Pitt Announces $5 Million Gift to Men’s Basketball Program from Tom & Mary Beth Richards
3/1/2022 6:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PITTSBURGH – The University announced Tuesday in a ceremony at the Petersen Events Center that Thomas E. Richards—the proud alumnus, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Pitt Board of Trustees chair who died last year following a hard-fought battle with cancer—and his wife Mary Beth made a $5 million commitment to the Pitt Men's Basketball program, fulfilling the wish that Tom made before his passing.
In recognition of the gift, along with the Richards family's decades of service and devotion to Pitt, the lobby at the Petersen Events Center has been renamed the Thomas E. Richards Family lobby. The gift to the men's basketball program—Tom himself was a standout player in the 1970s—will help lead expansion and renovation efforts to practice, training and sport performance facilities at the Petersen Events Center.
"This lobby, which sits at the heart of the action, is a fitting tribute for a man who put the University of Pittsburgh at the heart of his life," said Chancellor Patrick Gallagher. "I am deeply grateful to Mary Beth, Lindsay and Jason, who have chosen to honor Tom in such a beautiful way and are helping to extend his legacy of leveraging the power of Pitt to transform lives."
"Tom Richards' legacy shines brightly at the University of Pittsburgh and beyond," said Director of Athletics Heather Lyke. "He was a leader throughout his life—as a star point guard, an accomplished chief executive officer and, most importantly, as a husband, father and cherished friend. Tom inspired and impacted so many people, and that was especially true at Pitt. This extraordinary gift is yet another example. We express our highest gratitude to the Richards family and are thankful that Mary Beth, Lindsay and Jason Richards could be with us this evening as we pay tribute to Tom."
The Richards Family has storied history with Pitt Basketball as both Tom and his wife, Mary Beth [Dorogy], played at the University of Pittsburgh, while their children, Lindsay and Jason, were members of the coaching staffs for the men's and women's program following their own playing careers. Lindsay was an assistant coach with the women's program from 2010-18, while Jason was a member of the men's staff from 2010-21.
"The Richards Family has been important part of the Pitt Basketball community and has made a tremendous impact on the lives of so many," said head coach Jeff Capel. "I am grateful for the relationship I was able to build with Tom before his passing and for the friendships that we maintain with Jason and the Richards family. Pitt Basketball is extremely thankful for the generous gift to the program but even more thankful for the impact Tom and his family continue to have here at the University of Pittsburgh."
Tom joined the Pitt Basketball program in 1972 following a senior season at Moon High School where he averaged 32.3 points per game and scored 63 points in the final home game of the season. As a sophomore at Pitt, he helped orchestrate one of the best seasons in program history as the Panthers went 25-4 overall with a school-record 22 game win streak and a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight.
In 1976, during his senior year at Pitt, Tom earned the prestigious Blue-Gold Award—which celebrates student-athletes who epitomize excellence in academics, athletics, leadership and citizenship—and had his name etched into the Varsity Walk that connects the Cathedral of Learning to Heinz Memorial Chapel on the University's Pittsburgh campus.
After earning a master's degree in management from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tom spent 45 years shaking up the technology industry. Early career stops include a nearly two-decade run at Bell Atlantic and turns serving as the executive vice president of Ameritech, chairman and chief executive officer of Clear Communications, and executive vice president and chief operating officer of Quest Communications.
In 2009, Tom joined CDW and assumed the roles of president and chief executive officer two years later. Here, his career wins continued. Under Tom's watch, CDW's annual revenue rose from $9.6 billion in 2011 to more than $16 billion at the time of his retirement in 2018. In 2013, he led CDW's IPO, growing the company's market capitalization by nearly $12 billion in just five years. A model of servant leadership, Tom's legacy is one of humility, high standards and an unwavering belief in the potential of the team. Not surprisingly, his CDW colleagues voted him as one of Glassdoor's highest-rated CEOs list for three years running.
While building a successful career, loving family and worldwide network of friends and colleagues, Tom kept close ties with Pittsburgh—and Pitt. In 2001, he and Mary Beth founded Little Panthers, an organization in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, devoted to teaching boys and girls how to play basketball. The couple were also frequent fans in the stands at Pitt Athletics events and established the Tom and Mary Beth Richards Men's Basketball Scholarship in 2011.
Tom's love of Pitt collided with his passion for leadership in 2011, when he was elected to the University's Board of Trustees. In the years that followed, Tom served on several committees, including the Athletics Committee, Audit Committee and Governance and Nominating Committee. He also chaired the Risk and Compliance Committee for five years and was a member of the School of Information Sciences Board of Visitors. In 2019, Tom was voted by his peers as chair-elect of the Board and assumed the role of chair in 2020 before being elected to the position again in 2021.
Tom's contributions to the community extend well beyond Pitt's campus. He joined UPMC's Board in 2019 and assumed the role of First Vice Chairperson in 2020. Outside of Pittsburgh, Tom served on the Board of Directors of Northern Trust and Bell Canada and was a member of the Economic and Executives' clubs of Chicago. He was also a former trustee of Rush University Medical Center and particularly fond of his contributions as a board member and chairman of Junior Achievement of Chicago—a nonprofit that leverages company partnerships to help connect young people thrive economically and academically.
