University of St. Thomas Trustee Emeritus Al McQuinn, a visionary businessman, philanthropist and innovator known for his leadership in agricultural technology, passed away Oct. 23 at the age of 93.
McQuinn joined the St. Thomas Board of Trustees in 2006 and served until 2018. He founded Ag-Chem Equipment Co. Inc. in 1963 and ran it for 37 years before selling the company. Ag-Chem Equipment Co., which traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market, manufactured equipment that applies fertilizers and farm chemicals. According to a 2007 St. Thomas magazine article, McQuinn earned a reputation as a “precision agriculture” pioneer motivated by one goal: getting the best yield of crops from an acre of soil. After selling Ag-Chem Equipment Co., he became the chairman and CEO of QuinStar Investment Partners.
McQuinn and his wife, Mary Agnes, demonstrated leadership and commitment to St. Thomas. In addition to his involvement on the Board of Trustees, Mary Agnes served as an inaugural member of the College of Arts and Sciences Board of Governors.
The McQuinns’ generosity helped to construct buildings (McNeely Hall, Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex), enhance academic resources (STELAR, and the Al and Mary Agnes McQuinn Distinguished Chair in Arts and Sciences, which is currently held by Dean Bill Tolman) and award scholarships, including a School of Law scholarship established in the name of the late James Larkin ’51. McQuinn Commons in McNeely Hall is named after the couple.
Champions for the arts, the couple donated to fund the Twin Cities Public Television recording of the annual St. Thomas Christmas concert that is broadcast nationwide. Last year’s St. Thomas Christmas concert, “Reflections of Gratitude,” was dedicated in memory of Mary Agnes, who passed away in March 2023.
“Mary Agnes and Al were so taken by the grandeur of the Christmas concert, they felt a need for others beyond the university to witness the event as well – and so the idea of doing a national television production was born,” Dr. Matthew George, John Ireland Distinguished Professor of Music and Director of Bands and Orchestras at St. Thomas, said. “After the success of the first broadcast, they decided to provide additional funding for future television productions.”
McQuinn received numerous awards during his career. In 1996, St. Thomas gave him the John F. Cade Award for outstanding achievement as an entrepreneur. Other local recognitions included the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur Award in the Master Category for Minnesota and the Dakotas, the University of Minnesota’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Precision Agriculture, and induction into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame. He received the Siteliner Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001 for his efforts in the development of site-specific farming in precision agriculture and was the named inventor on six patents in that area. McQuinn recently received this year’s Hall of Fame award from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.
“Al was a gifted entrepreneur who had the good fortune of finding a one-in-a-million wife, Mary Agnes. And I had the good fortune of having them as traveling companions on a number of international trips,” President Emeritus Father Dennis Dease said. “Al was a good man. He was kind, generous, a wonderful family man and an outstanding St. Thomas trustee. I will always be grateful for how he and Mary Agnes made a difference for the St. Thomas community.”
McQuinn also served on the board of directors of Vyriad and on the Minneapolis-St. Paul Leadership Council of Mayo Clinic Rochester. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture in 1954 from the University of Missouri-Columbia. The McQuinn Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at the University of Missouri was named in honor of Al and Mary Agnes.
He was preceded in death by Mary Agnes and son Charles ’93. He is survived by daughters Anne McQuinn, Susan Arndt and Mary Jetland; nine grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, Nov. 8, at 3 p.m. at the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas. A visitation will take place that day from 2 p.m. until the service starts.
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