O’Neill was known for his dedication to public and community service and his strong sense of integrity—occasionally in the face of powerful opposition.

He started his public service career as a computer systems analyst with the U.S. Veterans Administration in the early 1960s. After obtaining his MPA from Indiana University through the federal government’s Education for Public Management program, he returned to Washington and worked with the U.S. Office of Management and Budget for 10 years, ultimately serving as deputy director.

In 2001, O’Neill became the 72nd secretary of the treasury. Shortly after 9/11, O’Neill presided over a sudden downturn in U.S. economic growth but restored confidence by vowing to eliminate the funding source of terrorist attacks. He was instrumental in setting up a special task force to combat terrorist financing. O’Neill was an outspoken critic of the complexity of the U.S. tax code and an advocate for policy action on climate change. He resigned in 2002 over major policy differences with the administration.

In the private sector, O’Neill was the former CEO of Alcoa, one of the world’s largest aluminum producers, where he retired as chairman at the end of 2000. There, he developed a reputation as an independent-minded business leader who put an emphasis on worker safety and employee health plans. Under O’Neill’s leadership, Alcoa not only increased its revenue from $1.5 billion to $23 billion in 13 years, but also became the safest workplace in the world.

Prior to joining Alcoa, O’Neill was president of International Paper Company. He improved the company’s financial reporting by initiating audits of financial reports before they were required.

O’Neill’s commitment to excellence and to evidence-based decision-making is a legacy graduates of the O’Neill School can be proud to carry forward.

O’Neill served on many boards and was actively involved in influencing public policy, especially as it related to comprehensive healthcare reform and improving healthcare quality.

In 1997, O’Neill cofounded the Pittsburgh Regional Healthcare Initiative to address the problems of regional healthcare. In 2005, he founded Value Capture, LLC, where he championed the idea that healthcare can be improved through the pursuit of perfect safety and clinical outcomes. In 2016, he was appointed to the board of the nation’s premier research hospital, the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center Research Hospital.