Connecting With Tower Alumni: Tom Brannan
By MaggieMae Dethlefsen
On Thursday, April 16, 2026, The Tower staff had a chance to connect with one of its alumni, Tom Brannan. Mr. Brannan enrolled at CUA in September 1964. He was 17 and graduated in 1969 with a BA in Political Science and Government. His favorite classes during his time at CUA were “those in history and political science, including a history of the American Congress taught at Trinity College by one of the aides to Speaker Sam Rayburn.”
Brannan told The Tower that “I chose CUA over UVA for two reasons: I wanted to go to school in Washington, and I wanted to write for the Tower. I had been co-editor of my high school newspaper in Atlanta (Saint Pius X HS), and I had heard good things about Dr. Regis Boyle, the Tower’s faculty advisor. I worked at the Tower the first eight semesters at CU, fall of 1964 to spring of 1968. I was news editor during my junior year and managing editor during senior year.”
During Brannan’s freshman year at CUA, he wrote for The Tower under a nom de plume because freshmen were not supposed to engage in extracurricular activities. One notable event he recalled from his sophomore year was “a protest by students in CU’s Speech and Drama department (along with the Chemistry department, the two most respected of the non-theological departments). The S&D’s department head, Father Gilbert Hartke, had secured a financial pledge from Philadelphia Eagles owner Jerry Wolman to help build a new theater on campus. The University’s Rector, Bishop William J. McDonald (1957-1967), agreed to accept the funds but would not commit to funding the new theater. Among the students leading the evening candlelight protest were Chris Sarandon and Susan Tomalin (now Susan Sarandon).”
Then it was during his junior year that “under editor Judy Ronzio, as managing editor, the Tower—over the objections of the university’s finance director—began soliciting advertising—up until then the paper carried no ads and pulled in no outside revenue. We saw this step as moving the paper towards greater independence. In the spring of 1967, the major news on campus was the firing of theology professor Father Charles Curran.” It was during this time as well that Brannan was awarded a Newspaper Fund fellowship, where he worked for the Atlanta Journal newspaper.
Brannan became managing editor in his senior year under Dave Bohardt. It was at this time, he told us, that The Tower “became more aggressive in its coverage of the Board of Trustees and the CUA administration. Bishop McDonald had been replaced by acting Rector Father John Whelan, a more personable leader than was reclusive Bishop McDonald. Our prime interest in the Trustees was their decisions affecting student tuition.”
Brannan told The Tower that during his time at CUA, his favorite places to hang out were “of course, the Tower office, a beehive of activity ahead of the Tower’s every other week publication schedule. The Rathskeller (lower level of the social center) was also on the list.” He also reflected on the differences in how the paper is today versus his time. He told us that the difference between The Tower then and The Tower now revolves around how the publication is distributed.
The Tower appreciated the opportunity to talk with Mr. Brannan, and we look forward to connecting with our other alumni soon.
