We have some really, really smart graduates, but Patsy J (Pat) Aguanno is not only brilliant, but he’s an ambitious and extremely successful entrepreneur!
Patsy graduated from Villanova in 1956. He received a BS in Civil Engineering and became a Licensed Professional Engineer in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. He is married to Jacqueline and has three daughters: Sally, Lisa, and Amy, seven grand children, and three great grand children.
He started his career as a Structural Engineer in 1956 for Blaw Knox in Pittsburg, PA, but duty called during the Korean War and he served in the US Army - Huah! as a Topographic Surveyor with the Corps of Engineers. He resided for two years in San Francisco with his wife, and first daughter and his second daughter was born there. He then moved back to New York and began work for one year as a Materials Engineer and then found his professional niche.
For nine years he worked in the Precast Concrete business and became the plant engineer and discovered the sales world. That experience opened the door for him. He starting his own business, Fairway Testing in February 1969. Yes, that means he is celebrating his 50th year in business. He still works every day and serves as the company’s CEO. His website is www.fairwaytesting.com
When asking Pat to provide me with a some details on his life he told me about a few interesting notes relative to life at Villanova 1952 – 1956: In his Freshman Year, Villanova was a College of Engineering with classes Monday through Friday and Saturday mornings. Students attended Evening Chapel during the week! Sunday Mass was 8:20 AM. His residence was in a barracks – that was the last year for barracks. In his Sophomore year Villanova College became a University. He began during a true building transformation for VU.
Difficult as it is to believe now, as we watch the new facilities crawl towards completion, from 1954 until 1963, the University built or acquired 10 new buildings. These buildings were: Sullivan Hall in 1954, Dougherty Hall in 1955, Sheehan Hall in 1956, Garey Hall in 1957, the Commerce and Finance building, and acquisition of the new Alumni building in 1958, the Augustinian Guild acquisition in 1959, the Nursing Building's acquisition in 1960, the construction of new Mendel Hall in 1961 and the building of the new St. Mary's Hall in 1963. As they say -“We’ve Come A Long Way Baby!”
Pat’s Grandchildren & Villanova graduates.
Meet Amy’s daughter, Chloe, a Presidential Scholar, who graduated in 2016 with a BS in the Arts Honors Program/SBI Summa Cum Laude.
Meet Lisa’s son Patrick, a 2013 graduate who is a double V. Patrick graduated Magna Qum Laude in 2013 receiving a BS in Mechanical Engineering/ Metratronics and in 2016 he received his MS in Mechanical Engineering, He again graduated Magna Qum Laude and was the recipient of the Dean’s Award for “Outstanding Graduate Student in Mechanical Engineering”
We thank Pat not only for his decades of serving as a Judge for applications and generous donations, but also for encouraging his grandchildren to start supporting the BWSF Mission.