Letter from the Executive Director: October 2, 2025

Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends,

“Be good. Say your prayers. Take your vitamins. Love, Mom.”

That line ended every single letter I ever received from my mother. I know, because I saved them all—from the time I left home at 18 to attend Notre Dame, to the day she died. And she wasn’t the only one. I’ve saved every letter I’ve ever received from any member of my family.

Perhaps that penchant for nostalgia is a byproduct of membership in the Notre Dame family, or maybe it’s just a history major’s impulse to preserve the past. Either way, when I look back on nearly 45 years’ worth of messages from the people I’ve loved the most, I’m grateful I was a little sentimental. Whether it’s the few years we spend together on our beloved campus or the few decades we’re allotted in life, we don’t often recognize the important things while they’re happening. But it’s amazing how something as simple as my mom’s handwriting can transport me right back there.

Be good. Say your prayers. Take your vitamins.

All the best,

Dolly Duffy '84
Executive Director
Notre Dame Alumni Association