Name: 

Howard W. Hawkins III

Hometown: 

Chicago, IL

Class year: 

1981

Sports: 

Men's Basketball (4 years) and Men's Crew (Freshman year)

Major: 

Government

Profession: 

Institutional Sales, Financial Services

Favorite moment at Wesleyan:

"Winning a basketball game on the road against Williams my junior year was a monumental feat! Williams was almost unbeatable on their home court. During my tenure at Wesleyan, Williams played its basketball games in a small, poorly lit, antiquated gym with barely enough room for the visiting team's bench. The gym had an overhead track where spectators shouted insults at the visiting team, and it seemed impossible to make a shot from the baseline without hitting the overhead track. The game was close with numerous lead changes, but we prevailed. Our game was broadcast live on WESU. After winning the game, our team celebrated on the court while the home team's fans were left speechless."

Achievements while at Wesleyan:

"During my sophomore year, I served as a Student Trustee. I was also Head Resident of Williams Street, Tri-Captain of the Men's Basketball Team, and recipient of the Malcolm X Service Award my senior year."

Career you have had after Wesleyan:

"After graduating from Wesleyan, I received my MBA from Columbia Business School. I joined The First Boston Corporation's Municipal Bond Department as a sales executive to cover institutional investors. Several years later, I was fortunate to discover an emerging employee benefit for corporate retirement plans, the 401(k) plan. I served as a senior sales executive at Putnam Investments and MassMutual, selling investments, plan administration, and employee communication services to major corporations for their 401(k) plans. During the next stage of my career, I transitioned from the corporate arena to nonprofit institutions. As a manager, I became responsible for the business development, marketing, and sales of investment management services to foundations, endowments, and religious institutions on behalf of organizations such as Christian Brothers Investment Services and Commonfund. Today, I serve as an Executive Director at Graystone Consulting, a business unit of Morgan Stanley, where I lead national Practice Groups that provide investment consulting services to large foundations and religious organizations."

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