WASHINGTON – Former Georgetown University men's track & field athlete Joseph Pierce (B'91) will be honored on Jan. 18 at the 2020 Patrick Healy Dinner at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C. Pierce, the current chief legal officer for the Charlotte Hornets, is the 2020 Samuel A. Halsey Jr. award recipient. 

The event is hosted by the Georgetown University African-American Advisory Board (GUAAB) and will showcase three members of the community. The dinner's purpose is to celebrate the achievements of Georgetown's African-American students, staff, faculty, alumni and administrators.

"I am incredibly honored to receive the Samuel A. Halsey Jr. award at this year's Patrick Healy Dinner," Pierce said. "Georgetown has been an integral part of my life, and it means so much to be recognized by the university and my peers." 

During his time on the Hilltop (1988-1991), Pierce earned a number of accolades and represented what it meant to be a true student-athlete. He was a BIG EAST Champion, and first-ever conference record holder, in the pentathlon. At the IC4A Championships, Pierce set a new school record by more than 200 points in the pentathlon, which was only his third time competing in the event. 

During his four years as a Hoya, the men's track team went undefeated at the BIG EAST Indoor Championships. At the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships, Pierce was a part of a team that won three BIG EAST titles. He was a finalist in each event that he competed in over the course of his collegiate career. Pierce graduated among the Georgetown top-three all-time record holders in the long jump, high jump and pentathlon. 

Registration for the dinner will close on Thursday, Jan. 9. Alumni tickets cost $175.00 and young alumni tickets (class of 2015-19) cost $150.00. The proceeds made from the dinner will support the Patrick Healy scholarship, which promotes diversity at Georgetown and provides financial assistance to students for scholarship aid.