The Game of Golf Makes Impact on Todd Richter’s Life

Colleges across the nation beckon prospective athletes to attend their schools, and often, it’s the college who gains a lot through its sports programs. But student-athletes can also gain just as much if not more. Todd Richter is proof of that. As a student at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, his presence on the golf team went way beyond long drives and excellent putts. It taught him lessons on the golf course that he’d apply to his life and his 40-year career in finance.

Richter is a 1979 graduate of William & Mary. During his years at the school, he was part of the golf team under the tutelage of legendary coach Joe Agee, an emeritus professor of kinesiology as well as a former Marine colonel. And while Agee taught Richter the necessities for a good golf game, he also imparted much more. Said Richter recently, “I attribute a lot of my business career success to the discipline I developed as a student and as a golfer at William & Mary. Joe had -- and still has -- an enormous influence on my life, as does golf in general.”

Richter said that he learned discipline from Agee, which is necessary in any successful career. He also realized the importance of a competitive edge -- a tool that is essential in business. Added Richter, who recently provided a $5 million estate commitment to the school’s golf program for men and women, “All students go to the College to get a world-class education; we’re all there because it’s a world-class academic institution. Those who are fortunate enough to participate in an athletic program learn very quickly that it is a very special place to be a student-athlete.”