Paul O'Neill
Written by Donald A. Promnitz
Former U.S. Treasury Secretary and Fresno State alumnus Paul O’Neill has made a gift of $1 million to a philanthropic fund belonging to the university, according to a Tuesday morning announcement on Twitter.
Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro made the announcement during his annual “State of the University” address Tuesday morning at the Save Mart Center.
The official Fresno State Twitter account shared it in a tweet.
Dr. Castro announces that alumnus and former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Paul O’Neill has made a $1 million transformative gift to the President’s Circle of Excellence. Thank you, Secretary O’Neill!
Learn more about the Circle of Excellence: https://t.co/PBBhOZKFil
— Fresno State (@Fresno_State) February 11, 2020
According to the university website, the President’s Circle of Excellence is a fund to “boldly educate and empower” students. This includes funds for things like textbooks, students in need of short-term aid after a personal catastrophe and the Student Cupboard, which provides free food to students.
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, O’Neill studied economics at Fresno State, earning his Bachelor’s Degree in 1960. From 2001 to 2002, he worked as treasury secretary for the George W. Bush Administration.