Ohio University alumnus Wilfred Konneker died at the age of 93 last week.
Wilfred Konneker, an Ohio University alumnus who received numerous awards and honors from the university during his lifetime, and whose family donated millions to the university, died Jan. 7 in St. Louis, Missouri. He was 93.
Konneker was a two-time graduate of OU, receiving a bachelor's in the science of chemistry in 1943 and a master's in physics in 1947. In his lifetime, the Konnekers donated more than $15 million to OU.
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Born on Feb. 20, 1922, Konneker grew up in Greenfield, Ohio, where he attended McClain High School.
“Dr. Konneker was a blessing to our university, and Deborah (McDavis) and I are honored to have known him,” OU President Roderick McDavis said in a university news release. “Will represented the very best of what it means to be an Ohio graduate. The university community is saddened by this loss and humbled by the legacy he leaves for future generations of Ohio students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.”
After his time at OU, Konneker moved to St. Louis to pursue his doctorate at Washington University, where he became a doctor of nuclear physics in 1950.
With his wife Ann Lee, he founded the Nuclear Consultants Corporation in St. Louis, which merged with Mallenckrodt, Inc. He also either founded or co-founded six high-tech start-up companies.
Konneker received the OU Alumni Medal of Merit in 1964 and was named OU’s Alumnus of the Year in 1979. He was also granted an honorary doctor of law degree from OU in 1980, and his wife was also awarded an honorary degree from OU that same year.
In 1980, the Konnekers made a gift to OU to purchase what is now known as the Konneker Alumni Center on University Terrace. Konneker was an important organizer of the Cutler Scholars Program, which was founded in 1995.
“I came to know him as an extraordinary entrepreneur, international businessman, mentor to many and a philanthropist,” David Scholl, an OU Board of Trustees member, said.
From 1983 to 1991, he served as the director of OU's Innovation Center, and from 1982 to 1987 served as the chairman of the Ohio University Foundation Board of Trustees.
He received the 2003-2004 Founders Citation at OU, an honor bestowed by the Board of Trustees. Konneker was also the recipient of the John C. Baker Founder’s Award and is the only person to receive Lifetime Trustee status from the OU Foundation. He was awarded the College of Business Award for Achievement in Business and was inducted into the Ohio University Greek Alumni Hall of Fame as a Delta Tau Delta member.
In 1996, the Konneker Research Laboratories at The Ridges was opened and dedicated in honor of his leadership and service to the university. In addition, a gift from the Konnekers to the OU Foundation created the Konneker Fund for Learning and Discovery.
“In terms of promoting academic excellence, no has done more among modern day alumni,” Richard Vedder, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Economics, said. “This is a big loss to the university.”
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