Some families become part of a city’s history through the businesses they build. Others leave their mark through the causes they champion, the institutions they strengthen, and the opportunities they create for generations to come.
In Central Ohio, the McConnell family has done both.
For decades, the McConnell family and the companies that grew into Worthington Enterprises and Worthington Steel have invested in the people and organizations that help communities thrive. Their impact can be found across healthcare, youth, education, human services, civic causes, the arts, professional sports, and many other areas throughout central Ohio and beyond.
Their connection to the Columbus Zoo spans three generations and more than 45 years. Today, that relationship is entering an exciting new chapter through a transformational $10 million gift from the employees of Worthington Enterprises and Worthington Steel, The Worthington Companies Foundation, and The McConnell Foundation toward plans for the Zoos’ future. The investment will help advance the John F. Wolfe Aquarium, signature projects at The Wilds, and conservation efforts reaching from Ohio to communities around the world.
“We’re grateful to the employees of Worthington Enterprises and Worthington Steel, as well as The McConnell Foundation, for their generosity. There is something especially inspiring about seeing a relationship with the McConnell family that began nearly 50 years ago continue in such an impactful way today. Their support will help us create the John F. Wolfe Aquarium, support the important work happening at The Wilds, and advance conservation efforts here in Ohio and around the world. Ultimately, it’s about creating opportunities for people in our community to experience that work, connect with wildlife, and feel inspired to be part of protecting its future.” - Tom Schmid, President and CEO of the Columbus Zoo and The Wilds.
To understand what this gift represents, it helps to go back to where the story began.
A Company and a Philosophy Built in Central Ohio
John H. McConnell arrived in Columbus in 1954 after serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, attending Michigan State University through the G.I. Bill, and beginning a career in the steel industry.
One year later, he borrowed $600 against his car to help purchase a load of steel and launch the Worthington Steel Company. What began with that investment grew into a major manufacturing company and an important part of Columbus’ business community.
McConnell built the company (which became Worthington Industries before separating in 2023 into Worthington Enterprises and Worthington Steel) around a straightforward philosophy: treating customers, employees, investors, and suppliers as we would want to be treated. The principle shaped his approach to business and his life.
Success also brought an opportunity to give back.
Investing in the Health of Central Ohio
One of the clearest examples of the McConnell family’s impact can be found in healthcare.
John H. McConnell personally contributed millions of dollars toward what became the McConnell Heart Health Center at Riverside Methodist Hospital. The family's relationship with OhioHealth continued across generations, helping support cardiac care, research, innovation, and programs serving patients with complex heart conditions.
Children and families have also been a longstanding focus.
In 2023, The Worthington Companies Foundation and The McConnell Foundation announced a $7.5 million gift to Nationwide Children’s Hospital to create the Worthington Companies Pediatric Research Fund. At the time of that gift, the foundations had collectively contributed $17.3 million to Nationwide Children’s across six decades.
Strengthening the Community They Call Home
The impact extends across organizations that make Central Ohio a better place to live and work, and the reach also reflects the role employees continue to play in that philosophy. The Worthington Companies Foundation is funded by Worthington Enterprises and Worthington Steel, meaning its contributions are truly a gift from its people.
The Worthington Companies Foundation focuses its giving in four areas: health, human services, youth and education, and civic causes. In fiscal year 2026, the Foundation contributed $3.8 million to 74 organizations.
It is a tradition of giving that has evolved alongside central Ohio itself.
Helping Bring the Blue Jackets to Columbus
The McConnell family’s influence can also be found in one of the defining chapters of Columbus’ emergence as a major sports city.
John H. McConnell spearheaded the effort to bring a National Hockey League franchise to Columbus, becoming founder and majority owner of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The team began playing in 2000, giving the region its first major-league professional sports franchise and helping establish a new piece of Columbus culture.
The impact created through that effort has also continued off the ice, as The Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation has now provided more than $17.5 million to the community.
Three Generations Growing with the Columbus Zoo
For McConnell, building a successful community and building a successful business came from the same fundamental belief in investing in people.
That commitment to the community has included the Columbus Zoo for decades.
In 1979, John H. McConnell became the first contributor to help build the Zoo’s outdoor gorilla habitat. According to Columbus Zoo Director Emeritus Jack Hanna, that support “set a huge precedent,” helping pave the way for future philanthropy at the Zoo.
His influence can also be seen at Water’s Edge, an event space that grew from an idea developed between McConnell and Hanna to create a new social enterprise revenue stream for the Zoo.
The next generation carried that relationship forward.
John P. McConnell became a Zoo trustee in 1993 and played an important role in the continued growth of both the Columbus Zoo and The Wilds. His involvement at The Wilds included construction of the first yurts on the campus, helping create an overnight experience that would become part of how guests explore and connect with the nearly 10,000-acre conservation center.
Today, John H. McConnell II represents the third generation of the family involved in the Zoo’s future. He joined the Zoo’s Board of Directors in 2019—now serving as Vice Chair—and has worked alongside President and CEO Tom Schmid on the future of the Columbus Zoo and The Wilds.
Over more than 45 years, the McConnell family and Worthington Enterprises and Worthington Steel have become some of the Zoo’s most valued partners, contributing nearly $7 million in philanthropic support before this newest commitment.
A $10 Million Investment in What Comes Next
Now, a relationship that began with a gorilla habitat nearly half a century ago is helping shape what comes next.
The employees of Worthington Enterprises and Worthington Steel, The Worthington Companies Foundation, and the McConnell Foundation have committed a transformational $10 million gift toward the Columbus Zoo's future.
This gift represents a long-term vision for the Columbus Zoo and The Wilds, with investments designed to strengthen our region and enhance the experiences of millions of people.
A major part of that future is Wolfe Aquarium, a new standalone aquarium planned to open in 2029. The gift will also support new and improved animal habitats, signature projects at The Wilds, and expanded conservation initiatives whose impact will reach Ohio and around the world.
For the McConnell family and the companies, the investment continues a relationship with the Zoo that has grown alongside the organization itself.
“The Zoo has been part of my family’s story for as long as I can remember. My grandfather believed deeply in supporting the community that supported him, and my father carried that philosophy forward through his involvement with the Zoo and The Wilds. I’m proud to continue that relationship today. Our family and Worthington Enterprises and Worthington Steel believe in the future of central Ohio, and we’re excited to help the Zoo, Wolfe Aquarium, and The Wilds create something that will serve this community and make an impact far beyond Columbus for generations to come.” - John H. McConnell II
One generation helped create a new habitat for gorillas.
Another helped expand The Wilds.
A third is helping guide a vision for the next century.
A Legacy Still Being Written
From a $600 loan in 1955 to a company that became part of the fabric of central Ohio, John H. McConnell built his life around an idea that has endured across generations: success creates an opportunity to help others.
Today, that philosophy can be seen across the region. It is present in healthcare programs caring for patients and research seeking new treatments for children. It is present in organizations feeding families, educating students, supporting veterans, creating access to the arts, and strengthening neighborhoods. It is present in a professional hockey team that became part of Columbus’ identity.
And it is present at the Columbus Zoo and The Wilds.
The $10 million commitment from the employees of Worthington Enterprises and Worthington Steel, The Worthington Companies Foundation, and the McConnell family continues that legacy while helping build something new: a future where unforgettable experiences remain part of central Ohio for generations to come.
Nearly 50 years after John H. McConnell made that first investment in the Zoo’s gorilla habitat, the next chapter is beginning. And once again, the McConnell Foundation, Worthington Enterprises, and Worthington Steel are helping Columbus build it.
