As Dennis LaPidus threw the first pitch at Northwestern’s Big Ten game against Ohio State at Wrigley Field, memories of his days as a right-handed pitcher at Evanston Township High School (ETHS) and Northwestern University flooded back.
“I loved the game, I did. Loved it!” LaPidus said. “My feelings about Northwestern are so strong and positive. I just loved the experience. I’m proud to tell people I went there.”
LaPidus, a former letter winner at Northwestern, was recently honored for a major gift establishing the Sidney and Mildred Head Baseball Coach position at the university. The endowed position, named in memory of his parents, will be held by head coach Ben Greenspan, now in his second year.
“My parents moved to Evanston when I was 12,” LaPidus said. “I went to Haven Junior High and ETHS. My dad, Sidney, was a sign painter who made gold leaf signs you would see in downtown offices.”
At ETHS, LaPidus played baseball and studied math. “I have very fond memories of ETHS. I took advanced placement courses that helped me start graduate-level math classes as a sophomore at Northwestern. That gave me a leg up,” he said.
LaPidus’ family had limited means, but his parents wanted him to attend Northwestern because it was close to home. “They hoped I could live at home for four years. That didn’t happen—I lived on campus,” he recalled.
At Northwestern, LaPidus joined the varsity baseball team as a walk-on, like most players at the time. “We had one or two partial scholarships, but I wasn’t at that level. As freshmen, we just pitched batting practice and had fun. I smile when I think about those days.”
LaPidus graduated from ETHS in 1960 and earned a mechanical engineering degree from Northwestern in 1964. He later earned an MBA from Roosevelt University in 1967. He founded a company specializing in office automation for distributors, providing hardware, software, installation, and training.
His successful business, MCI Leasing, was named one of the fastest-growing private companies by Inc 500. After selling it, LaPidus started a new company with the same name focused on real estate development for retail sites.
LaPidus’ donation to Northwestern Athletics supports the baseball program with financial flexibility to benefit student-athletes. “They told me the gift would help promote or maintain the program. I put no restrictions on it,” he said. “They can use it however they want.”
Despite joking about his singing skills, LaPidus embraced the chance to participate in the ceremony. “Life is about grabbing chances,” he said.
