• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Main Navigation
  • Skip to Search

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington IU Bloomington

Open Search
  • Undergraduate
    • Why O’Neill?
    • Degrees & Majors
      • Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs (BSPA)
      • Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science (BSES)
      • Bachelor of Arts in Environmental and Sustainability Studies (BAESS)
      • Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management and Policy (BSHMP)
      • Bachelor of Science in Arts Management (BSAM)
    • Minors & Certificates
    • Courses & Advising
      • Advising
        • Resources
        • Advising Staff
      • Courses
        • General Ed and Intro
        • Topics V450
        • Topics V456
    • Academic & Enrichment Programs
      • O’Neill Launch
      • Honors Program
        • Honors Research Symposium
        • Student Spotlights
      • Accelerated Master's Program
      • Certificate in Applied Research & Inquiry
      • Required Internship
    • How to Apply
      • Current IU Bloomington Students
      • High School Students
      • Transfer Students
    • Cost & Financial Aid
      • O’Neill Scholarships
        • For Current Students
        • For Incoming Students
      • Non-O’Neill Funding Opportunities
    • Contact & Visit
      • Preview Day
  • Masters
    • Why O’Neill?
      • Leadership Seminar Series
      • Capstone
      • Mission and Goals
    • Degrees & Certificates
      • Master of Public Affairs (MPA)
        • Concentrations
        • Capstone
        • Core Curriculum
        • Experiential Requirements
      • Master of Science in Environmental Science (MSES)
        • Experiential Requirement
        • Core Curriculum
        • Capstone
        • Concentrations
      • MPA-MSES Dual Degree
        • Components & Concentrations
      • Master of Environmental Sustainability (MES)
      • Master of Science in Healthcare Management (MSHM)
        • Curriculum
        • Executive Education
        • Careers
      • Master of International Affairs (MIA)
      • Master of Arts in Arts Administration (MAAA)
        • Curriculum
        • Opportunities for Non-majors
        • Experiential Requirements
        • Faculty Profiles & Publications
        • Other Required Credits
        • Doctoral Minor
      • MAAA-MPA Dual Degree
      • Additional Dual Degrees
        • MAAA Dual Degrees
        • MPA Dual Degrees
        • MSES Dual Degrees
      • Certificates
    • How to Apply
    • Cost & Financial Aid
      • Fellowships & Financial Resources
      • Volunteer Benefits & Programs
        • AmeriCorps
        • Peace Corps
        • Teach for America
      • Military and Veteran Benefits
      • Funding for Current Students
      • Need-based Aid
    • Contact & Visit
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Virtual Information Sessions
      • Experience Days
      • Schedule a Virtual Visit
      • Connect with a Student
      • O'Neill Visits You
  • Doctoral
    • Degrees
      • Ph.D. in Public Affairs
        • Environmental Policy
        • Public Finance
        • Public Management
        • Public Policy Analysis
      • Ph.D. in Environmental Science
      • Ph.D. in Public Policy
    • Why O'Neill?
    • How to Apply
    • Cost & Financial Aid
      • Public Policy Fellowship
      • Environmental Science Fellowships
    • On the Job Market
    • Recent Placements
    • Current Students
    • Dissertations
    • Contact
  • Online
    • About
      • Why O’Neill ?
      • Our Mission and Goals
    • Online Programs
      • Online MPA
        • Degree Requirements
        • Curriculum
        • O’Neill Online Week
      • Online Graduate Certificates
        • Nonprofit Management
        • Public Budgeting & Financial Management
        • Public Management
        • Public and Nonprofit Evaluation
    • How to Apply
      • Tuition & Fees
      • Financial Aid
    • Faculty
    • Student Life
      • Meet Current Students
      • Meet Our Alumni
      • For Professionals
      • For Military Students
      • Helping You Succeed
    • Contact Us
      • Information Sessions
  • Faculty & Research
    • Faculty Directory
    • Research
      • Covid-19
      • Racial Justice
      • Research Areas
      • 2021 Public Finance Consortium
      • Faculty Research Publications
      • Laboratories
      • Centers & Initiatives
      • Working Research Groups
        • Chemicals Policy
        • Clean Vehicles
        • Regulatory Reform
        • Shale Gas
    • Journals & Books
  • Career Services
    • Explore Careers & Outcomes
    • For Students
      • Register Your Internships
      • Greater Good Internship Fund
    • For Alumni
    • For Employers
    • Careers Login
    • Contact Us
  • Student Experience
    • Life at O’Neill
    • Life in Bloomington
    • For International Students
    • Mentor Collective
    • O’Neill International
    • Enrichment Opportunities
      • O’Neill Expo
      • Indiana Leadership Program
      • Civic Leaders Center
      • Washington Leadership Program
        • Courses & Faculty
        • Estimated Costs
    • Student Organizations
    • Virtual Tour
  • About Us
    • Dean’s Welcome
    • About Paul H. O'Neill
    • Our Mission and Guiding Values
    • Rankings
    • School Profile
    • Global and International Partnerships
      • China Society
      • Vietnam Young Leaders Award
    • Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
      • Diversity Seminar Series
      • Resources
      • Get Involved
      • Who We Are
    • Bloomington & Indianapolis
    • Careers at O'Neill
    • Administration & Staff Directory
    • Dean’s Council
    • Publications
  • Alumni & Giving
    • Alumni
      • Get Involved
        • Alumni Events
      • Alumni Map
      • Alumni Stories
      • Alumni Recognition
      • Advisory Groups
        • Distinguished Alumni Council
        • Alumni Board of Directors
    • Giving
      • Areas to Support
      • Ways to Give
      • Support Students in Need
      • Our Supporters
    • The Future Fund
    • Contact Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • News & Blog
    • Media Resources
    • Media Report Archive
    • News Archive
  • O’NEILL IUPUI
  • CURRENT STUDENTS

