Web Threads: Paul Hagenmueller Jr., R'68
11/20/2025
By Ellie Joyce, Assistant Director for Development Communications
Web Threads are in-depth, behind-the-scenes stories from those at the heart of Richmond Athletics: student-athletes, staff members, loyal supporters, and more. Web Threads gives a glimpse into the ambitions, motivations, and sacrifices of the individuals who allow Richmond to excel at the highest levels of intercollegiate athletics and academics as well as the philanthropy that supports them every step of the way. Welcome to our web.
If you were to take a moment to talk with Paul Hagenmueller Jr., R’68, you would quickly learn about his passion for the Richmond Spiders. Hagenmueller is enthusiastic about sharing how Richmond has shaped and continues to shape his life, and about the impact he strives to make as an alum.
“I really have an affection for the University of Richmond,” Hagenmueller explains. “It was a wonderful place to attend school. It’s a wonderful place to work, and to me, it’s a great institution.”
A former student-athlete, and now a personal trainer working with University Recreation in the Weinstein Center, you will often see Hagenmueller sporting his Spider gear around campus.
Hagenmueller ran men’s cross country and track his freshman year at Richmond, and ran cross country his junior year, and stayed closely connected to the team and Spider Athletics throughout all his undergrad years.
Hagenmueller was the definition of a well-rounded student at the University of Richmond. He was a member of a fraternity, was involved in the student government senate, a member of the ROTC program and involved in athletics. On top of his extra-curricular activities and athletic obligations, Hagenmueller was dedicated to his studies. He was a biology major and spent a significant portion of his time in laboratories.
Though he took on roles in many other organizations, Athletics remained a foundation of his undergraduate education. For Hagenmueller, some of the most important life lessons were learned through his time as a student-athlete.
“You learn how to push yourself and how to work through discomfort in athletics,” he said. “You learn how to overcome things, and then if something doesn’t work out exactly like you want to, then you figure out ‘how am I going to improve, how am I going to overcome that?’”
Hagenmueller recalled the importance of time management as a student-athlete, but he emphasizes that being part of a team was a very valuable experience as well.
“It’s a sense of camaraderie that you have with your teammates,” Paul describes. “It’s a group of people that you go through the same thing with, and so you experience that [together], and that can create a tight bond.
“We experienced the excitement of winning something or the disappointment of not winning, except that we did it as a group. And to me, that’s a very powerful thing.”
He has consistently stayed involved with Athletics throughout his time as a Spider alumnus. He fondly remembers watching his friends play football, baseball, and field hockey during his time as an athlete, and now continues to follow Spider Athletics closely across Richmond’s 17 programs. He loves supporting all the student-athletes by attending athletic events on campus, and especially marvels at their work ethic in today’s landscape of college athletics.
“They’re working hard, they’re trying to contribute, they’re making a difference in their lives, and this school’s life… and so I think there’s an overall commitment to excellence at the University.” Paul offered.
Hagenmueller is excited about the prospect of making a difference in the life of a men’s cross country student-athlete. As Hagenmueller works toward fully endowing a named scholarship, he provides an annual scholarship to have an immediate impact. This year, a Spider men’s cross country student-athlete received the Paul O. Hagenmueller Jr. Annual Scholarship for the very first time.
“I felt a real need to try to help a student,” Hagenmueller said. “I wanted to help somebody else to be able to participate [in college athletics], so I thought, well, the way to do that would be a scholarship and it may make it easier for them to make the decision to come here and be able to participate in their sport.”
Hagenmueller worked a part-time job while attending Richmond and running cross country and track, so he knows first-hand how receiving a scholarship could impact a student’s life. He is passionate about helping ease the financial burden of college tuition and making the student-athlete experience more accessible to prospective students.
Looking back at his time as a student-athlete, Hagenmueller highly recommends all Spider student-athletes do what they can to enjoy every aspect of their experience at Richmond.
“Enjoy the experience of being at the University of Richmond. Just enjoy everything Richmond has to offer” he says, hoping to encourage student-athletes to take advantage of the environment that the University carefully curates for its students.
As a proud alumnus, he is no longer just carrying forward the lessons he learned as a young runner, but he is actively investing in the next generation of Spider student-athletes. Through his scholarship, his presence at athletic competitions, and his continued involvement on campus, Hagenmueller has transformed his gratitude for Richmond into a lasting legacy of support, encouragement, and opportunity.
Hagenmueller’s Spider spirit hasn’t simply endured, it has grown stronger, reaching forward to lift up others, one student-athlete at a time.
