Alumni Excellence Award: Joe Banner ’71

It isn’t often that the dream of a fifteen-year-old boy can become a reality, bringing him professional recognition and benefiting his entire community. Banner was always involved in sports, especially varsity baseball at The Rivers School and lacrosse in college. No one knew then that he harbored a desire to own and manage a major professional sports team. That dream came true with the Philadelphia Eagles. Throughout his profession, Banner is known as the reigning “capologist” and his success with player-management relations has provided a model for the industry. Beyond his service as president of the team, he has worked long and hard for athletics in the city of Philadelphia. It was a major triumph to get both state funding and city contributions of land and infrastructure for the new Lincoln Financial Field.

Banner’s love of sports goes hand in hand with a deep involvement in community service. In his early years, he served as a volunteer in an urban peace corps project. In the midst of the demands of team management and stadium building, Banner still found time to work tirelessly for City Year, first as co-chairman of the Philadelphia City Year Board and currently as a member of City Year’s National Leadership Committee. He also was appointed by President Bill Clinton to a panel of judges to select recipients of the prestigious President’s Service Award.

Banner lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and three children.