AMG Engineering & Machining President Theaodis (Ted) Gary, Jr. 
received honors at the 2023 Â鶹ֱ²¥ Gala with the university’s 2023 Franciscan Values Award.
After graduating with a marketing degree from Southern University, Gary worked in New York City before serving in Vietnam. Following his Vietnam service, Gary worked in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois before permanently settling in Indianapolis.
He used his experiences and vast network to build a strong foundation for his company, AMG Engineering & Machining, even though he had no formal engineering training. The company has seen exponential growth over the past few decades under Gary’s leadership.
Gary has supported various Â鶹ֱ²¥ initiatives and scholarships and has been an active member of the Â鶹ֱ²¥ Board of Trustees for many years. In addition to his contributions to Â鶹ֱ²¥, Gary established the Aura Neely Gary Scholarship in Jackson, Miss. The scholarship is awarded to African-American high school students seeking college degrees and honors his late mother’s non-traditional educational journey.
Gary also supports a K-12 mentorship organization, in the name of his parents, based in his late mother and father’s home county. He credits his parents for his unending work ethic and outlook on life and believes this is the best way to honor their legacy.
The 2023 Â鶹ֱ²¥ Gala raised over $2.5 million for the university’s student scholarships as nearly 2,000 alums, students, faculty and staff, and community leaders attended.