John M. Joyce*
Class of 1956
- President Seven-up Bottling Company
Believe in yourself and your God-given talents.
John Joyce left elementary school before completing the eighth grade so that he could help support his family. He worked as a messenger boy for the Pennsylvania Railroad, was a grocery salesman in Kansas City, and later became manager of a chain store company.
Joyce wanted his own business, however, and drew on his savings and borrowed money in 1935 so that he could found the Joliet 7-Up Bottling Co., Inc., which pioneered the new beverage. He became a traveling salesman, spreading the word of 7-Up until it became a household word.
The Vatican bestowed membership in the Knights of Malta on Joyce because he was such a highly religious man.