A Museum Love Story: Patty Krier and Tom Connolly’s Enduring Legacy

For Patty Krier, BA ’68, MA ’72, MA ’84, and Tom Connolly, MS ’80, PhD ’86, the University of Oregon is more than their alma mater. It’s where their lives intertwined, their careers flourished, and their sense of community took root. Now, they’re leaving a legacy that will shape the Museum of Natural and Cultural History (MNCH) and the UO for generations. 

Spend a little time with them and you’ll encounter a wealth of insight into Oregon’s long and deep history, shared with playful jesting about their relationship, admirable intellectual curiosity, and discourse fueled by mutual respect. 

Finding their Way to the UO and Each Other 

A fourth-generation Oregonian from The Dalles, Patty began her undergraduate studies at Willamette University before spending her junior year in Italy through the UO’s Pavia exchange program. Upon returning, she opted to complete her bachelor’s degree in romance languages as a Duck, followed by a year abroad in Switzerland and a UO master’s degree in Italian and French languages and literature. Seeking to better understand her own country, she pursued a second master’s degree in American history at the UO, where she also began her career at MNCH as a graduate teaching fellow. 

Tom grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, where his father, a passionate amateur historian, piqued his interest by pointing out landmarks on their travels and sharing stories of Indigenous and pioneer history. Drawn to anthropology, Tom pursued his graduate and doctoral degrees at the UO, joining MNCH field projects and later securing a position there. 

It was at the museum that Tom and Patty’s paths crossed, with one of its archaeologists proudly taking credit for their union. 

“The UO has meant so much to us,” said Patty. “At the museum, we were all kind of a family. We were always a community in those early years. And maybe that’s the reason that we continue to give back, because the museum was our professions and the place that personally we found our best friends.” 

This past September marked 43 years of marriage, a milestone often tucked amidst the campus bustle of a new academic year—fitting for a couple whose bond with the UO continues to thrive well into retirement. 

Growing with the Museum 

Tom and Patty devoted their entire professional lives to the museum, shaping it into the world-class institution it is today. Patty, who served for decades as the museum’s Director of Public Programming and Development, led innovative education and outreach efforts while also contributing to fundraising that helped MNCH grow. 

Tom, meanwhile, headed the museum’s archaeological research division, building its reputation as a leader in the field. He forged lasting partnerships with state agencies and tribal communities. 

“It’s an incredible museum,” Patty said. “Not just for public programs and exhibits but also its worldwide research. That’s reflected in the top-notch journals and books people have published.”  

Among those publications is Oregon Archaeology (2011), of which Tom is a co-author. The text is now widely used in classrooms across the state. 

MNCH is also home to the historic Condon fossil collections and other scientific holdings, connecting today’s researchers to a legacy that stretches back to the UO’s founding in 1876. Field projects carried out across Oregon have not only uncovered important cultural and natural history but also supported local economies through student and staff presence in nearly every county. 

This journey wasn’t without its challenges. Budget cuts and even the threat of closure loomed at times. But perseverance paid off. 

“If you look at where the museum is today, that’s something I think we can feel pretty good about,” Tom said. 

Staying Connected 

Even after retiring, Tom and Patty never truly stepped away from the UO or the museum that shaped their lives. 

“I can’t think of any other place I’d rather be,” Patty said.  

Tom officially retired in 2023, but that hasn’t slowed him down.  

“The reason I still come to work every day is because what the museum does is important and meaningful,” he said. 

The weekend after her retirement, Patty was invited to serve on the Museum Advisory Council, and she’s been there ever since. At the heart of this commitment is the shared sense of community and belonging the couple found there.  

“Our ambition was not to find a new job elsewhere and climb that ladder,” Patty explained. “It was to make the museum the best it could be. We all felt that way.” 

Their daughter, too, grew up in this community, often serving as a “beta tester” with her friends for new education programs. Today, she carries forward the family’s commitment to service as a pediatric nurse and fellow Duck alumna.  

Leaving a Legacy 

Patty long dreamed of a statewide MNCH program that would reach rural communities, and during her tenure, she helped lay the foundation for that vision. In 2014, an anonymous donor honored her contributions by establishing the Patricia Krier Education Endowment. Today, the fund supports interpretive and educational programs across Oregon, bringing exhibitions, travel resources, and hands-on learning to thousands of families and students each year. 

“This program reaches people far beyond Eugene and Springfield, and seeing it grow stronger each year makes me proud to have my name attached to it,” Patty said.  

In 2024, the couple also created the Thomas J. Connolly Fund for Archaeological and Historical Research. This endowment provides flexible support for projects that broaden understanding of cultural groups and communities, especially those often underrepresented in traditional histories of the American West. It ensures that research can remain both rigorous and responsive to discoveries and new perspectives. 

Alongside these lifetime commitments, Patty and Tom have also arranged a deferred gift that will strengthen both endowments for generations to come. By structuring their legacy this way, they are ensuring lasting support for education, research, and community engagement at MNCH. 

Their advice to others considering a similar step is simple and heartfelt: give where your passion lies. For Patty and Tom, giving back has always felt like a natural extension of their long relationship with MNCH through its challenges and triumphs. 

“Having to fight for something makes you more a part of it,” Patty reflected. 

Tom agreed, underscoring the importance of donor support: “We’ve been with the museum forever, through financial ups and downs. We know how important private money is for stability and predictability. Plus, contributing to successful programs is satisfying.” 

Through their endowments and their decision to include the UO in their estate planning, Patty and Tom are ensuring that the museum that gave them so much will continue to inspire and serve future students, staff, and communities across Oregon. And who knows—their philanthropy may just spark the next great museum love story. 

Join Tom and Patty in giving back to the UO by learning about planned giving options or by making a donation today.