Sture Gordon Olsson, one of the founding sponsors behind the Darden School and a devout patron of the University, died last week at the age of 87.
University acquaintances remember Olsson as generous and amicable businessman with a strong, unwavering commitment to the University. A 1942 graduate of the Engineering School, Olsson spent his early post-University years as a private in the Marine Corps before transferring to the Navy to serve as a lieutenant. Discharged from duty in 1946, Olsson began working at Chesapeake Corporation, a paper mill founded in 1918 by his father?. Starting out as a project engineer, Olsson swiftly rose through the business' ranks and helped expand Chesapeake Corp. into a Fortune 500 company. He retired from his position as Chesapeake president and board chairman in 1994.
Olsson, though, never lost his close ties to the University. He was one of the several original founding sponsors of the Darden School, which he helped to launch in 1955. His last name still graces numerous University professorships, programs and the Olsson building, which houses the computer sciences and systems and information engineering departments.
Ed Freeman, director of the Olsson Center for Applied Ethics at Darden and honorary Olsson professor, said Olsson was heavily committed to giving back and was a man of profound personal integrity.
"Sture was a no-nonsense kind of guy," Freeman said. "He was very straightforward about what he thought about what you were doing, and I think he lived his life that way."
Freeman said Olsson's no-nonsense attitude revealed Olsson's integrity.
"You never had to guess where he was coming from," Freeman said.
According to Darden Prof. Emeritus Ray Smith, Olsson had a great interest in business and ethics, but his philanthropic work extended outside of the Darden School.
Olsson's devotion to the rest of the University -- especially to the Engineering School -- was truly inspiring, according to Edgar Starke, materials science and engineering professor. .
Starke, a former dean of the Engineering School who knew Olsson through the Alumni Association, said Olsson was a unique, ethical and honest individual who could always be counted on for lending a hand in the University's direction.
"100 percent of the time, he solved my problems," Starke said.
Starke noted that when he became dean of the Engineering School, numerous buildings, labs and facilities needed to be updated. Starke said Olsson always helped cover the associated expenses.
"He was obviously a wealthy individual," Starke said. "But he was also down-to-earth."
Starke described Olsson as a strong, loving supporter of the engineering school who will be greatly missed, not only because of his philanthropic generosity but because of the person he was.
"He was one of my favorite people in the whole world," Starke said.
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