08/09/2026
We were all greatly saddened to learn of the death of Professor Emeritus of Economics Patrick A. McGuire of Hobart and William Smith Colleges last week.
Professor McGuire was a valued friend and colleague to all at the Centre for Irish Studies at the University of Galway, with generations of students benefitting so much from the academic programmes he developed in the US and cultivated in Galway over the decades. In particular, his work with Professor Louis de Paor and all at the Centre for Irish Studies, in association with Maeve Cuffe and the late Séamus O’Grady, provided an extraordinarily rich and formative study abroad experience for Hobart and William Smith students in Ireland. The programme has blossomed into one of our flagship international programmes on offer at the University of Galway. All of that was due to the care and expertise that was brought to bear when crafting such programmes from the beginning, and Pat was so instrumental to that vision.
Below, we acknowledge the message offered from President Mark D. Gearan, President of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, to the HWS academic community in remembrance of Professor Pat McGuire. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
Dear Members of the HWS Community,
It is with a heavy heart that I write to share the news that Professor Emeritus of Economics Patrick A. McGuire L.H.D. ’12, who served Hobart and William Smith for more than five decades including as interim president and interim provost, has died. Our thoughts and deepest care are with Sandy and their family.
For generations of students, faculty, staff, alumni and parents, Pat was an extraordinary and defining part of the life of Hobart and William Smith. He delighted in his students and colleagues, he loved Geneva and exploring the globe, and he treasured Hobart and William Smith. He spent his life making our world a better, more just, more empathetic and more thoughtful place. And no one could ever mistake that laugh – a wallop of humor and energy that punctuated his joy in a conversation, a turn of phrase, an event or an idea.
Pat joined the faculty in 1968 as a scholar and teacher of economics and public policy and went on to mentor scores of students, guiding dozens of Honors projects and independent studies. He chaired the Economics Department and served on numerous faculty committees. I asked him to co-chair HWS’ Culture of Respect initiative and to serve as interim provost and dean of faculty, where he oversaw academic programming, faculty hiring and evaluation, the Registrar’s Office, library staff and other academic services. As interim president, he led Hobart and William Smith with indefatigable energy and optimism.
Pat’s impact on HWS reached far beyond any leadership titles might indicate. He co-founded HWS’ public policy program in Washington, D.C., serving as faculty director on 10 occasions, and was instrumental in expanding off-campus and global study opportunities. For more than two decades, he co-taught the Two Cities bi-disciplinary course with Professor Emeritus of Sociology Jim Spates and led HWS programs in Ireland, England and Central Europe, as well as a Semester at Sea. Together, Pat and Sandy directed five HWS alumni and parent excursions to Ireland. He was also a longtime participant in the Wall Street Experience Program, connecting students with HWS alumni and employers in Manhattan’s financial sector. With students, he completed an economic impact study documenting the contributions of HWS to the Geneva community.
Pat’s commitment to access and opportunity was equally evident in his work with students and the wider community. Alongside faculty and students, he helped launch the HWS Second Chances Program, providing college-level courses to incarcerated students at Five Points Correctional Facility. In Geneva, he served on the boards of the Geneva Boys & Girls Club, Finger Lakes Credit Union and Success for Geneva’s Children, and served on a committee supporting the development of a comprehensive master plan for the City of Geneva.
In recognition of his contributions, the Hobart Class of 2010 named him an honorary member, and in 2018 he received HWS’ Distinguished Faculty Award, the highest award a faculty member can receive from their former students. In 2019, Pat and Sandy were jointly presented with the Charles H. Salisbury Award in recognition of their decades of service, generosity of spirit and profound investment in HWS and Geneva. At that time, HWS also established the Patrick and Sandra McGuire Study Abroad Fund to make transformative study abroad experiences possible for students who otherwise might not have the means to participate.
Pat’s legacy is measured in the students whose lives he touched, the colleagues and friends he supported, and the enduring connections he and Sandy built.
We will reach out with details about services as soon as they are available.
With care,
President Mark D. Gearan
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY, USA.
