, Chicago, IL on April 28, 2012.

An accounting major from Roslyn Heights, NY, Miller earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Georgetown before returning to Chicago to practice law. He specialized in real estate law with the firm of Rudnick & Wolfe , becoming managing partner in 1991. In 1999, the firm merged with the Baltimore firm of Piper & Marbury, the largest law merger of its kind to date. Miller was instrumental in a global expansion of the firm, now known as DLA Piper. By 2005, it was the largest law firm in the world. Since 2013, Miller has served as Joint Chief Executive Officer of the firm, which had total revenues of over $2.4 billion.

Miller previously served on the Board of Regents and the Law Center Board of Visitors. He is a 2007 recipient of the Paul R. Dean Award.

Thomas A. Reynolds III

BSBA 1974
Winnetka, IL

Thomas A. ("Tom") Reynolds, a Chicago-based attorney and former assistant Attorney General for the State of Illinois, received the John Carroll Award in ceremonies held at the Field Museum, Chicago, IL on April 28, 2012.

Reynolds earned his business degree from Georgetown in 1974 and a law degree from Emory University in 1977. Returning to Chicago, he joined the law firm of Winston & Strawn, where his father Thomas Jr. (a 1980 John Carroll awardee), was chairman. Tom earned partner status in 1984 and has been a leader in the firm for 30 years. He is an member of the Illinois State Bar Association and holds numerous civic and benevolent association leadership posts.

A former member of the Georgetown University Board of Governors, Reynolds helped lead a gift to name a dormitory in the Southwest Quadrangle on behalf of four generations of his family to have attended Georgetown. He was named chairman of the Georgetown University Board of Directors in July, 2021.

"Tom comes to this leadership role after many years of generous service to the institution," said University President Jack DeGioia. "His vision, guidance, and commitment have helped transform our campus community. I look forward to working with him in his new role as chair."

M. Colleen Scanlon R.N.

BSN 1976, Honorary degree 2000
Denver, CO

Mary Colleen Scanlon, senior vice president of the Catholic Health Initiatives, received the John Carroll Award in ceremonies held at the Field Museum, Chicago, IL on April 28, 2012.

Following her nursing degree in 1976, Scanlon was a nurse at Calvary Hospital in New York and pursued both a masters degree in gerontology at the College of New Rochelle and a law degree from Pace University.

A former director of the American Nurses Association and board chair of the Catholic Health Association, Scanlon is one of the leading voices on the ethics of health care in America, serving as senior vice president and chief advocacy officer of Catholic Health Initiatives in Englewood, CO.

Scanlon is a past member of the Board of Advisors for the School of Nursing & Health Sciences, and received an honorary degree from the University in 2000.

L. Edward Shaw, Jr.

AB 1966
Greenwich, CT

Edward ("Ed") Shaw, a New York based attorney and business executive, received the John Carroll Award in ceremonies held at the Field Museum, Chicago, IL on April 28, 2012.

A 1966 graduate of the College, Shaw began his career following a law degree from Yale University. A former partner at the New York firm of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, he served 13 years as general counsel of Chase Manhattan Bank, followed by leadership positions as the chief corporate officer at NatWest Group, executive vice president and chief counsel at Aetna, and senior managing director of Breeden & Co.

Ed and his wife Irene have been generous to Georgetown in time and in treasure. Ed has served on a number of university committees and boards, serving as chairman of the Athletics Committee for the Board of Regents. The Shaws provided the leadership commitment for the University to elevate women's soccer to intercollegiate status in 1991, funded the renovation of the gates at Healy Circle in 2000, and provided a $5 million gift in 2012 to support the John R. Thompson Center and to renovate the soccer field, the latter of which was renamed in their honor.