University Presidents

Rev. Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J. - The 7th President of Fairfield University (1979-2004)

Rev. Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J. was the 7th and longest-serving President in Fairfield University's history. During his 25-year term from 1979 until 2004, Father Kelley worked tirelessly in collaboration with the university's faculty, alumni, parents and friends to expand university facilities and boost the university's reputation. While Father Kelley was in office, the average combined SAT score for the entering class increased from 1065 to 1197, and in 2003 Fairfield's admission rate for the entering class placed it among the top five percent of four-year colleges and universities in the nation in terms of selectivity. Father Kelley oversaw the establishment of the School of Continuing Education (also known as University College); the university acquired Bridgeport Engineering Institute as its new School of Engineering; and numerous master's degree programs were established. In addition, a plethora of campus buildings were either constructed or renovated. In a press release in 2003 Paul Huston, Chair of Fairfield's Board of Trustees, put it this way: "Under Father Kelley's leadership, Fairfield University has experienced dramatic growth institution-wide; an increasingly qualified student body; major facility enhancement; large gains in the endowment; and, finally, sound financial health - a major achievement."

Although he joked about his "edifice complex" Father Kelley's commitment to expanding university facilities was no joke: his efforts resulted in the successful creation of fourteen new buildings and the renovation and expansion of twelve others. These include the Charles F. Dolan School of Business (formerly the Center for Financial Studies - 1979), Donnarumma Hall classroom and office building (1981), the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts (1990), the Egan Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola (1990), the Thomas J. Walsh Athletic Center (1995), the Alumni House (2000); and the residential townhouse complex and the Village Apartments (2000). Major renovation and expansions include the DiMenna-Nyselius Library, John A. Barone Campus Center and Rudolph Bannow Science Center.

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All images are copyright Fairfield University and intended for educational purposes only. For more information, please see http://digital.fairfield.edu. Biographical information and notes courtesy of the Fairfield University DiMenna-Nyselius Library.