By Keith Page

A chance encounter in what is now the University at Buffalo’s Abbott Library helped shape the course of Frank Clement’s life.

As a School of Management student, Clement, BS ’66, often studied in the library with a friend who one day arrived carrying a small, preserved pig wrapped in a towel for a class dissection. The two began playfully tossing it back and forth until Clement missed a catch. The pig slipped free from the towel, rolled across the tabletop and came to rest in front of a fellow student, Marilyn Rooney.

“I went up to her and apologized, then asked if I could buy her a cup of coffee to make up for it,” Clement recalls. “Six months later, we were married.”

That unlikely moment marked the start of a 60‑year journey that has left a meaningful imprint on UB and its students.

A native of Silver Creek, New York, Clement graduated from UB in 1966. After beginning his career at Eastman Kodak, he moved to Seattle in 1973 with Marilyn and their young daughter and son. There, he found success as a stockbroker and financial adviser with UBS PaineWebber, later known as UBS Financial Services. He retired from the firm in 2002 as vice president of investments.

Despite living on the other side of the country, Clement never forgot his roots.

“I love Buffalo and I love UB. They have always held a special place in my heart,” he says.

That connection deepened in 1999 when he and Marilyn returned to campus after many years away. He was invited to speak at an alumni event, where his stories and business experience resonated with the audience, including then-UB President William Greiner. They met afterward and formed a close friendship.

“Following that visit, Marilyn and I became more involved with the university,” Clement says. “We began organizing alumni events in Seattle, where there’s a large community of UB graduates.”

In addition, Clement served on the board of directors for the School of Management Alumni Association and the Dean’s Advisory Council.

Over the past 25 years, the Clements have been generous donors to the School of Management. Their support led to the creation of two student spaces: the Frank and Marilyn Clement Undergraduate Community Hub in Jacobs Management Center and the Clement Café in the Alfiero Center.

“We wanted to provide spaces that bring students together and help them build skills that last beyond their time at UB. After all, the ability to connect with others and foster relationships is central to any career,” Clement says.

Clement credits Marilyn as the driving force behind their philanthropic efforts.

“I taught her about investing, and she taught me about giving,” he says. “The stock market was good to us over the years, and we were fortunate to have the resources to give back.”

During the 2024-25 academic year, Larson worked with Mirka Arevalo, MBA ’25, who joined the board for a daylong retreat in addition to their meetings.

“Mirka helped us better understand our public imprint on the community we serve,” she says. “She brought unique skills to our marketing efforts, applying web scraping to extract data and show where we are reaching people and how they are responding.”

As fellows help their assigned organizations thrive, Larson says they are tapping into another important aspect of learning.

“After graduation, students often ask themselves ‘how do I serve my new organization and myself?’” she says. “This experience adds another dimension to that foundation: ‘How do I serve the community I live in?’ Board membership can allow someone to make an impact through their day-to-day occupation and by giving time and talent to a nonprofit cause.”

Marilyn passed away in January 2024, and Clement continues to carry forward the values they shared through his philanthropy.  In fall 2025, he established the Frank H. and Marilyn D. Clement Chair in AI Business Analytics, and the Frank H. and Marilyn D. Clement AI Innovation Fund, both of which will provide an enduring legacy in the School of Management. Clement’s personal philanthropic commitments of more than $2.5 million were bolstered by matching gift opportunities through President Tripathi’s School of Management Endowed Chair Challenge as well as the SUNY University Center Endowment Match, adding more than $1 million to the funds combined.

A self-described lifelong learner, Clement has been interested in technology since his undergraduate years at UB.

“I took some computer programming courses and considered a career in the field,” he says. “I remember telling a professor I wanted a degree in computer science, and he said, ‘We don’t have that yet, but I’m sure someday we will.’ Turns out I was a little ahead of things.”

Clement’s investment in AI education brings that early interest full circle while helping prepare students for a technology‑driven business world.

Clement has made the 2,600-mile trip from Seattle for UB’s homecoming almost every year since 2000. In honor of his enduring commitment to the university and its community, he received the UB Alumni Association’s highest distinction, the Samuel P. Capen Award, in 2016.

“I thought they made a mistake,” he says with a laugh.

For Clement, giving back has never been about recognition. Instead, it’s a way to stay connected to the place that truly shaped his life. That legacy lives on in the spaces that bear his and Marilyn’s names and in the students who gather there each day.