Francis X. “Chip” Flaherty Jr. ’86 will give no less than three talks when he returns to Holy Cross on March 26.
First, he’ll speak to students in an English class that covers C.S. Lewis. Then he’ll address prelaw students. Lastly, he’ll give a talk to students interested in business.
Flaherty, who majored in economics at Holy Cross, is distinctly qualified to talk about all of these topics. “My itinerary is an illustration of the great range of options that a Holy Cross education affords someone,” he says.
He holds a law degree from Suffolk College, and serves as executive vice president and general counsel for Walden Media, a high-powered Hollywood film and publishing company that has produced the wildly popular film adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia.
The affable Flaherty, who is the father of four children ranging in age from 1 to 11, says the mission of Walden is to get children reading again. A survey released last year by the National Endowment for the Arts revealed plummeting levels of reading among young people over the past two decades — a trend he wants to see reversed.
“This report was very scary,” he says. “Reading levels tell much about a country at large. People who read are more likely to vote, participate in philanthropic and charitable organizations, and to exercise. It’s something that we take very seriously at Walden Media, and we’re trying to find ways to make reading more exciting. One thing is to make movies, but also come out with books that will really connect with young readers.”
Walden Media is a Boston-based enterprise founded by Flaherty, his brother Mike, and his friend Cary Granat. It started off small in 2000 with only four employees. Since then, the company has grown to 60 employees and is responsible for the success of recent adaptations of popular kids’ books like Holes, Because of Winn-Dixie, and Charlotte’s Web.
There is a strategy behind Walden Media’s success: bring high-quality adaptations of children’s literature classics and support them with aggressive, education-focused grassroots marketing. Walden works with teachers, museums, and national organizations to develop supplemental educational programs and materials associated with its films and the original events and novels that inspire the films.
Flaherty, who previously worked in the state attorney general’s office, says that the company is still in its infancy (pun intended). He labors on the front end of film production by acquiring properties or partnering with films already in production. Upcoming releases include Wendy Orr’s Nim’s Island (April 4); Prince Caspian (May 16), the sequel to Wardrobe; and Jeanne DuPrau’s The City of Ember (Oct. 10).
Most recently he and his partners have started looking for original books and are slowly building a successful publishing arm to Walden Media. Last September, Walden Media released two books by Mike Lupica — Two-Minute Drill: Mike Lupica’s Comeback Kids and Hot Hand: Mike Lupica’s Comeback Kids — targeting boys in grades 4 through 7 who tend to be reluctant readers (although Flaherty notes that he has three daughters who love soccer, baseball and hockey and that girls will love the Lupica books as well).
“Studies show that if kids have read one book by the age of 12 and they say they like it, then they are likely to identify themselves as readers,” he says. So far, the plan seems to be working: “Teachers are very excited because we’re hitting that hard-to-hit demographic. Retailers are saying that the books are selling quite well.”
In addition to doing well, Flaherty will also talk about doing good when he talks to students interested in pursuing a career in business. His talk, titled “From Holy Cross to Walden Media,” will address the importance of being a socially conscious entrepreneur.
“I look at this as a double bottom-lined company,” he says, referring to the all-important net profit or loss. “We want our books and films to do well. The other bottom-line, though, is encouraging literacy among today’s young minds — reminding them that good storytelling can be found within good books. Also, it’s the idea that the whole family can watch a movie together. It’s nice to have that product or experience that the whole family rallies around.”
Related Information:
From Their Family to Yours
Walden Media’s EVP ‘Chip’ Flaherty ’86 talks about his powerful film company — and his return to campus
Read Time
3 Minutes
