Louis Orlando ’66: Gratefully Giving Back

Louis G. Orlando '66 completed two years as a chemistry major in the College of Arts and Sciences, then shocked his parents by leaving school to join the Army. "It turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made," says Orlando, who now lives in North Carolina.

Following training at Fort Sam Houston Medical School in San Antonio, Texas, Orlando became a medical technology instructor, a position he held for three years. "I was blessed to work with fantastic world authorities in the medical area," he says. "Those years in the Army broadened my vision, set me straight, and gave me a compass for life."

After being discharged in 1964, Orlando returned to Syracuse University to complete his education. "Thank God Syracuse opened its doors to me as a disciplined, goal oriented person, ready for life," he says. "My final two years at SU were great and prepared me for the headhunter who called, leading to employment with Johnson & Johnson."

Orlando's career with the company lasted 25 years, with positions in research and development, operations, quality and technical services, and as director of quality management and continuous improvement at the J&J Quality Institute. He then spent 10 years with Reckitt Benckiser as director of North American Product Quality and Technical Services.

Retired since 1998, Orlando has been involved in numerous volunteer activities, including serving as a member of the board and active facilitator of the University of North Carolina Wilmington Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. "The Lifelong Learning Institute has been an integral part of my being since retiring," he says. "This has been a rewarding time, where I have been able to pay back to society for giving me a blessed life," he says.

Education was important to his immigrant parents, and Orlando's sister, Louise Orlando Ventrella '54, and brother, James, also attended Syracuse University. That attitude was passed on to Orlando, who has decided to give others the educational opportunity he enjoyed.

"About five years ago, something inside me started to rattle my bones about what SU really means to me, to the city of Syracuse, and the students it takes in," Orlando says. "I felt my life has been pretty good and I needed to provide something to SU." He is inspired by reading Syracuse University Magazine, what he calls "a stimulating force," making him aware of the works being accomplished globally by the University's faculty and students. "Syracuse has progressed so far in reaching the world," he says.

In honor of his parents, Orlando will leave a percentage of his estate to Syracuse University for student scholarship programs in biology. "I hope that as SU graduates age, they will feel the rattling in their bones as I did, and commit to supporting the University in greater ways," he says. "We who have benefitted from our University need to think long and hard and give back."

Reflecting on his SU experience, Orlando calls it the rocket that projected him through his life. "The older I get, the more I treasure my time there and what it stands for today," he says. "Thank you, Syracuse University, for being what you are."