Carol Schmidthorst, wife of Allen Schmidthorst passed away on May 11, 2026. The Schmidthorst legacy lives on at Bowling Green through a $15 million donation, the largest academic gift in school history and establishing the Schmidthorst College of Business.
Schmidthorst was 86 when she passed and is survived by husband Allen and daughters Lycea and Patricia. The Schmidthorst family remained long time supporters of Bowling Green, with the pavilion at the Stroh Center also bearing the name. The couple were major supporters of men’s basketball.
Carol Schmidthorst was from Columbus Grove, Ohio before moving to and residing in Lima, Ohio. She is remembered for many philanthropic efforts throughout the state including Lima, Cincinnati and Bowling Green.
The Schmidthorsts own AWS properties as well as holdings in hotels, restaurants and real estate management. Husband Allen attended BGSU in 1957 and left to pursue a career in hotel management. Although he did not leave with a degree, in 2017 Allen was awarded an honorary doctorate from the university.
The Schmidthorst family enjoyed traveling the country, attending BGSU events, art exhibits and concerts. Carol had a passion for artistic endeavors. She enjoyed painting classes, inspired by Claude Minot.
BGSU President Rodney Rogers took to LinkedIn to share a heartfelt message in honor of the Schmidthorst family:
“Tonight, we dim the lights of the Robert W. and Patricia A. Maurer Center, home to the Allen W. (Hon. ’17) and Carol M. Schmidthorst College of Business in honor of Carol M. Schmidthorst, who passed away today, May 11.
It is with profound sadness that we share the loss of one of Bowling Green State University’s most generous and transformational supporters. Carol, alongside her husband Allen, forever changed the course of this University.
In 2020, Al and Carol together made the single largest academic gift in Bowling Green’s history, establishing our first named college: the Allen W. and Carol M. Schmidthorst College of Business. Their belief in the power of a Bowling Green education has directly empowered countless students to become the next generation of business leaders.”
