About the USC graduate who just named the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences 

When Peter McCausland first stepped onto the Horseshoe, he was a 16-year-old high school student whose parents wanted him to attend the University of South Carolina and go to medical school. 

Over the next several years, he enrolled at USC, joined the Sigma Nu fraternity, organized rock concerts, changed majors, graduated, met his wife and started law school. 

On April 23, 2025, the history graduate was back on the Horseshoe as the university celebrated a historic donation from the McCauslands by naming the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences. 

How did he go from a 16-year-old on a campus tour to becoming a lawyer, a well-known businessman, a gentleman farmer and the namesake of his alma mater’s largest college? A few short stories illustrate how Peter's life was shaped by his education and the relationships he built at USC.

Peter McCausland thrived after changing his major to history, setting the stage for later success.

Peter started college as a chemistry major, but he realized his interests were driving him elsewhere. 

“I gave new meaning to the term sophomore slump," he said in his speech at the college's naming announcement. "I changed majors, and I settled on history, which has been my passion from the time I first learned to read." 

Having a new major that sparked his passion made all the difference. The next semester, Peter scored a 4.0 GPA while taking eight classes. He also continued taking German courses. 

That pivot served Peter well as he pursued a career in law and business.  

“I think a liberal arts education gives you such a broad base in life,” he told news reporters in Columbia this April. “We get presented with lots of opportunities and challenges, and I think that a liberal arts education is the best way to take advantage of the opportunities and to meet the challenges.  

“I never had a business course in my life, but I was prepared to succeed in business because of my liberal arts education."

He almost joined a sailing crew, but meeting the love of his life changed his direction.

After one year at Temple University law school, Peter took a break to reconsider his options. He went to Nantucket, Massachusetts, where his lifelong interest in sailing led him to sign onto the crew of a yacht sailing to the Caribbean. Then he met Bonnie Fletcher, fell in love and changed course. 

He transferred to Boston University School of Law so he could be close to her while she attended Tufts University. 

Peter and Bonnie married in 1973. They have two children and seven grandchildren. While Peter pursued his career in law and business, Bonnie worked as an occupational therapist. She also ran a needlepoint store and an interior design business. 

She also has been his partner in philanthropy, including their support to USC. 

“Bonnie is very supportive of this gift,” Peter told the audience at the college's naming announcement. “Over the years, she has become very close to several of my college friends and their spouses, and she has a great feeling about this place. Like everyone here today, she feels the warmth, the grace, the strength and the passion of the University of South Carolina.”

His practice in corporate law led him to founding Airgas, a business that attracted international attention.

In 1981, Peter started his own law firm, McCausland, Keen & Buckman. He also raised venture capital to buy a company called Connecticut Oxygen. This led to the founding of Airgas, which became the world’s fifth-largest supplier of gases used for medical, research and industrial purposes. 

The company's success drew a lot of attention — enough that a group of investors tried to purchase Airgas in a hostile takeover attempt that went on for years. Peter kept his cool, though. Ultimately, he sold the company for twice the price originally offered in the hostile takeover bid, ensuring that most of the company’s 17,000 employees could keep their jobs in the transition. 

His approach to the challenge was linked to his academic background. 

“I’ve always tried to take the long view and to build things which are durable,” he said. “I'm convinced that this outlook came from my study of history.”

The McCauslands own and operate a historic farm in Pennsylvania.

While he was practicing law, running Airgas, sailing and raising his family, Peter had one dream that kept coming back: living on a farm. 

In 2009 his family made that dream a reality by purchasing the majority of Erdenheim Farm, a historic property in southeastern Pennsylvania. Their investment ensured that the farm would remain rooted in agriculture rather than be carved up for suburban development. The remainder of the farm was purchased by preservation groups, but the McCauslands operate the entire property. 

The farm uses sustainable practices to raise a variety of fruit and vegetable crops as well as livestock.

They are longtime supporters of the University of South Carolina and other causes.

The McCauslands share a deep commitment to philanthropy. In 1994, they started the McCausland Foundation, which supports programs providing education especially for vulnerable youth, medical research and conservation. Both Bonnie and Peter have served on various nonprofit boards. 

John Palms, who served as USC president in the 1990s and early 2000s, invited Peter to join his advisory council, which helped him reconnect with his alma mater. 

Over the past 20 years, the McCausland Foundation has established the McCausland Center for Brain Imaging, which helped launch the university’s growing focus on neuroscience, and the McCausland Faculty Fellowship, the college’s most coveted fellowship for early- and mid-career faculty. 

After committing to name the college, the McCauslands pledged additional giving to the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences that will support student internships, neuroscience research, and faculty recruitment and retention. 

“Our success will be measured by the minds we inspire and the lives we touch,” Peter said. “May we continue to nurture the dreamers, thinkers and innovators who will shape the future of our world for the better.” 

Peter said he hopes his giving will inspire others to support students and faculty. “It's amazing how this university has progressed over the last 20 to 30 years," he told reporters. “I hope my legacy is that I set an example for others to support it.”