Entrepreneur Alumnus Receives Honorary Doctorate

East Stroudsburg University conferred an honorary doctor of public service degree on prominent businessman and philanthropist C.A. Tony McMunn ’69 on May 7. The honorary degree, rarely given by the university, honors Mr. McMunn for his contributions to social and civic engagement, and philanthropy to the community and the university.

Mr. McMunn enrolled at East Stroudsburg in 1962. He became a member of the Warriors soccer squad that won the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics championship that season. He left the university in 1964 to serve in the Vietnam War as a member of the 161st Combat Aviation Company.

He returned to campus in 1967, the year he met Patricia Lythgoe, his future wife. Pat earned a degree in physical education and the couple married the weekend after she graduated in June 1968.

Tony earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary education, social sciences, the following year. During the early years of his career, he worked in sales and management positions with Rockwell International in Pittsburgh. He was transferred to Minneapolis, Minn., and worked there until 1976, when he left to open his own business, C.A. McMunn & Associates Inc., a manufacturer’s representative agency.

McMunn started a second company in 1985 called Power Products Distributing, which imported consumer products from China for major U.S. retail stores.

A third business, Tricam Industries, was launched in 1991-92 as his initial venture into manufacturing. The company developed a line of ladders and other products sold at home improvement stores across the country.

Tricam has expanded its product mix to include lawn and garden carts, power equipment such as pressure washers and air compressors, household step stools, and replacement tires and tubes. Headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minn., the privately held company has exceeded $150M in annual sales and has received many regional and national honors. Tricam now has offices in Naples, Fla., Atlanta, Ga., and Shanghai, China.

Pat Lythgoe McMunn ’68 is now retired after a successful teaching career. She is a world-traveler and passionate home decorator. The interior designs of the McMunn homes, featuring her collections of antiques and art work, have been featured in a decorating magazine.

At East Stroudsburg University, the McMunn name is associated with many significant initiatives. In 1992, the family established the McMunn Soccer Grant-in-Aid Fund at ESU and supported the soccer program for a number of years.

In 2004, the family purchased a restaurant and hotel in Ireland, called McMunn’s of Ballybunion. The pub provided two-year internships for ESU students in the hotel, restaurant and tourism management program, giving them global experience about the trade.

In 2005, the McMunns made a significant commitment to build the McMunn Planetarium, located in the state-of-the-art Hoeffner Science and Technology Center, which opened in 2008. In addition to its academic value to ESU students, the planetarium provides educational opportunities for local school children and the Monroe County community in general.

Tony and Pat McMunn celebrated their 43rd anniversary this June. Their son Ryan lives in Shanghai, China, and their daughter Meghan lives in Atlanta, Ga.

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