Todd Simon

Tonight, we dim the lights of the Robert W. and Patricia A. Maurer Center, home to the Allen W. (Hon. '17) and Carol M. Schmidthorst College of Business in honor of Carol M. Schmidthorst, who passed away today, May 11. It is with profound sadness that we share the loss of one of Bowling Green State University's most generous and transformational supporters. Carol, alongside her husband Allen, forever changed the course of this University. In 2020, Al and Carol together made the single largest academic gift in Bowling Green's history, establishing our first named college: the Allen W. and Carol M. Schmidthorst College of Business. Their belief in the power of a Bowling Green education has directly empowered countless students to become the next generation of business leaders. Their generosity is also woven into the fabric of our athletics community through the Schmidthorst Pavilion and Schmidthorst Heritage Hall at the Stroh Center, which features the Cochrane Cunningham Athletic Archives, one of the largest and most distinctive collections in all of college athletics, and through their steadfast support of scholarships, public broadcasting and the arts. Longtime residents of Lima, Ohio, Carol and Al built their lives rooted in hard work and generosity. They created businesses, gave back to their communities, cared deeply for their families and paid it forward by investing in the future of Bowling Green in unprecedented ways.  On behalf of the entire Bowling Green community, we extend our deepest condolences to Al and the entire Schmidthorst family. Carol's belief in our University and our students will always be remembered with our deepest gratitude.