Leo W. Pierce, Sr. '39C, '99HON was awarded the President’s
Medal of St. John’s University at the 28th Annual Alumni
Convocation on Friday, May 29, 2009.
The life of Leo W. Pierce, Sr. tells a true American success
story. Leo earned his Bachelors Degree from St. John’s
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1939 and then, like many of
the other young people of his generation, served in the military
during World War II.
After the war, he founded L.W. Pierce Company to supply filing
systems and related equipment to businesses in and around
Philadelphia. Later, he established Pierce Business Archives,
which stored the reams of vital records being generated by
America’s corporations. The company began as a $9,000 operation in,
appropriately enough, the basement of Pierce's home. From those
humble beginnings emerged the Pierce Leahy Corporation, the largest
business records storage and management business in North
America. The company merged with Iron Mountain, a global
giant in the industry, in 2000.
Despite extraordinary success, he has remained close to his
roots and alma mater. He is a member of The Founders
Society, an organization of the University’s most generous
benefactors, and established the Leo W. and Marjorie L. Pierce
Scholarship Endowment Fund. To commemorate his most
recent gift, prior to the Convocation St. John’s dedicated the
first of its townhouses on the Queens campus as the Leo W. Pierce
House.
A grateful University presented him with the Pietas Medal in
1995, conferred upon him a Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris
Causa, in 1999 and presented him with the Medal of Honor in
2004.
“I’m very happy, proud and humbled to receive this award,” he
said. “St. John’s has always meant so much to me and I am
happy to be able to support this great University and its students
as much as possible.”
The President’s Medal is among the most prestigious awards at
St. John’s University. It is presented to an individual who
has achieved exceptional personal and professional success and/or
rendered outstanding service to the University or society.