About

The John P. McNulty Scholars Program was established in 2010 by Anne Welsh McNulty in the spirit of her late husband John’s enduring commitment to mentoring, supporting and challenging young people to achieve their full potential. The program inspires and enables young women of all backgrounds to reach leadership roles in science and math, to break barriers for women in STEM, and to create a culture that nurtures their academic and professional success. The program is supported by the John P. & Anne Welsh McNulty Foundation.

Born in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John P. McNulty was the eldest of five and the first in his family to go to college.An undergraduate accounting major, John was student body president of St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, later obtaining an MBA at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. Upon graduation, John joined Goldman Sachs, where he ultimately headed the Investment Management Division and served as a member of the Management Committee. Under John’s management, Goldman built a global investment management business into a significant and integral part of the firm.

John and Anne met in high school, and remained together until his passing in 2005. Anne is the co-founder and president of the McNulty Foundation and continues to be deeply involved with the McNulty Scholars Program at Hunter College. She is an alumna of Villanova University, and previously served on their board. Anne received her MBA from Wharton, where she also serves on the board of overseers. Having worked as a managing director at Goldman Sachs and as a senior executive of the Goldman’s Hedge Fund Strategies Group, Anne is now co-founder and managing partner of JBK Partners.

John retired in 2001 and sought ways to give back to the society that had given him so much. He served on the boards of universities such as Wharton and St. Joseph’s, as well as the Aspen Institute. John’s commitment to education was especially fierce for immigrants and women, including his support for St. Joseph’s Catholic school in New York’s Chinatown, an elementary school serving mostly disadvantaged Asian immigrants in a neighborhood that suffered after 9/11.

Throughout his lifetime, John sought to mentor younger associates and to challenge them to achieve their full potential. John delighted in creating opportunities for emerging leaders, inspiring them to take risks, and challenging them to tackle problems creatively and enthusiastically. When John died suddenly in 2005, it was this passion for leadership, mentorship, and education—particularly for those growing up with fewer opportunities—that led to the creation of the McNulty Scholars Program and other McNulty Foundation programs by Anne and her children.