Peter Schivarelli ’71 attended Chicago’s St. Ignatius High School and upon graduation, like Rockne himself decades earlier, went to work for four years to save up money for college, before heading off to Notre Dame.

He walked on to the football team and did everything Coach Ara Parseghian asked of him, giving full effort as a backup defensive tackle and special-teams player. He lettered on the teams of 1969 and 1970, as the Irish went 18-3-1 and won their first bowl game since the 1925 Rose Bowl.

As graduation approached, Peter got out a yellow legal pad and made a list of every job he felt his Notre Dame education had prepared him to fulfill. The list numbered in the hundreds. But it didn’t include the one primary job he has had in the half-century since then: managing the phenomenally successful band Chicago.

He’s managed their worldwide tours, as well as their visits to accompany the Notre Dame Band, as Chicago is the only musical group to have joined the ND Band on game day. Along the way, Peter’s philanthropy, to Notre Dame, Notre Dame Athletics, the Notre Dame Band, and countless charities in Chicagoland and beyond, has become legendary. The Schivarelli Lounge in Notre Dame Stadium, for instance, is a unique meeting space that is used to entertain football recruits and former Fighting Irish players and other dignitaries.

Peter wore #68 for the Fighting Irish and makes a point to be in touch with all who have worn that number since. That group includes 2017 Rockne Champion Award winner Ryan Harris. The gesture ensures a continued connection to the Fighting Irish tradition.