Joseph C. Stein III '86 on staying at HWS — and carrying it forward.
Board Chair Joseph C. Stein III '86 still remembers how quickly stability can vanish. As a football wide receiver, lacrosse player and Kappa Sigma brother, he was deeply engaged and thriving at HWS — until his father lost his job.
"I was a sophomore at the time, and was genuinely happy — living in a fraternity and experiencing real success both on and off the field," Stein says.
Suddenly the possibility of leaving HWS became real.
Help arrived unexpectedly when Stein received the William C. Stiles '43 Memorial Award and the Lewis H. Elliott Memorial Scholarship — support he describes plainly as pivotal.
That really saved us — it saved me as a continuing student at Hobart and helped my parents through a tough spot.Joseph C. Stein III '86
Without that support, and the sacrifice of his family who borrowed against home equity, Stein says he would have had to return home to Buffalo and commute to a local college — a shift that could have changed the course of his life.
And staying at Hobart did change Stein's life. While still a student, he was recruited into a bank training program after graduation. With a degree in political science, he went on to earn his MBA from the Simon School at the University of Rochester. Today, he's a Partner and Head of Financing Advisory at Solomon Partners and Chair of the HWS Board of Trustees. He also met his wife Nancy Ann Hedges Stein '86 at HWS; they have three adult daughters together and will celebrate 35 years of marriage in June.
Stein's brother, Eric J. Stein '89, who similarly attended Hobart where he excelled at lacrosse and football, had to "bump through" financially as the family navigated those difficult years. Yet Eric, too, made it through with the benefit of scholarships. Today, Eric is recently retired as Global Chairman of Investment Banking at J.P. Morgan Chase and a member of the HWS Board of Trustees.
The fruitful college experience both brothers enjoyed, Stein says, was a stark contrast to their older sister's experience.
"My sister was not as fortunate," Stein says. "(My brother and I) were recruited athletes." But due to financial constraints, Melissa Moore attended the University at Buffalo as a commuter student and worked as a waitress to fund her education. She watched her brothers' very different collegiate experiences unfold.
"She saw our education, our campus experience, and it was vastly different," he explains. "She saw the impact, the opportunities, the warmth, the life-long friendships. She saw the canvas. Melissa missed out on this special education we have at HWS — all because of circumstances."
But that absence fueled a drive to give her children the experience she missed.
"They worked as if those scholarships were going to be evaluated every week even though they were never in jeopardy," Stein says. "It gave them drive and confidence."
First of four · class of 2015
Connected through Preston Teague '02 to a Buffalo Bills internship
Nine years later, Ryan is the Manager of Football Administration and Operations for the Bills.
AI Engineering Leader & Product Manager, Collins Aerospace
Mentored by the late Trustee Michael Rawlins '80, P'16 — described by Stein as "one of the most loyal and passionate champions of HWS students."
Most recent graduate · class of 2022
As a student, Stein also experienced the confidence that can come when someone invests in your future. The generosity of the late William Elliott LL.D. '64, P'66 and Honorary Trustee Thomas B. Poole '61, P'91, L.H.D. '06, Stein says, are monumental examples.
Both men shaped Stein's HWS experience — and his lifelong relationship with the institution.
Created the Lewis H. Elliott Memorial Scholarship
Established in 1965 to honor his father, Lewis, who graduated in 1898. The scholarship has helped more than 100 students, like Stein, attend HWS — awarded to a student of significant scholastic standing and character. William served on the HWS Board of Trustees from 1965 until his death in 1989. His daughter Katherine D. Elliott '66, L.H.D. '08 followed in his footsteps with a career in finance and service to HWS, including as Board Vice Chair, creating scholarships and supporting capital projects including the Katherine D. Elliott Studio Arts Center.
Honorary Trustee · Quiet champion of student-athletes
"When I was playing lacrosse at Hobart, Tom was behind our team — and other teams — in a major way," Stein recalls. "We'd go on a road trip, have a great country club dinner and feel like we were stars. Tom was behind that. Or we were going on a spring trip to Florida and parents were asked to contribute what they could, but that was hard for my family. So Tom would scoop up the balance. I recall my coaches telling us that there was an alumnus who supported our team. And he still steps up more than 60 years after his graduation."
I remember thinking that I wanted to be just like Tom Poole — that it was so cool that this guy wanted to make our experience special.Joseph C. Stein III '86
"So, what I tell people is that although I may not have Tom Poole's capacity to be as generous, I can have Tom Poole's loyalty. I can be as loyal as he is in different, authentic ways that work for me. Tom and his family and the Elliotts changed my life."
In 2024, the Steins established an Annual Fund scholarship to provide support to academically qualified and financially deserving students. Knowing they are helping students is deeply gratifying.
Protecting a student's momentum, their sense of belonging and helping them reach their dreams is an obligation graduates have, he says, in whatever form they can manage "to carry it on."
It's about giving a damn. It's about honoring the faith someone put in you.Joseph C. Stein III '86
"Some people get intimidated — like, 'Wow, HWS got a $70 million gift from the Mellys, so what does my $1,000 do?' My wife, Nancy, and I support HWS as a team; we believe giving back matters. We believe participation matters. There are so many forms of engagement that help: volunteering with enrollment, helping with interviews, providing internships and first jobs, coming back to campus and engaging with students."
Scholarships don't just close a financial gap — they protect a student's momentum, their sense of belonging, and their ability to keep going. Every form of giving counts.
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