# University of St. Thomas

University of St. Thomas is an Endowment / Foundation based in Saint Paul, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Saint Paul, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Saint Paul, MN, United States
- **Founded:** 1885
- **Assets under management:** $100M - $500M (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** www.stthomas.edu
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/universityofstthomas

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The University of St. Thomas was founded in 1885 in St. Paul, Minnesota, as a Roman Catholic liberal arts institution. The endowment manages capital generated from tuition, philanthropic gifts, and investment returns to support university operations, scholarships, and faculty positions. Investment oversight involves board trustees with significant external finance experience, including Rory O'Neill of Castlelake and Debbra Schoneman of Piper Sandler. The endowment deploys capital across a broad strategy set including buyout, venture capital, distressed debt, mezzanine, natural resources, and special situations. The fund of funds approach is complemented by direct co-investments and seed-stage vehicles run through the Opus College of Business and Schulze School of Entrepreneurship. Named on-campus vehicles include the Aristotle Fund, the Norris Institute Seed Fund, and the Schulze Innovation Fund, which provide students with practical investment experience. The university also holds direct real estate assets, including the St. Paul campus, a Minneapolis commercial property at 1000 LaSalle Avenue, and the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena. The board of trustees includes Richard Schulze, founder of Best Buy — one of Minnesota's most significant entrepreneurial fortunes — whose philanthropy named the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship. The endowment maintains a campus real estate portfolio and operates a collection of art assets, including the American Museum of Asmat Art and the Voorsanger Architects Archive. The university participates in NACUBO and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. The endowment's most unusual structural feature is the integration of student-managed investment funds into its broader allocation. The Aristotle Fund and Schulze Innovation Fund function as live portfolios where students source, diligence, and recommend investments under faculty supervision — a model that blurs the line between educational program and actual capital deployment.

## Sectors

- Education
- Real Estate
- Venture (General)

## Offices

- Minneapolis, MN, United States

## People

- Rory O'Neill — Managing Partner and Executive Chair of Castlelake; Member of the Board of Trustees
- Debbra Schoneman — President of Piper Sandler; Member of the Board of Trustees
- David Juran — CEO of Colliers Mortgage; Member of the Board of Trustees
- Richard Schulze — Founder of Best Buy; Major donor and namesake of the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship
- Lee and Penny Anderson — Major donors and namesakes of the Anderson Student Center and Anderson Arena

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at University of St. Thomas?

Investment oversight is handled by the university's board of trustees and its investment committee. Named trustees with significant asset management experience include Rory O'Neill, Managing Partner and Executive Chair of Castlelake, and Debbra Schoneman, President of Piper Sandler. The university does not publicly disclose the internal investment office leadership structure.

### How is the University of St. Thomas endowment structured?

The endowment operates as a traditional university portfolio with a diversified strategy set including buyout, venture capital, distressed debt, mezzanine, natural resources, and special situations. It combines fund-of-funds commitments with direct co-investments and uniquely maintains student-managed investment vehicles — the Aristotle Fund, Norris Institute Seed Fund, and Schulze Innovation Fund — that deploy actual capital as part of the university's educational mission.

### Does the endowment participate in direct deals or only fund commitments?

The endowment uses a hybrid approach: it makes fund commitments across venture capital, buyout, and distressed strategies while also engaging in direct co-investments. The student-managed funds at the Opus College of Business and Schulze School of Entrepreneurship add a distinctive direct-investing layer, including seed-stage and early-stage venture exposure.

### What is the relationship between Richard Schulze and the endowment?

Richard Schulze, founder of Best Buy, is a major donor to the university and serves on its board of trustees. His philanthropy established the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship, which houses two of the university's investment vehicles: the Norris Institute Seed Fund and the Schulze Innovation Fund. Schulze is not reported to manage endowment assets directly but influences the institution's entrepreneurial and investment culture.

### What real estate assets does the University of St. Thomas hold?

The university holds a significant Twin Cities real estate portfolio including its main St. Paul campus on Summit Avenue, commercial property at 1000 LaSalle Avenue in Minneapolis, the Schoenecker Center, the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena, and additional leased property in Minneapolis. These assets serve both operational and investment purposes.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/university-of-st-thomas

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology