Hobart and William Smith Colleges

30 March 2016 Vietnam Tribute Features Bozzuto 68

Thomas S. Bozzuto '68, vice chair and chair elect of the HWS Board of Trustees, plays a prominent role in the upcoming Maryland Public Television documentary and associated traveling exhibit, both of which pay tribute to the service of Vietnam War veterans from Maryland.

Bozzuto, who was a combat correspondent for the 25th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970, is one of roughly 100 men and women interviewed for Maryland Vietnam War Stories, which will air in three, one-hour parts on May 24, 25 and 26. He is one of 16 veterans featured in the MPT Salutes Vietnam Veterans Traveling Exhibit, part of a statewide outreach effort this June at municipal centers, libraries, and other public sites to engage visitors in history, with present-day and wartime images of featured veterans along with Vietnam War artifacts. Designed to recognize and thank Maryland-area men and women who served in the military in the Vietnam era, both projects are part of the multi-year initiative, MPT Salutes Vietnam Veterans, the largest project in MPT history.

In his on-camera interview for the documentary, Bozzuto reflects on his wartime experience as well as returning to the U.S. after his service. "Most of us never talk about Vietnam," he explains, "because we're embarrassed in some respects, and our society has always denigrated Vietnam and [said] those of us who went there were baby-killers. We just decided to shut up about it."

After his military service, Bozzuto worked at the U.S. Department of Housing, then the James W. Rouse Mortgage Company, later working as a regional partner for Oxford Development Corporation. Today, he is chairman of The Bozzuto Group, a diversified residential real estate company, which he founded in 1988 with two others partners, one of whom is also a Vietnam veteran, former Vice Chairman John Slidell.

At Hobart, Bozzuto majored in English, was a Theta Delta Chi brother, a Druid, played football, was a member of Hobart Student Association and Little Theatre and worked at Saga. He was president of his sophomore and junior classes and, in his senior year, president of the student body. He later earned a masters degree in metropolitan studies from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University.

A staunch supporter of Hobart and William Smith, Bozzuto has served as a member of the Board of Trustees since 1999, offering his expertise on the Building and Grounds and Financial Affairs committees. He was a lead donor in the renovation of the Colleges boathouse, named in honor of his father, Charles Bozzuto. He was also a participant in the Executive in Residence Program, a regular Reunion volunteer, and took a lead role in supporting the Colleges capital campaign. He was recognized by his peers with the 2008 Alumni Citation, which was awarded with gratitude and admiration for his longstanding engagement. To commemorate their 40th wedding anniversary, his wife, Barbara, established the Thomas S. Bozzuto 68 Endowed Scholarship Fund at the Colleges.

Excerpts from the MPT documentary and information about the traveling exhibit and related events are available at the station's website