O’Donnells donate $30 million
Harvard University announced today that well-known Boston business executive and philanthropist Joseph J. O’Donnell ’67, M.B.A. ’71, a longtime Harvard benefactor, and his wife, Katherine A. O’Donnell, have donated $30 million to the University. The gift, which underscores the O’Donnells’ confidence in what they call the “superb leadership” of President Drew Faust and the School deans, will support Harvard’s long-term mission as planning continues for an eventual University-wide campaign. The O’Donnells hope that their gift will spur others to give early in an effort to help shape the University’s future. For Joe O’Donnell, this latest leg in his nearly five-decade association with Harvard is the culmination of a journey that led him from the streets of Everett, Mass., to the classrooms and athletic fields of the Ivy League. After graduating from Harvard College and Harvard Business School (HBS), he maintained close contact with the University, including a stint as an associate dean...