William T. O'Hara
|n the summer of 1976, William T. O'Hara was enthusiastically welcomed as President of Bryant College. His open door policy and inclusiveness were welcomed by faculty and students.
William "Bill" O'Hara graduated from Trinity College and holds law degrees from Georgetown and New York University. Before coming to Bryant, O'Hara had been a practicing attorney, a public defender and counsel to a congressional committee.
As president, O'Hara formalized a committee whose sole interest was in long term planning and its members were made up of the college community -- faculty, students and staff.
In addition to defining Bryant's mission and starting long-range goals, this strategic committee suggested specific practical objectives, such as maintenance of an enrollment level of 2,600 to 2,700 full-time students.
Bryant's first development director was appointed during Dr. O'Hara's tenure. This resulted in successful fund raising efforts which enabled the expansion of campus facilities.
After his presidency William "Bill" O'Hara continued to be involved with the Bryant community as a faculty member and founder and director of Bryant's Family Enterprise Institute. O'Hara is the author of Centuries of Success : lessons from the world's most enduring family businesses and numerous other publications.
