The Pittsburgh Business Times featured Allegheny College in a conversation with President Ron Cole. Cole spoke with reporter Ethan Lott about a healthy endowment, and a range of impact that Allegheny College has on area alumni and on generations of students from the Pittsburgh area.
Over its 210-year history, Allegheny College consistently punches well above its weight class. The small, liberal arts college in Meadville, Crawford County, about 90 miles up Interstate 79 from Pittsburgh, has produced a large number of well-known alumni — many working in the executive suites at major corporations around southwestern Pennsylvania. – Ethan Lott, Pittsburgh Business Times, October 3, 2025
While there are thousands of notable Allegheny alumni, a few Pittsburgh leaders came to mind including:
- Bill Demchak (PNC)
- Kimberly Fleming (Baird)
- David Malone (Gateway Financial)
- Chris Allison (formerly of Tollgrade)
- Al Trezza (BNY Mellon)
- Jennifer Daurora (PNC)
- Dusty Elias Kirk (Reed Smith)
- Chris Brussalis (Point Park University)
- Dr. John Kauffman Jr. (Duquesne University)
Alumni across the globe are supporting Allegheny College’s most ambitious campaign, generating its most successful fundraising period on record — which will expand the College’s endowment to meet the educational needs of students.
Over the past decade, Allegheny College has seen its endowment grow from around $184M to about $270M in 2024 filings. With the $250 million “In for Allegheny: Our Pathway Forward” campaign still ongoing through June 2027 and numerous gifts announced this year, that figure continues to grow, allowing for more money to be devoted to campaign initiatives such as student aid.
“The single most important thing we are working to build are scholarships for immediate-need scholarships and adding to the endowment,” Cole said. “That is the single greatest goal.”
Other alumni are contributing to the momentum as alumni referrals make up 20% of enrolled students from the most recent class.
Allegheny graduates also support students’ career development by participating in networking events and career fairs, creating internships, and providing mentoring through Allegheny’s online Gator2Gator network. This is evidenced by the 98% placement rate (careers, graduate school, or service) according to the Allegheny College Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD).
“We want to make sure we can continue to provide access,” President Ron Cole said. “All of those things feed into the first goal of our pathway — academic excellence and strong outcomes for our students and the second goal, to continue to build a vibrant and inclusive campus.”
President Cole told Lott, “The outcomes from Allegheny College are real and extraordinary,” Cole said. “Our alumni are successful, and they also are fiercely loyal. (That) provides us a base who feel compelled to invest in the future of the college. We couldn’t realize the success in our fundraising efforts without that, and I’m going to attribute that back to the quality of our education.”
