Lessons from the BC alumni directoy

In January 2001, the Boston College Alumni Association released its first revision of the Alumni Directory since 1995. A year and a half later, the BCM staff has completed its analysis and can report the following:

Weight of directory: 6 lbs., 11 oz.

Thickness: 2 5/8 inches

Number of pages: 1,922

Number of entries: 132,071 BC and Newton College graduates

Celebrated names: One William Faulkner, five Charlie Browns (and four van Pelts), one Helen Reddy. Additionally, 38 Abbotts and 122 Costellos; two Tinkers, seven Everses, and three Chances; 11 Rowans, 289 Martins, and a Laffin.

Names we enjoy saying to ourselves: Bethany Blessing '92; Jose Malina Dapena '78; Negar Motashemi '92; Punyam Satya-Narayana, Ph.D.'80; Rosanna Colarusso-Lamalva '94; Crystal Midnight '97; and Hillard Pouncy III '70.

Most common surname: Sullivan (964)

Second most common surname: Murphy (764)

Third most common surname: Smith (630)

Most common non-European surname: Kim (113)

Rank of Kim among all alumni surnames: 95th (of 42,644)

Most common Italian surname: Russo (78)

Other surnames with 78 entries: Connor and Wood

States that are home to the most graduates: Massachusetts (61,802); New York (10,540); Connecticut (6,815); California (6,099).

States that are home to the fewest graduates: Arkansas (54); Wyoming (29); South Dakota (28); North Dakota (19).

Nations in which a single graduate lives: Bangladesh, Barbados, Cuba, Ethiopia, Ghana, Honduras, Iraq, Latvia, Lesotho, Monaco, Qatar, Scotland, Senegal, the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Uganda, Uruguay, Yugoslavia.

Number of foreign countries represented in 2001, versus 1995: 117, versus 111.


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