Charles and Carolyn Wheeler ’67: Endowed Professorships Inspire Academic and Career Pursuits

Charles (Charlie) and Carolyn Wheeler ’67 were married and in business together for more than five decades. They lived conservatively, allowing them to build an estate that achieved a shared dream—to help humanity for generations to come. Shortly before Charlie passed away in January, they gave a gift to Syracuse University that will do just that, advancing academic excellence and innovation in both the life sciences and business.

Their dream together began to take shape shortly after Carolyn graduated from Syracuse University in 1967 with a degree in psychology, sociology, and the fine arts. The young coed walked into the Syracuse office of the British-based Royal Insurance Co. where Charlie was part of the leadership team. Carolyn had applied for a job as an underwriter. Charlie rejected her application—he was concerned about her lack of experience and the investment in resources the company would have to make to train her—but he was overruled by a hiring committee. Carolyn became the first woman underwriter hired by the company in the United States.

Six months later, Charlie married her.

“Charlie knew how to capitalize on the company’s investment,” says Carolyn with a chuckle. “And throughout our lives together, he demonstrated a great business sense, putting us in a position to be able to make this significant estate gift to the University.” The Wheelers prefer to keep the total amount of their bequest confidential, but their extraordinary generosity will be recognized with their name on a new Institute and two endowed professorships. Their planned gift advances the Forever Orange Campaign’s support of breakthrough and impactful research.

The vision for the Carolyn B. and Charles M. Wheeler Institute is to combine the talents, ingenuity, entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen among faculty and students in the life sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. The intent is to bring discoveries in life sciences to market safely and more efficiently to address global challenges in health and materials innovation. The collaboration among researchers, faculty and students in the Wheeler Institute will accelerate the development of breakthroughs in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease.

The Institute will foster basic and applied life science research, while tailoring curriculum and research in finance, regulation and supply chains for specific business conditions in industries like pharmaceuticals and medical devices. There will be internships, experiential learning opportunities, professional development and networking, along with grants to help launch products and services emanating from life sciences research.

“We’ve known so many brilliant people who had great ideas but lacked the business acumen to bring those ideas to fruition,” said Charlie. “You can be extremely intelligent in the sciences, but you’ve got to have business sense in order to thrive.”

“I am grateful to Charles and Carolyn Wheeler for their generosity in establishing the Wheeler Institute and its two new endowed professorships,” says College of Arts and Sciences Dean Karin Ruhlandt. “Thanks to the Wheelers’ visionary gift, students will develop the scientific knowledge and entrepreneurial insight needed to help push the boundaries in pharmaceutical and medical innovation for healthier communities, as the world continues to face down the pandemic.”

Five decades after they first got together, the Wheelers look forward to leaving a legacy, filled with promise. “Our desire is to see this Institute thrive, to bring even greater excellence to Syracuse University, and to produce the kind of talent that will change our world for the better and help humanity in the long run.”