Paul H. O’Neill
School of Public and Environmental Affairs

  • Home
  • Undergraduate
    • Why O’Neill?
    • Degrees & Majors
    • Minors & Certificates
    • Courses & Advising
    • Academic & Enrichment Programs
    • How to Apply
    • Cost & Financial Aid
    • Contact & Visit
  • Masters
    • Why O’Neill?
    • Degrees & Certificates
    • How to Apply
    • Cost & Financial Aid
    • Contact & Visit
  • Doctoral
    • Degrees
    • Why O'Neill?
    • How to Apply
    • Cost & Financial Aid
    • On the Job Market
    • Recent Placements
    • Current Students
    • Dissertations
    • Contact
  • Online
    • About
    • Online Programs
    • How to Apply
    • Faculty
    • Student Life
    • Contact Us
  • Faculty & Research
    • Faculty Directory
    • Research
    • Journals & Books
  • Career Services
    • Explore Careers & Outcomes
    • For Students
    • For Alumni
    • For Employers
    • Careers Login
    • Contact Us
  • Student Experience
    • Life at O’Neill
    • Life in Bloomington
    • For International Students
    • Mentor Collective
    • O’Neill International
    • Enrichment Opportunities
    • Student Organizations
    • Virtual Tour
  • About Us
    • Dean’s Welcome
    • About Paul H. O'Neill
    • Our Mission and Guiding Values
    • Rankings
    • School Profile
    • Global and International Partnerships
    • Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    • Bloomington & Indianapolis
    • Careers at O'Neill
    • Administration & Staff Directory
    • Dean’s Council
    • Publications
  • Search
  • Alumni & Giving
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • News & Blog
  • O’NEILL IUPUI
  • CURRENT STUDENTS
  • Home
  • News & Blog
  • Indiana University mourns passing of Paul O’Neill, former Secretary of the U.S. Treasury

Indiana University mourns passing of Paul O’Neill, former Secretary of the U.S. Treasury

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Paul H. O'Neill
Paul H. O’Neill

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—Former Secretary of the U.S. Treasury and IU alumnus, Paul H. O’Neill, who demonstrated extraordinary leadership across the public, private and non-profit sectors, died today (April 18) in Pittsburgh at the age of 84.

