Ron Shaich ’76, L.H.D. ’14, came to Clark to study government and assumed he would go on to earn a degree in law. But like many Clarkies, his time on campus exposed him to new and unexpected experiences, fresh perspectives, and alternative pathways toward personal transformation.
“I came to Clark in 1972. There was intellectual energy. … It struck me as a place with powerful guidance, and it ended up being probably the most formative experience of my life,” he once told The Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
While a sophomore at Clark, Shaich was tossed out of a local convenience store. “I came back and said, ‘This is ridiculous, putting up with this nonsense. We should have our own student-run community store.’ ” Clark students raised the money, and in the summer between his sophomore and junior years, Shaich led the effort to convert a triple-decker on Downing Street into the General Store.
“For a kid who couldn’t dance and couldn’t sing, it was the closest I came to being an artist. I loved the creativity of it. I loved the ability to touch people’s lives through business. And I’m quite positive I wouldn’t have had the experience if I hadn’t gone to Clark,” he said.
“Clark gave me an extraordinary gift. It was a powerful place to grow and evolve. The power of The General Store was that it taught me about myself and my capabilities to make a difference through business and the joy in the process. It was at Clark that I discovered who I am and what I love doing — solving problems.”
“Clark gave me an extraordinary gift … It was at Clark that I discovered who I am and what I love doing — solving problems.”
In 2014, Shaich was awarded an honorary degree at Clark’s commencement.
“Over the years, I’ve come to believe a Clark education is powerfully different,” he told the audience of students and their families. “At far too many schools, students are taught what to think. Clark is an exception, because Clark taught us how to think. … Clark taught us that, to arrive at better answers, we must first ask better questions. A provocative question pushes us to dig deep and do the hard work of challenging convention and changing the world.”
Shaich’s deep commitment to Clark has included several terms of service on the Board of Trustees, beginning in 1988 through today, as a leader and counsel to four presidents — helping to chart the course of the University’s future in an economy and society that has undergone a profound transformation in the decades since his student days. His gift of $5 million was foundational to the 2016 opening of the Shaich Family Alumni and Student Engagement Center, a hub for campus operations and student success. In his remarks announcing the gift, Shaich expressed that “it’s absolutely clear there is a crying need for young people who have creativity, who have empathy, who have an understanding of others, who have resilience in the face of difficulty and the courage to do what is right.”
