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Thomas S. Ricketts, AB’88, MBA’93
Together with Curt Alan Conklin, AB’89, and John Peter Ricketts, AB’86, MBA’91, Thomas S. Ricketts endowed the New Year Scholarship Fund.Why I give to the University of Chicago
I give to the University of Chicago because it offers such a unique experience. Chicago is dedicated to a well-rounded, high-quality education. Studying at the University of Chicago is a different kind of commitment than it is at other schools.
There’s no doubt that graduating from the University of Chicago gives you a sense of credibility that is difficult to obtain from any other education. Chicago is a great base to build from and really sets the standard that people judge you by. The College was a great way to start and the business school was a great way to continue my education. I think Chicago played a big part in determining my future success.
How I support the University
In addition to volunteering my time as a member of the Visiting Committee of the College, I helped endow the New Year Scholarship Fund. The fund is named in honor of a party we threw every year during and after college for Chinese New Year. After graduation, the party was a way to have a mini-college reunion and most of our friends from Chicago would come back for the party no matter where they lived. As we got older and had kids, it was hard to keep the party going, so we extended the theme with a scholarship.
Not only does the scholarship provide a deserving kid with access to a Chicago education, it was also fun to endow. It gave us the opportunity to throw some parties where everyone pitched in for the scholarship. We had one of the students who got the scholarship come to the party, and we really enjoyed meeting her. She was from Detroit and wanted to be a doctor and she was very impressive. We made it a little more fun and more personal than just mailing off a check to the University of Chicago.
Some interesting experiences at Chicago
I was fortunate enough to have Marvin Zonis as a professor my first quarter of freshman year. I will never forget the day he brought in John Kenneth Galbraith just to talk to our sociology class of twenty people, and I remember thinking, “this place is serious.”
I would tell any student at Chicago to take advantage of all of the opportunities the University offers. When I was 18 years old and in school I didn’t have the perspective to realize what a unique opportunity the University of Chicago offers. As I look back, I realize all of the terrific resources available at Chicago.
Setting the tone
Chicago really set the tone for my career. You’re really challenged at the University of Chicago, so that when you leave, and you’re challenged again, you are not intimidated. You’ve muscled through a challenge before, so you know you can do it.
