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Caitlin, Sean, Rick, and Patti Cavanaugh
While still in high school, Eric "Rick" Cavanaugh '76 and his parents were
assured by Bob Mitchum H '59 that Wabash College was a good investment.
Rick proved them right. "I wanted to be a lawyer," he says, "and Mitch
convinced me that I could get into law school and be successful." A
litigation attorney at Duke Energy Corporation now for 25 years, he has
clearly fulfilled his goals.
Rick credits his professional accomplishments to the knowledge he gained at
Wabash. He explains, "My professors like Bill Placher '70, Peter Frederick
H '92, David Hadley, and J.J. Barnes, demonstrated great intellect and
served as a tremendous resource for learning to think through major life
decisions. Wabash encourages students to be intellectually curious, which
is at the heart of a litigation practice. In litigation, you are at the
front edge of industry trends and are constantly learning new things." He
appreciates the variety in his legal work, adding, "No two days are alike."
Rick also praises Wabash for providing him with numerous leadership
opportunities as an undergraduate. As he acknowledges, "Those opportunities
provided a life skill that is valuable in my career and in my personal
life." Putting this skill to use, he has held leadership positions as
President of the Indianapolis Bar Foundation for two terms, President of
the Indianapolis Association of Wabash Men, board member of the National
Association of Wabash Men, President of Phi Gamma Delta Alumni Fraternity,
and many other leadership roles within Wabash College and elsewhere.
In order to support Wabash, Rick has made both annual contributions and
gifts of life insurance policies. More recently, he and his wife Patti
Paquin set up an endowed scholarship. He says, "I see young men of great
potential who struggle financially; those men can make an impact on Wabash
and become future leaders in the community."
While attending Wabash, both Rick and his younger brother Gary '79 received
financial assistance. As first-generation college students, he says, "Our
skills as good leaders are a direct result of our experience at Wabash."
He adds, "The alumni before us were generous in their support of
scholarship efforts and enabled many of us to get assistance. My wife and I
feel strongly that other students should have that same opportunity. An
endowed scholarship can help students sooner and pay it forward."
He encourages others to "pay it forward" to ensure the success of future
generations of Wabash men.
