Ralph O’Connor and his wife, Becky, are pictured with the Red Sails sculpture they donated to the university in 2013.

Ralph O’Connor was born in Pasadena, California in 1926 and graduated from Johns Hopkins in 1951 with a bachelor’s degree in biology. O’Connor was an entrepreneur, civic leader, and philanthropist. He was a trustee emeritus of the university and a dedicated supporter of Johns Hopkins, giving generously over several decades in support of financial aid, endowed faculty chairs, athletics, art, awards for undergraduate entrepreneurs, and the Homewood campus recreation center that bears his name. O’Connor died in 2018 at age 92.