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EUGENE AND MARY FREY
Eugene Frey is a native of St. Paul and a lifelong Catholic, graduating from Cretin High School and earning a B.A. degree in Liberal Arts from the University of Minnesota. Mary Frey, also a lifelong Catholic, was born in Minnesota. She graduated from Derham Hall and earned her A.L.A. degree from the University of Minnesota as well.
Gene Frey’s own life experiences have played a major role in guiding his personal philanthropy. He worked in the paper-products industry for more than four decades, starting fresh out of college as a management trainee, and working his way up the ranks through sales to sales manager, vice president of sales, vice president and general manager. Through the management buyout of three recycled-paperboard mills and six folding-carton plants, he became a principal founder, president and CEO of Waldorf Corporation. He gained full ownership of the company in 1994 and at that time, Gene and Mary founded the Waldorf Foundation. Gene merged the company into a larger entity in 1997. That same year, he founded Wabash Management, Inc. to oversee the family’s and the Frey Foundation’s financial and investment activities.
Gene and Mary Frey have shared their good fortune generously with the University of St. Thomas and numerous other Catholic and educational institutions, including Cretin-Derham Hall. The Freys were the first official “founders” of the UST Minneapolis campus through their support of the first building on the site and their strong support of the School of Law. Students on the St. Paul campus have benefited through major gifts for the Frey Memorial Library and the Frey Science and Engineering Center. From 1996-2001, the Frey’s provided their leadership as chairs of the St. Thomas capital campaign, which had a goal of $120 million and raised an exceptionally successful total of $260 million.
In 1985, Gene and Mary established the Frey Foundation to focus on education, human service and disability issues, and civic organizations. “We focus on those things that are closest to us – the events in our lives,” says Mr. Frey. The Freys’ children and their spouses are deeply involved in the running of the family foundation. “While it’s difficult to make money, it can be equally difficult and time consuming to do a quality job giving it away,” Frey says. “But I believe you have an obligation to charity when you have the means.”
Both Gene and Mary have been named Outstanding Philanthropists by Catholic Charities and were named Outstanding Philanthropists by the Minnesota Chapter of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives in 1994. In 2006, Mary was selected as the inaugural recipient of the Catholic Community Foundation’s Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Legacy of Faith award. Thanks to her many years of service, leadership and generosity, the foundation is now the nation’s largest community foundation serving Catholic philanthropy.
The Freys celebrate three adult children, their three spouses and five grandchildren.
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