Before WashU, college was a juggling act for Tony O’Driscoll, BS ’84. Like so many students, he was struggling to make ends meet while paying tuition at a local university, being present for classes, and carving out time to see his girlfriend, Sharon. He dreamed of being a chemist, but nothing seemed to give — until Sharon happened upon two summer lab technician jobs for Tony that, stacked together, might allow him to earn enough in the summer so that he could breathe easier during the school year.
At the end of the summer, one company offered to keep him on permanently. “It was more money than I’d ever seen in my life,” Tony remembers. “But I wanted to be a chemist, and I wanted to finish my degree. They said, ‘What if we paid for you to go to school?’ and instead of saying yes, I said, ‘Would you pay for WashU?’”
Those five words changed his life. The company worked with WashU’s University College (now the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, or CAPS) to make sure the classes and labs Tony needed to finish his degree were available while he was working full-time — and together, they made sure that tuition wasn’t the issue keeping Tony from succeeding.
That chemistry degree from WashU launched Tony on a path in polymer paint and plastics that took him to Michigan, New York, Connecticut, Georgia, Texas, Switzerland, and Germany.
He ended his career here at home in St. Louis, where he and Sharon — now married for 44 years and counting — are committed to continued learning and to supporting the university that has given them so much.
How have you stayed involved with WashU and the Eliot Society over the years?
Tony: When we moved to Detroit over twenty years ago, we got a call from the Detroit Eliot Society committee chair. All he wanted was to have us look over a list of names and do a little outreach. “Well, sure,” we said, “why not? We can do that.” And we’ve been part of the Eliot volunteer system ever since. We’ve been involved in Detroit, Atlanta, here in St. Louis … it’s been great.
Sharon: People think you have to be located in St. Louis to be involved, and that’s not at all the case. We made such good connections in other cities, and now a lot of the work we do involves talking to other Eliots through GiveCampus [a peer-to-peer outreach system], which we can do from anywhere. The more we reach out, the more opportunities we have for conversations with other WashU alums and families, which is the fun part.
What kind of on-campus activities do you take advantage of, now that you’re back in St. Louis?
Sharon: We are both committed to continue learning throughout our lives, and there are so many opportunities available through the university. Whatever you’re interested in, there’s probably a program or a talk. For instance, we heard from a representative at the Institute for School Partnership about classroom STEM kits that are available to any teacher in the St. Louis area, and then not long ago we attended a presentation from Sam Goodwin about his world travels and his wrongful imprisonment in Syria. The topics range from global to local, and I hope everyone knows that they can come listen and learn, sometimes even online.
Tony: The Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy also works with the Civil Society Initiative to have events where they discuss contentious issues and how to have a civil discourse. They’re fascinating, and it’s great to connect with undergraduate students at these events as they’re learning about this important piece of being part of society.
What are your philanthropic priorities at WashU?
Tony: We support the Weidenbaum Center and Arts & Sciences, and we know that our Annual Fund support allows the deans and leaders to put on these events we love. And we also support CAPS. We are so impressed with what Dean Sean Armstrong and the team are doing with the program. WashU is known for its deep strength in liberal arts and humanities alongside the sciences, and Dean Armstrong is trying to make sure that CAPS students have the best of both worlds: the training and knowledge for the career they want as well as mastery and love of learning. It’s not just a school where you’re trying to get through and get the grade; it’s an education that sets you up for the rest of your life. We are so proud that our Annual Fund support can help make this opportunity available for students in our community.
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
Tony: Increased accessibility to education. Education creates opportunity, period. Privilege and money shouldn’t be the barrier to any education, especially the excellent opportunities available at WashU.
Sharon: Absolutely. Education lifts you, and it lifts your whole family. And the beautiful thing is, once you have an education, nobody can take it away from you.
Tony and Sharon serve the university as members of the Arts & Sciences Eliot Society Committee, a group Tony chairs. Tony also is a member of the Eliot Benefactors Committee. They live in the St. Louis area and are the proud parents of two sons: Patrick and Jeremy, BS ’12, BS ’12.