Chairman for Pitt board of trustees, Thomas Richards, dies at 66

Thomas E. Richards, chairman of the University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees, died Thursday night after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 66.

After graduating from Pitt and earning a master’s degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Richards spent a 45-year career in the tech industry, including nearly two decades at Bell Atlantic and turns serving as vice president for telecom company Ameritech, CEO of Clear Communications and COO at Quest Communications.

In 2009, Richards joined tech provider CDW first as president and later as CEO, and led the company’s initial public offering, growing its market capitalization by nearly $12 billion in five years. He retired in 2018.

Richards married his high-school sweetheart Mary Beth, who joined him when he went to Pitt.

Richards was a Moon High School graduate and a starting point guard for the Pittsburgh Panthers, where he was part of a team with a 22-game winning streak during a season in which Pitt fell just three games shy of a national championship chance.

He and Mary Beth founded Little Panthers in 2001, an organization in Upper St. Clair devoted to teaching children how to play basketball. They also established a men’s basketball scholarship at Pitt in 2011, the same year Richards was elected to the school’s board of trustees.

He served as chairman in both 2020 and 2021.

“Tom’s legacy is one of humility, high standards and an unwavering belief in the potential of the team,” school officials said in a statement released on Friday. “Tom’s contributions to the community extend well beyond Pitt’s campus.”

The Richards family is hosting a visitation for friends at the John A. Freyvogel Sons, 4900 Centre Ave. in Oakland, from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Nov. 10 and 11. A memorial service and public celebration is scheduled for 10 a.m. Nov. 12 at Heinz Memorial Chapel in Oakland.