Airgas founder and his wife donate $75 million to his alma mater, the University of South Carolina

Businessman donates $75M to USC for arts and sciences internships, brain research

Businessman and University of South Carolina alumnus Peter McCausland, along with his wife Bonnie, donated $75 million to his alma mater Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (Photo by Jessica Holdman/SC Daily Gazette)COLUMBIA — The founder of the world’s fifth largest supplier of specialty gas is donating $75 million to the University of South Carolina. The gift from Peter McCausland and his wife Bonnie, of Palm Beach, Florida, marks the largest single do…

Airgas founder and his wife donate $75 million to his alma mater, the University of South Carolina

Peter McCausland is well known locally for founding and running for more than 30 years Airgas Inc., which he successfully defended against a hostile takeover, now the stuff of textbooks.