ADA — Quincy native Dr. Carl Clay, BSME ‘60, Hon. D. ‘92, and his wife, H. Jane Clay, have made a multi-million dollar gift to name the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Ohio Northern University, continuing their legacy of support to educational excellence.
A ceremony with the Clays will be hosted at a later date to dedicate the newly named Dr. Carl D. Clay and H. Jane Clay Department of Mechanical Engineering and celebrate the endowed fund’s establishment.
T.J. Smull College of Engineering Dean J-D Yoder said the Clays’ transformational gift will allow the department to address needs such as new equipment and software purchases, support faculty and students engaged with summer projects, bring insightful speakers to campus and more.
“Over the years, the Clays have been pivotal to helping our College of Engineering become one of the best in the nation,” President Daniel DiBiasio said. “Their continued support means a great deal to ONU, particularly to our students, so many of whom follow in Dr. Clay’s footsteps by becoming successful engineers themselves.”
“Carl and Jane have been long-time, generous supporters of ONU,” Yoder said. “Their latest gift will have a significant impact in making our Mechanical Engineering Department even stronger for generations to come. I am grateful for all they have done for ONU and the College of Engineering, and it is a true pleasure to be able to name the department in honor of Dr. Carl and Mrs. Jane Clay.”
The couple’s support will further enhance a department that is already ranked as one of the top 20 in the country. Students enjoy a 100 percent placement rate in co-op opportunities at prestigious corporations such as Battelle Memorial Institute, Borg Warner Turbo Systems, Honda and others.
While attending ONU, his education was put on hold to serve for two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. After his discharge, Carl met his future wife Jane. They married two weeks before classes began in 1956. With the G.I. Bill, and Jane’s encouragement and financial support (on her teacher’s salary), he was able to return to campus and earn his degree in May 1960.
“My career with Marathon would not have been possible without Jane by my side. I am indebted to her for her support all these years,” he said.
Dr. Clay enjoyed a 33-year engineering and management career at Marathon Petroleum Corporation, rising through the ranks to hold several leadership positions. He began as an Associate Engineer in Findlay at Marathon in 1961. In 1972, he was promoted to Manager Engineering for Marathon’s Transportation organization.
In 1977, Carl became Western Division Manager for Marathon Pipe Line, located in Casper, Wyo. In 1983, he became Vice President for Marathon Pipe Line Company. In 1984 he was named President of Marathon Pipe Line Company. In 1990, Carl assumed the role of Director of Transportation and Logistics for Marathon Petroleum Company (which included all of Marathon Pipe Line), and served in this role until his retirement from Marathon in 1994.
While at Marathon, Dr. Clay attended the MIT Sloan Business School in 1977, and in 1986 joined Ohio Northern’s Board of Trustees, where he served as an active trustee until 2006.
Over the years, the Clays have helped to purchase myriad engineering equipment and software, enabling ONU’s students to learn and innovate with cutting-edge technology. They were also early donors to the campaign to build the James Lehr Kennedy Engineering Building, which opened in fall 2019.
“The Clays are special people who believe in giving back to help students achieve their dreams through access to state-of-the-art facilities and programs,” Vice President for Advancement Shannon Spencer said. “We are so thankful for their continued investment in Ohio Northern.”