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Lawrence Biondi S.J., President of Saint Louis University beginning in 1987.

Lawrence Biondi, S.J., is the president of Saint Louis University. He has been a professor, a department chair, and a dean. He has been president since 1987.

During his tenure, Biondi has focused on recruiting the faculty and students, increasing the University's academic reputation, and developing the University as a major research center.

[edit] Biography

A Chicago native, Biondi graduated from St. Ignatius College Preparatory School. Before joining the Jesuit order's Chicago Province in 1970, Biondi taught French and Latin at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, from 1965 to 1967.^[1]

Biondi holds six degrees. His master's degree in linguistics (1966) and his doctorate in sociolinguistics (1975) both were conferred by Georgetown University. He has three degrees from Loyola University Chicago and a licentiate in sacred theology from the Jesuit School of Theology at Chicago, and he has been dubbed a Knight of the Italian Order of Merit by the president of Italy. In 1999, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch named Biondi one of St. Louis' "Citizens of the Century." In 1999, he won the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Arthritis Foundation, Eastern Missouri Chapter. In 2001, The St. Louis Ambassadors honored Biondi with the Leon R. Strauss Urban Pioneer Award, which is given to an individual in the St. Louis community who has contributed greatly to the development, restoration or improvement of St. Louis. The Council for Advancement and Support of Educational also recognized Biondi in 2001 with the Chief Executive Leadership Award for CASE District 6.

Since Biondi has become an administrator, the University has spent millions beautifying the campus including tens of thousands of dollars on statues, which now dot the campus. There has been controversy over the university spending money on nude statues and statues that depict a white priest standing over a group bowing Native Americans.

In 2005, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch named Father Biondi the Citizen of the Year.

Fr. Biondi was trapped in Lebanon during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon Conflict. He was removed from the conflict after boarding a Greek-owned, American funded vessel to Cyprus with other Americans "stranded" in Lebanon. He was able to return to St. Louis safely. Another priest from St. Louis, Reverend Andre Mhanna, who accompanied Biondi to Beirut, stayed behind to minister to the wounded.

[edit] Tenure at Saint Louis University

In 2007, Fr. Biondi marked his 20th year as President of SLU, the second longest run of any of SLU's presidents. His time at SLU has witnessed improvements across the board.^[2]

The campus itself has expanded significantly in his twenty years as well.

Among the largest expansions are the Chaifetz Arena and the Doisy Research Center.

In a recent interview, upon being asked what he hoped his legacy at SLU would be, Biondi responded, "That I leave my successor with a university that is recognized across the nation as the finest Catholic university in the United States. That is my vision for SLU and, I hope, my legacy."

Father Biondi is known on campus for his friendly personality and love for the students. When students expressed their concern about affording tuition, Father Biondi was kind enough to offer alternate solutions for earning money to afford Saint Louis University.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Saint Louis University Web Site