Oberlin College Athletics

Chris McGhee is an investment banker who started his own firm in 2008.  The focus of that business is raising capital for and from the insurance industry.  He loves what he does and sees it as an opportunity to always learn something new.

He is dedicated to Oberlin and Oberlin athletics in particular.  His believes that sports programs in small colleges benefit both the individual participant AND the institution itself.  However, it is important to keep an eye on the balance between academics and athletics…this balance being so often lost in Division 1 athletics programs.  His daughters were both D3 athletes.  When he reflects on their experience, he feels that these experiences prepared all of them well for life.  Chris feels that discipline, planning, a strong work ethic, the ability to endure pain, emotional resilience, learning to subordinate the self for the great good of the team, grace under pressure, loyalty and life long friends all come from playing sports. 

His leadership has been critical to the Heisman Club board in the final year of the Illumination Campaign. In fact, we have been so impressed that we begged him to extend his term an extra year.

Chris calls his memory of walking down Woodland Street to practice every day for 8 seasons “sheer joy”. He remembers feeling that he would leave the academic pressure behind for a few hours and experience a different sort of challenge in the physical exertion.  Bliss!

“I used to think that sports was just a lot of fun NOW I think they are really important for the individual and for the college.”