James E. Armstrong Award - 2017:‌ ‌Thomas‌ ‌Suddes‌ ‌'71

Published on March 19, 2026

2017:‌ ‌Thomas‌ ‌Suddes‌ ‌'71

 

With this award, the late Tom Suddes ’71 is recognized for his distinguished service to Notre Dame through his leadership at the University and his commitment to student boxers and the Bengal Bouts.

Suddes, who passed away in September following a battle with ALS, was a two-time Bengal Bouts champion while studying at Notre Dame. After graduating, he served in the U.S. Army for two years. He came to work for Notre Dame, leading a development campaign that raised some $180 million for the University.

An energetic entrepreneur, Suddes later started a realty company and then launched the Suddes Group, which has raised more than $2 billion through hundreds of fundraising campaigns supporting a variety of entrepreneurs and organizations.

But despite a long list of impressive professional

accomplishments, Suddes was best known for his longtime volunteer work on behalf of his beloved Bengal Bouts. For more than 40 years, he served as a boxing coach, trainer, and referee, commuting from Ohio to campus each winter. He was instrumental in helping ensure the Bengal Bouts’ continued success in raising money for Holy Cross Missions in Bangladesh.

Suddes served as executive producer for Strong Bodies Fight, a documentary chronicling the Bengal Bouts, and in 2014 received an honorary monogram from the Notre Dame Monogram Club. In addition to his longtime service on behalf of the bouts, he was the first Entrepreneur in Residence at Notre Dame’s Gigot Center and mentored dozens of social entrepreneurs over the years.

Through his ongoing commitment as a volunteer, Suddes touched thousands of lives and left a lasting impression on generations of Notre Dame students with his boundless energy and eternal optimism.

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