Tom passed away in Pittsburgh on Oct. 28, 2021.
In recognition of the gift, along with the Richards family's decades of service and devotion to Pitt, the lobby at the Petersen Events Center has been renamed the Thomas E. Richards Family lobby. The gift to the men's basketball program—Tom himself was a standout player in the 1970s—will help lead expansion and renovation efforts to practice, training and sport performance facilities at the Petersen Events Center.
"This lobby, which sits at the heart of the action, is a fitting tribute for a man who put the University of Pittsburgh at the heart of his life," said Chancellor Patrick Gallagher. "I am deeply grateful to Mary Beth, Lindsay and Jason, who have chosen to honor Tom in such a beautiful way and are helping to extend his legacy of leveraging the power of Pitt to transform lives."
"Tom Richards' legacy shines brightly at the University of Pittsburgh and beyond," said Director of Athletics Heather Lyke. "He was a leader throughout his life—as a star point guard, an accomplished chief executive officer and, most importantly, as a husband, father and cherished friend. Tom inspired and impacted so many people, and that was especially true at Pitt. This extraordinary gift is yet another example. We express our highest gratitude to the Richards family and are thankful that Mary Beth, Lindsay and Jason Richards could be with us this evening as we pay tribute to Tom."
The Richards Family has storied history with Pitt Basketball as both Tom and his wife, Mary Beth [Dorogy], played at the University of Pittsburgh, while their children, Lindsay and Jason, were members of the coaching staffs for the men's and women's program following their own playing careers. Lindsay was an assistant coach with the women's program from 2010-18, while Jason was a member of the men's staff from 2010-21.
"The Richards Family has been important part of the Pitt Basketball community and has made a tremendous impact on the lives of so many," said head coach Jeff Capel. "I am grateful for the relationship I was able to build with Tom before his passing and for the friendships that we maintain with Jason and the Richards family. Pitt Basketball is extremely thankful for the generous gift to the program but even more thankful for the impact Tom and his family continue to have here at the University of Pittsburgh."
Tom joined the Pitt Basketball program in 1972 following a senior season at Moon High School where he averaged 32.3 points per game and scored 63 points in the final home game of the season. As a sophomore at Pitt, he helped orchestrate one of the best seasons in program history as the Panthers went 25-4 overall with a school-record 22 game win streak and a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight.
In 1976, during his senior year at Pitt, Tom earned the prestigious Blue-Gold Award—which celebrates student-athletes who epitomize excellence in academics, athletics, leadership and citizenship—and had his name etched into the Varsity Walk that connects the Cathedral of Learning to Heinz Memorial Chapel on the University's Pittsburgh campus.
After earning a master's degree in management from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tom spent 45 years shaking up the technology industry. Early career stops include a nearly two-decade run at Bell Atlantic and turns serving as the executive vice president of Ameritech, chairman and chief executive officer of Clear Communications, and executive vice president and chief operating officer of Quest Communications.
In 2009, Tom joined CDW and assumed the roles of president and chief executive officer two years later. Here, his career wins continued. Under Tom's watch, CDW's annual revenue rose from $9.6 billion in 2011 to more than $16 billion at the time of his retirement in 2018. In 2013, he led CDW's IPO, growing the company's market capitalization by nearly $12 billion in just five years. A model of servant leadership, Tom's legacy is one of humility, high standards and an unwavering belief in the potential of the team. Not surprisingly, his CDW colleagues voted him as one of Glassdoor's highest-rated CEOs list for three years running.
While building a successful career, loving family and worldwide network of friends and colleagues, Tom kept close ties with Pittsburgh—and Pitt. In 2001, he and Mary Beth founded Little Panthers, an organization in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, devoted to teaching boys and girls how to play basketball. The couple were also frequent fans in the stands at Pitt Athletics events and established the Tom and Mary Beth Richards Men's Basketball Scholarship in 2011.
Tom's love of Pitt collided with his passion for leadership in 2011, when he was elected to the University's Board of Trustees. In the years that followed, Tom served on several committees, including the Athletics Committee, Audit Committee and Governance and Nominating Committee. He also chaired the Risk and Compliance Committee for five years and was a member of the School of Information Sciences Board of Visitors. In 2019, Tom was voted by his peers as chair-elect of the Board and assumed the role of chair in 2020 before being elected to the position again in 2021.
Tom's contributions to the community extend well beyond Pitt's campus. He joined UPMC's Board in 2019 and assumed the role of First Vice Chairperson in 2020. Outside of Pittsburgh, Tom served on the Board of Directors of Northern Trust and Bell Canada and was a member of the Economic and Executives' clubs of Chicago. He was also a former trustee of Rush University Medical Center and particularly fond of his contributions as a board member and chairman of Junior Achievement of Chicago—a nonprofit that leverages company partnerships to help connect young people thrive economically and academically.
Tom passed away in Pittsburgh on Oct. 28, 2021.
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