Larry Manth ’87 took an unconventional path to Canisius University.
A first-generation college student, he transferred to 2001 Main Street in his junior year, unsure of what to expect or how to navigate his new environment.
With the guidance of supportive faculty and a close-knit academic community, Manth not only found his footing but excelled. Now, as a retired partner with Meritage Financial Partners LLC, living in Southern California, Manth channels his Canisius experience to help the university’s next generation of Griffs so they too can find their footing – and their future.
“Canisius was very welcoming to me,” Manth recalls. “I was unsure at first, but the professors were amazing and the small class sizes were exactly what I needed. There weren’t 100 students competing for a professor’s time.”
Mentorship that Made a Difference
That environment proved critical, giving Manth the confidence he needed to engage, ask questions and push himself academically. “Although I was an accounting major, my education was very well-rounded. Courses in philosophy, religion and history gave me the tools to succeed,” he says.
It was reinforced by a campus community committed to cura personalis – care for the whole person – where faculty, advisers, staff and friends are invested in students’ growth both inside and outside the classroom. Two relationships, in particular, shaped Manth’s experience: his friendship with fellow alumnus Lane Ford ’87 and the mentorship of former accounting professor Robert Davis ’67, PhD.
Ford challenged him to think bigger and pushed Manth to consider his own ambitions, often asking, “Do you want to get out of the elevator at the second floor, or ride it to the top?”
Davis provided both rigor and support, meeting with Manth regularly to review coursework and deepen his understanding. “He offered incredible insight not only in accounting but in other courses as well,” Manth noted. “I think every student can benefit from having a strong connection with at least one professor. That relationship can make all the difference.”
The results were transformative: The accounting major made the dean’s list every semester, graduated summa cum laude and passed all four parts of the CPA exam on his first attempt. He went on to build a successful career in finance, gaining experience at such distinguished firms as Arthur Young (now Ernst & Young) and Deloitte Haskins & Sells (now Deloitte). Manth later earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and worked in investment banking before he joined the Los Angeles offices of Deloitte and then KPMG, serving as partner at both firms.
Paying it Forward: Supporting the Next Generation of Griffs
Recognizing the impact a Canisius education had on his own success, Manth now helps to ensure others have access to the same. He endowed the Lane Ford ’87 Memorial Scholarship Fund in honor of his late friend. The scholarship provides financial assistance to accounting students who transfer to Canisius with a two-year degree.
“Transfer students come in at a different point in the journey,” he noted. “I’m hopeful these students can bond with other transfer students to make for a great experience.”
Manth was also among the first to contribute to the President’s Innovation Fund when it launched in 2024. The competitive grant program supports creative ideas from faculty and staff that directly benefit students and align with the university’s strategic plan, Answer the Call.
More recently, he and his wife Julie contributed generously to Canisius University’s 2026 Giving Day, pledging to match gifts and help maximize participation. Manth’s philanthropy helped fuel a highly successful Giving Day campaign, which surpassed its donor goal with 1,492 contributions and raised a total of $795,518.
It also underscores his confidence in the university’s long-term vision. “Having a strategic agenda and looking at ways to reshape Canisius for the future is critical,” Manth concludes. “I have full faith in the university’s leadership and where it is headed.”
But ask him what really motivates his giving and the answer is simpler: “I want all students – transfer, part-time, traditional – to have the same opportunity to succeed.”
