Allegheny College mourns the death of Henry B. Tippie, a businessman and philanthropist whose extraordinary generosity, vision, and care touched the lives of countless individuals at Allegheny and many other organizations. Mr. Tippie, the husband of Allegheny Trustee Emerita Patricia Bush Tippie ’56, passed away on February 20 at age 95.
Henry B. Tippie
Mr. Tippie was noted not only for the breadth of his support but also the depth to which Mrs. Tippie and he took a genuine interest in the people and projects benefiting from their gifts. The Tippies established a scholarship in 1990 awarded to Allegheny students from New Castle High School, Mrs. Tippie’s alma mater; as a result, many students through the years have been able to enroll at Allegheny who otherwise would not have been able to attend. They also endowed three faculty chairs to support distinguished faculty: the Henry B. Tippie & Patricia Bush Tippie Endowed Professorship for a faculty member in the humanities or social sciences, the Patricia B. Tippie Endowed Professorship in Economics, and the Eila V. Bush Endowed Professorship in Art. In addition, The Henry B. Tippie and Patricia Bush Tippie ’56 Educational Opportunities Fund supports domestic and international internship and study away opportunities for Allegheny students, as well as student-faculty collaborative research. They also were lead donors in the creation of the Richard J. Cook & Teresa M. Lahti Student-Faculty Research Fund. Through these endowed scholarships, funds, and professorships, the Tippies have enhanced the educational environment for Allegheny students and faculty alike, in perpetuity.
The Tippies also provided a generous gift to support the restoration and renovation of Cochran Hall, an iconic Allegheny building in the center of campus, into an elegant alumni center named in honor of Mrs. Tippie. Most recently, the Tippies presented a challenge gift to support the renovation of 200-year-old Bentley Hall, the College’s most historic structure. That support sparked additional gifts that ultimately exceeded their challenge, allowing the College to re-inaugurate the beautifully renovated Bentley Hall this past October. At Mr. Tippie’s direction, both of these projects included endowed funds for the ongoing maintenance of the buildings.
“As a philanthropist, Henry Tippie had the wisdom to consider both the immediate impact and the long-term legacy of his generosity. Just as he did as a businessman, he always considered both the big-picture and the small details of any project that would ultimately make them better. Along with his wife, Mr. Tippie has truly transformed Allegheny College through the support of our students, our faculty, and our historic campus. We mourn Mr. Tippie’s passing along with Pat and the entire Tippie family while we celebrate his extraordinary and inspiring life, and we remember him with deep gratitude. Allegheny is a stronger institution because of his generosity, vision, and talents.”
Along with Mrs. Tippie, Mr. Tippie was awarded an honorary doctorate from Allegheny in 2011. In 2021, Mr. and Mrs. Tippie received The Council of Independent Colleges Award for Philanthropy. (This honor was for the generous contributions to two CIC member institutions, Allegheny College and Coe College in Iowa.) Mr. Tippie was also noted for his support of many other organizations, including his alma mater, the University of Iowa, where the Tippie College of Business was named in his honor in 1999.
In a 2003 biography, Mr. Tippie offered these words about his approach to life: “I have always felt that irrespective of the circumstances, I will try to do the best I know how and move forward.” Mr. Tippie’s commitment to doing his best and moving forward resounds throughout our campus and in the lives of so many individuals benefiting from his insight and philanthropic support.
An obituary with more information about Mr. Tippie and his remarkable life is available here.