Mr. O’Neill was known for his unflinching integrity, his data-driven approach to decision making, and his strong commitment to public service. His distinguished career in government and industry represented a remarkable combination of business acumen and devotion to the greater good.

Mr. O’Neill came to Indiana University as part of the federal government program that sent promising mid-career federal employees to universities for advanced studies. He recently wrote: “In 1965, the government sent me to IU for a year-long master’s program in public policy. To have this time for study and thinking was the opportunity of a lifetime for me, although it was a challenging time for my wife Nancy who was in a small apartment with our four kids ages nine, seven, two, and six months old ... During my year at IU, I learned how to structure my thinking and how to develop systems of data gathering and analysis that have been invaluable throughout my life.”

He started his career in government service under President John F. Kennedy and continued working under Presidents Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Ford. Under these administrations, he acted as a computer systems analyst from 1961-1967 for the U.S. Veterans Administration and as a staff member and deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget from 1967-1977. Mr. O’Neill left government to work in the private sector for several years before returning to public service in 2001 as 72nd Secretary of the U.S. Treasury.

Erudite and always well prepared, Mr. O’Neill succeeded in the private sector as president of the International Paper Company, and later at Pittsburgh-based Alcoa, a company of over 140,000 employees worldwide. At Alcoa he developed a reputation as an independent-minded business leader who put a special emphasis on worker safety, which eventually gained workers’ loyalty and increased productivity. Under his leadership, the company’s revenues increased from $1.5 billion to $23 billion over 13 years. The Harvard Business School chronicled his transformation of Alcoa, an “old economy” firm, into a new economy success, as a case study that business schools across the nation continue to use today.

“Paul O’Neill was an extraordinary leader who embodied the very ideals we strive to impart in our students,” said Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie. “He insisted on a level of excellence that inspired and sharpened not only himself, but those around him. Whether as a CEO or one of our government’s highest servants, Paul O’Neill set a standard of leadership that will serve as an example for generations to come.”

Mr. O’Neill remained a dedicated alumnus, returning frequently to meet with students and faculty, providing candid, yet inspiring insight into the roles of the corporate leader or public administrator. In 2019, O’Neill and wife Nancy announced a transformative, $30 million gift to the school that will provide student scholarships, faculty fellowships, and a new center on leadership in public service. In recognition of his gift and his lifetime of service, the school was renamed the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in 2019.

“We are greatly saddened to learn of the passing of Paul O’Neill today,” said Siân Mooney, dean of the O’Neill School. “Paul lived a life that was genuine and inspiring. He knew what all great leaders know, and that was to lead by example. Whether it was eschewing a corner office for a cubicle or giving his home phone number to those in charge of workplace safety, Paul knew that his most valuable assets were the people who worked for him, and he worked tirelessly to ensure they had the safest work environment possible. Paul was a visionary who led with conviction, and we couldn’t be more proud to carry on his legacy of selflessness and the pursuit of excellence.”

After leaving government service in 2002, Mr. O’Neill remained active in the world of think tanks and public policy discussion. In the years before passage of the national health care reform bill in 2010, he offered several proposals for covering the low-income uninsured, and called for the government to set national performance goals for health care institutions. He co-founded the nonprofit Pittsburgh Regional Healthcare Initiative to address the clinical and economic problems of the region’s health care system drawing on the data-driven approach to process improvement used by Japanese automakers. He later founded Value Capture, LLC, which provides counsel and support to healthcare executives and policymakers who share his conviction that the value of healthcare operations can increase substantially through the pursuit of perfect safety and clinical outcomes.

O’Neill was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from California State University, Fresno. He studied economics at Claremont Graduate University, and earned a Master of Public Administration from Indiana University. Mr. O’Neill is survived by his wife, Nancy, and four children, 12 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.

  • Media Resources
  • Media Report Archive
  • News Archive

Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs resources and social media channels

  • Give to the O’Neill School
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Additional links and resources

  • Grievance Form
  • Policies
  •   Intranet 

Indiana University

Accessibility | Privacy Notice | Copyright © 2021 The Trustees of Indiana University