Tom Golisano and RIT

As the entrepreneur behind the Rochester-based Paychex, Inc. company, Tom Golisano also took an active interest in the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). In exploring the contents of the B. Thomas Golisano Collection in the RIT Archives, one will discover many letters between President Albert J. Simone and Tom Golisano throughout the President's time on campus (1992-2007). In these letters, the respect and gratitude each man held for the other is evident, and it is no wonder that such a wonderful bond led to several exciting on-campus innovations with tremendous impacts.

In his first contribution to RIT, Golisano gifted the school $14 million, allowing the university to expand academic computing and internet offerings. As a result of this capital investment, the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences was created and constructed. Beginning in May of 2003, RIT bolstered its reputation as an innovator of technological advancement.

Following this initial gift to the university, Tom Golisano, in 2007, donated $10 million for yet another transformative purpose. With this gift, RIT went on to create the Golisano Institute for Sustainability. The main focus of the research and academic work done in this building includes resource recovery, sustainable manufacturing, and energy systems. As a global leader in sustainablity, this building on the RIT campus not only aids students in their academic pursuits, but also advances knowledge of a sustainable future for all. 

In 2011, Tom contributed $2 million in partnership with the Polisseni Foundation to build the Eugene Polisseni Hockey Center at RIT, named for Tom Golisano's childhood friend and Paychex business partner.