A Legacy of Giving Back
“Poly doesn’t just educate students—it builds leaders.” Tom Sadler reflects on four generations of family, philanthropy, and gratitude.
For Tom Sadler, Poly is more than a school—it is a family tradition. Raised to believe in supporting the institutions that shape lives and strengthen communities, Tom views his philanthropy as an expression of gratitude for the place that helped shape his family.
When Tom and his wife, Eila, moved back to Pasadena after several years in Northern California, one of their first stops was Poly’s Grandparents and Special Friends Day with their grandson. Walking back onto campus, Tom was struck by an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. The historic “H” and Poly’s familiar classrooms, courtyards, and gyms held decades of memories—from his own years as a student performing in productions of Oklahoma! and South Pacific in Founders Hall to countless hours spent cheering on his three children in their own Poly endeavors.
Tom’s approach to philanthropy has evolved. Tom believes strongly in the importance of addressing global hunger, illness, and human suffering. Over time, however, he has come to recognize that there are different kinds of giving.
“There is ‘make the world a better place’ philanthropy,” Tom says, “and there is ‘give back
to the places that made you’ philanthropy.”
For Tom, supporting Poly is both. It is an
expression of gratitude to the institution that helped shape generations of his family and,
in his view, continues to shape generations
of future leaders.
