Thomas Joseph Whelan, Sr., (BA, CUA 1933) was born October 4, 1911, in New York City, the fifth and youngest child of Irish immigrant parents. His father was a New York City policeman. The family lived in several neighborhoods in Manhattan.

“Tommy,” an outstanding athlete, attended Catholic Schools and in his senior year at All Hollows High School, was named All New York City in football, basketball, and baseball. Tommy arrived at CUA in August 1929 on a football scholarship. In his freshman year he played all three sports. By his sophomore year, Coach Dutch Bergman had him concentrate on football. The freshman team coach at that time was Eddie LaFond who later became the CUA Athletic Director.

Tommy excelled in football in all four years at CUA while carrying a full academic load and graduating with his class. He set a college record by scoring touchdown runs of 65 yards or longer in 14 consecutive games ranging from the middle of his sophomore year to nearly the end of his senior year. In his senior year (1932), he earned honorable mention honors as Division 1 National College All American. Tommy was a Utopian, was President of the Blue Key Fraternity, served as Secretary and Vice-President of the "C" Club, the letterman's athletics club, and played intramural sports.

After graduation, he played one year of football for the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field under the new owner, Art Rooney. The team was renamed the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1936. Tommy and Art Rooney remained life-long friends and frequently visited each other when Mr. Rooney was in town for a game with the Washington Redskins or when Mr. Rooney had horses running at the local tracks. Mr. Rooney attended Tommy’s funeral in June 1974.

The following year, Tommy coached football at Iona Prep., Iona NY. In 1935, Dutch Bergman hired Tommy as the CUA freshman coach, replacing Eddied LaFond. It was the varsity team of this year that in January 1936 defeated Mississippi in the first Orange Bowl game, 20 to 19.

In 1936, Tommy and Dutch Bergman teamed up as partners in joint ownership of a tavern on 12th Street, N.E. in the Brookland section of Washington, D.C. They sold that business in 1938. Tommy then partnered with Ben Zola (a Georgetown University basketball great) and together they opened up a tavern on 12th St. In 1951, they converted the tavern to a package liquor store in the same location. They sold that business in 1961.

In 1937, he married Harriet Dye. They had two sons, Patrick and Thomas, Jr. Patrick was a member of the Syracuse University 1959 National Championship Team and later served as a United States Secret Service Agent for four years. He owned a business for several years and then went into the scaffolding business. After service in the Army, Tommy Jr. went on to Columbus School of Law at Catholic University and worked for NASA thirty four years.

During World War II, Tommy, who was ineligible for military service due to health reasons, was drafted into the Defense Civilian Corp where for three-and-a-half years he served as a purchasing agent for the War Department. He specialized in the purchase of wood and wood products for ship building. By coincidence, he dealt extensively with another CUA football player, Gene Agustafer, who had become an official of Georgia Pacific Lumber Co.

In 1960, Tommy, who was active in the Democratic National Committee, became an advance man for John F. Kennedy in his campaign for President of the United States. In 1961, Tommy was appointed to the position of Administrative Assistant to the Chief of Park Police, Department of Interior. In 1963, he was assigned to the Congressional Liaison Office of the Department of Commerce. He retired from the Federal Government in 1972. Tommy passed away in June 1974, after a short illness.