Tag: Centennial



Olin has a lot to be grateful for: a century of excellence, inspiring students and faculty, and generous alumni who are dedicated to continuing Olin’s distinction as an institution for world-class business education. As our Centennial year comes to a close, we are doubling our efforts to ensure Olin’s bright future.

The $1.5 million Bob (BS ’60, MBA ’62) and Barbara Frick Olin Centennial Challenge will help lay a solid foundation for Olin’s second century of top-ranked business education while supporting Leading Together: The Campaign for Washington University.

The Fricks, already generous donors to Washington University, hope to inspire alumni, parents, and friends to make a contribution in support of the innovative, ethical, world-class business education Olin provides to its students every day. This challenge will match gifts designated to the Olin Annual Fund or endowed scholarships, and all gifts will be put to work immediately to help Olin continue its mission of teaching, research, and service to society.

“Barbara and I are proud to show our appreciation and support of Olin Business School through this challenge,” said Bob Frick about the matching program.

How the Challenge Works

The Bob and Barbara Frick Olin Centennial Challenge will match the following gifts (up to $1.5 million):

  • 1:1 match for any new gifts of $500 or more.
  • 1:1 match for a new, named scholarship gift or pledge at the current minimum of $5,000 or $2,500 for young alumni (available to alumni under age 35 who have graduated in the past five years). You may establish a named, annual scholarship in your name or in honor of a friend or loved one.
  • 2:1 match for multiyear pledges of $1,000 or more.
  • 1:1 match for all gifts or pledges for new or existing Olin Business School endowed scholarships, facilities gifts, or programmatic initiatives. (Maximum match of $100,000 per donor).

All Annual Fund gifts will be recognized with membership in a giving club. Gifts are tax deductible to the extent allowed by US and Canadian law. The challenge ends Dec. 31, 2017.

Click here to make a gift to Olin

For more information, please contact Kent Dunson, associate director of development, at 877-215-2727 or 314-935-8495.


Bob Virgil was drafted in 1958 after graduating from Beloit College in Wisconsin. He was stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood and discovered St. Louis on weekends when he was on leave. Virgil had majored in English, but thought it might be a good idea to pursue a higher degree in business. That decision would forever change the direction of his life and begin his dedication to an institution that became known as the John M. Olin Business School.

In this video from our Centennial series, Dean Emeritus, Bob Virgil, tell his story of coming to Washington University in 1958.

Read more on the Olin100 website.

Share your memories on social media with #Olin100




Contrary to the size of the crowd at Olin’s Centennial Gala in April, not everyone in the Olin community could be in St. Louis for the celebration. So, Professor Kurt Dirks decided to take the celebration to his Executive MBA students in Mumbai.

Dirks, the Bank of America Professor of Leadership, packed a few extra centennial t-shirts in his bag when he traveled to India last week to teach Batch (class) 2 in the joint program with IIT-Bombay. “They are extremely proud of being Olin students,” Dirks reported. “They all showed up to class the next day wearing their Olin t-shirts! Very cool to experience.”

So, of course, they had to take a photo and share it on social media. Thanks, Batch 2 EMBAs for wearing your Olin pride on your sleeves, literally!!

Where have you been wearing your Olin100 t-shirt recently? Tweet us or share on Instagram or Facebook with #Olin100

 




It was a once-in-a-century celebration. From festivities feting the 2017 Distinguished Alumni and all previous honorees, to an explosion of fireworks on Mudd Field, Olin’s Centennial Celebration Gala was a night to remember. The evening began with the Distinguished Alumni Awards, where Dean Mark Taylor welcomed more than 700 guests and Olin Alumni Board President Alex Borchert served as Master of Ceremonies. Video tributes and introductions to each awardee were viewed before they accepted the Distinguished Alumni honor. Former Dean Mahendra Gupta and his wife Sunita Gharg received the Dean’s Medal. Chancellor Wrighton addressed the audience before the unveiling of a final video outlining Dean Taylor’s vision for Olin’s second century.

The celebration continued on all three levels of the Atrium, which had been transformed into an extraordinary event space by lights, candles, and a 12 foot by 40 foot digital wall displaying 100 years of history in words, video, and archival photos. Live music and food stations, serving everything from sushi to bangers and mash, were enjoyed by several generations of alumni, professors, staff, and friends of Olin.

Click image to expand. Photos by Jerry Naunheim Jr.

« of 3 »




“I’ve had a great career and I’ve enjoyed every year of it, every minute of it.” How many people can say that? Howard Wood, BSBA’47, started out as an accountant at Arthur Anderson…for 26 years. Then he wanted to see what it was like on “the other side of the desk” and partnered with fellow Olin alum Jerry Kent to manage a cable TV company called Cencom Cable Associates.

They sold Cencom to Hallmark Cards Inc. in 1991 for an estimated $1billion, bought it back from Hallmark in 1995, and renamed the company Charter Communications. Wood and Kent sold Charter to Paul Allen in 1998 for $4.5 billion, according to the St. Louis Business Journal.

Wood’s ventures in the cable and communications industry included more than $25 billion in acquisitions and launching startups which Wood says is not for everyone. “You can’t be too risk adverse,” he says about entrepreneurship, but adds he doesn’t think of himself as an entrepreneur. “I think we’ve been professional managers.”