Orange Fan Honors Father With $2M Gift To Fuel Competitive Excellence
10/8/2024 10:23:00 AM | General, 'Cuse Athletics Fund
"My dad was serious about work, community, country and Syracuse University athletics," says Magee. The senior Magee died in 1989 at the age of 78. In recognition of his son's gift to the John A. Lally Athletics Complex and the Athletics Opportunity Fund, the dining hall will be commonly referred to as Magee One Team Dining.
"My father was a low-key guy, but I know he would have wanted to help student-athletes and the athletics program in meaningful ways," says Magee. Both father and son shared an appreciation for the power of sports to enhance the visibility and reputation of the entire University. "He turned me into an avid Syracuse University sports fan at a young age," says Magee. "We had football season tickets forever!"
When his father became too ill with congestive heart failure to attend games, he would watch from his recliner chair at home. "This was before the internet, and he would create his own score sheets," says Magee. On the day he died, Magee Sr. was watching the Syracuse basketball team play Missouri. "Five to ten minutes into the game, he took his last breath. My brother Tom, who graduated from Syracuse University College of Law in 1973, still has that score sheet." Now, Magee Sr.'s dedication to the Orange is memorialized in a place that honors the dedication of more than 600 student-athletes across 20 sports.
"Since we launched a dedicated campaign in 2021 to raise $150 million to enhance the student-athlete experience, we've been amazed and gratified by the support of donors like Ed," says John Wildhack, director of athletics. "They truly appreciate the value of student-athlete focused facilities and services in attracting the most talented student-athletes and staff and ensuring competitive excellence in the athletics program."
The athletics fundraising goal is part of the $1.5 billion Forever Orange Campaign for Syracuse University. "Philanthropy has always been critical to creating an environment where all our students can thrive, in the classroom and beyond, and in their chosen careers," says Chancellor Kent Syverud. "I am grateful to Ed for recognizing that his gift can elevate the entire student experience, along with the reputation of the entire University."
Magee graduated from the College of Engineering and Computer Science in 1970 with a bachelor of science in aerospace engineering, and earned an MBA in management data systems from the Whitman School of Management in 1972. He says he wasn't a great athlete or an outstanding student, but he learned from his father and mother, a teacher, the value of hard work and dedication to family, community and country. He signed up for Air Force ROTC while in college, earning a scholarship that "would help out my parents."
His father, Magee Sr., graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1933 and completed a law degree in 1936. He joined the U.S. Army, served with the 84th Infantry Division in the South Pacific and Asiatic theaters, and trained soldiers for combat. He was a reservist for 20 years and retired as a major. He was equally devoted in his professional life, spending 40 years at the Utica Mutual Insurance Company.
Similarly, his son Ed was loyal in service to both country and a corporation that gave him the means to build wealth that could be used in service of others. Magee served four years at Eglin Air Force Base as an officer in the Air Defense Command and, as an air force captain, he designed real-time software to drive the world's first phased-array Space Track Radar. Following the Air Force, he devoted himself to PepsiCo, first developing information systems and ultimately rising to the level of Pepsi-Cola International chief information officer. He retired at the young age of 48 and has spent his time since consulting and investing in promising ventures, giving back to community through various charities, and supporting his beloved alma mater.
In 2018, Magee established the Edward C. Magee Endowed Scholarship to provide financial assistance to undergraduate students in the School of Information Studies and "help students who need a helping hand." Believing students and student-athletes across all disciplines and sports can contribute to a thriving university and a culture of competitive excellence, Magee targeted his latest gift for the benefit of student athletes who will "fuel their bodies" at Magee One Team Dining.
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About Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University
Orange isn't just our color. It's our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit foreverorange.syr.edu to learn more.
