Mike Manning '69

Mike Manning '69, who is proudly celebrating his 50th reunion this year, has always felt a close tie to Villanova—a school that “chose him,” he says.

Growing up in “a broken home with very limited means,” it was his mother’s belief in the value of education that changed the trajectory of his life. During Mike’s sophomore year of high school, his mother found an Augustinian high school that had opened in St. Louis, Missouri, and—because she knew she couldn’t pay the full tuition—went to the principal to plead her case with him.

“‘You pay what you can, and I’ll take care of the rest,’” Mike remembers him telling her. The principal’s generosity didn’t end there, however; during Mike’s senior year, the principal was authorized to give one scholarship to Villanova—and he chose Mike as the recipient. “If the Augustinians hadn’t come to my rescue…it would have made my life so different. Once I got that exposure to Villanova and the East Coast, I never looked back,” he says.

While on campus, Mike worked hard to maintain his grade point average and enjoyed studying philosophy, a major that he chose because it “embraces history, psychology, sociology and literature.” He also became active in the NROTC and ultimately joined the Navy as a pilot.

Now a retired Navy captain of 30 years (nine years active duty, 21 years reserves), Mike says that even though he was traveling around the world with the Navy, he always felt like there was a magnet drawing him back to Villanova. “I was on the USS John F. Kennedy and it was Homecoming Weekend, and I sat up in my bed and I said, ‘I’m missing homecoming. I will never miss a homecoming in my life unless I choose not to go.’ After that night, I resigned from active duty,” he says.

Following his active duty time with the Navy—during which he earned his master’s degree—Mike pursued a career in marketing and sales at IBM in Philadelphia so that he could come back to the Villanova area. When IBM wanted to move him to another location across the country five years later, Mike says, “Villanova came through for me again” to allow him to stay. Through another Villanovan, Mike went to work for Joseph Mooney ’56 and his company, Monsey Products, a manufacturer of protective coatings, for the next 20 years. Today, Mike remains in the greater Philadelphia region and does consulting work.

Since returning to Philadelphia following his Navy days, Mike, who is also a proud NROTC alumnus, has remained very active with the Villanova community in many areas—the 1842 Heritage Society, the 2014 and 2019 Reunion Committees, a Villanova basketball season ticket holder and avid large-scale tailgater of Villanova football games and a Villanova Theatre attendee. To honor his dedication to Villanova, Mike was even presented with the Loyalty Award in 2000. Other than an honorary degree, the Loyalty Award is the oldest award given at Villanova University and is presented each year to an alumnus who has rendered distinguished service to the University, with the honoree being selected by the living prior recipients.

Above all, however, Mike is proudest that he is the benefactor of the Michael P. and Elizabeth R. Manning Scholarship.

“It was the Augustinian wind in my sails that kept pushing me along, steering me—and all I had to do was fine-tune the path,” he says. “With that as a background, I wanted to come back and be near my benefactor and pay it forward. Somebody helped me and it’s my moral duty to help someone else.” After realizing that he could define how his money was spent, he knew exactly what he wanted to fund.

“My wife, Liz, and I decided to start a scholarship that would give partial relief to a student with financial need who comes from an Augustinian high school from the Midwest; it’s a specific request but Villanova follows our wishes to a T,” Mike says. “So far, we have helped a wonderful nursing student for her junior and senior year, [as well as] a great NROTC student who has ambitions to become a nuclear-qualified officer and has become like a son to us.”

While the contributions Mike and his wife are making will positively impact Villanovans now—and for generations to come—he remains humble about his decision and is just proud to be able to help a student in the same way he was helped many years ago.

“My wife and I couldn’t be happier [with our decision],” he says. “As long as we are still breathing, we intend to keep funding this, and when it’s our time to pass, our estate will kick in and keep it going. I can’t think of a better way to spend your money.”

A gift in your estate plan can be the perfect way to give back to Villanova University. Contact Tim McKinley at timothy.mckinley@villanova.edu or 215-240-0812 to find the right gift option for you.