Throughout a career spanning more than 50 years, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and engineer Phil Wagner, BSME ’69, always chose the road less traveled. By embracing career pivots and saying “yes” to complex projects no one else would tackle, he was able to live in different countries and lead an unconventional life.
“Three prongs: love, adventure, and achievement,” he says. “That’s how you should live your life.”
In retirement, the Ohio Northern University alumnus is finding joy and fulfillment from a fourth prong: giving back. Not surprisingly, he takes an unorthodox approach to philanthropic giving.
At ONU, he established the Wagner Scholarship Fund for Engineering, which not only awards the largest scholarship annually in the T.J. Smull College of Engineering, but is based on a progressive scale of achievement.
“It’s easy to give money,” he says, “but effectively and beneficially giving money is another trick.”
Wagner says conversations with ONU scholarship recipients made him more aware of the challenges today’s college students face. “It’s a quantum difference from how we older individuals experienced college financials,” he says.
Collaborating with ONU’s Office of University Advancement, Wagner arranged for his fund to award four engineering scholarships annually—one at each grade level, with a preference given to veterans and Findlay High School graduates. The scholarship amount is increased at each level, with the senior receiving a signature amount. He felt this type of progressive scholarship approach would have the biggest impact on students. The total amount of each annual scholarship award is a factor of the success of Wagner’s prior year investment strategy.
In the 1960s, when Wagner was a student, the campus was smaller and more austere. Wagner jokes that his first impression upon arriving at ONU in the fall of 1964 was that “my parents had sent me to a Penal Colony.”
Returning to campus for his 50th reunion, he was impressed with ONU’s growth. The visit sparked him to reflect, with gratitude, on his formative years and the role ONU played in his success.
When he was approached about giving to his alma mater, “it triggered a mindset change,” he said. “I began to agree with a wise man who once said when you hit 65 years you realize everything you’ve done in your life doesn’t mean diddly,” he laughed. What does matter, he added, is what you do for others.
Wagner’s desire to give back is also rooted in his long, distinguished career journey. After graduating from ONU, he served for 28 years in the Marine Corps, active and reserve duty, as an engineer officer. His military career included serving as a platoon commander in Vietnam, deploying for Desert Shield/Storm support, and completing tours in South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Bulgaria. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1996 with multiple meritorious service awards and more than two years of overseas service.
In the private sector, Wagner spent 20 years with Ingersoll-Rand before transitioning into government contracting, including a 14-year tenure with Lockheed Martin. He earned an MBA from Lehigh University, achieved Certified Professional Logistician status, and specialized in providing engineering and logistical support for Marine Corps programs.
At age 70, he shifted to being a self-employed consultant, winning consecutive years of government contracts until he recently retired. Wagner has financially supported many other initiatives in the College of Engineering and ONU Athletics, and he and his wife, Debra, are Life Lehr Society members
“We are so grateful for Phil and Debra and their commitment to not only supporting ONU students, but to connecting with them on a personal level,” said Dr. Kelly Lawrie, associate vice president for advancement and director of development. “Phil’s progressive scholarship model is as innovative as his military and engineering career. By structuring his support to grow alongside our students, he isn’t just helping to fund their education, he’s actively cheering them on to the finish line.”