INSIDE LMU
president
R
Rev. Robert B. Lawton, S.J. ev. Robert B. Lawton, S.J., was named the 14th president
1977. Fr. Lawton was a Danforth
of Loyola Marymount University on June 1, 1999. Father
and Woodrow Wilson Fellow
Lawton leads LMU into the next millennium after serv-
at Harvard. He was ordained in
ing as the dean of Georgetown College at Georgetown University since 1989.
Following his preparation for
Lawton, a classicist, scripture scholar, administrator, and priest,
ordination from 1979-81, Fr. Lawton traveled to Germany to con-
was born in Cumberland, Maryland, and entered the Society of
duct independent study in both German and theology. In 1982, he
Jesus in July 1965.
accepted an assistant professorship teaching Hebrew and Aramaic
Possessing a wealth of experience in both university teaching and administration, Fr. Lawton comes to LMU after giving 20 years
at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, Italy, a post he held until 1984.
of service to Georgetown University. Serving as the assistant Dean
In addition to his teaching and administrative duties at George-
from 1984-89, Fr. Lawton also taught in the Theology department
town, Fr. Lawton served on numerous campus committees exam-
as an adjunct assistant professor during that period. He started at
ining such areas as campus planning, student life, freshman and
the University in 1977 as an assistant professor of Theology and
transfer student admissions, and community relations. Outside of
worked in that capacity until 1979.
the University he has served as a member of the Board of Trustees
He earned his bachelor of arts degree in classics from Fordham University in 1971, graduating Phi Beta Kappa (summa cum laude). Fr. Lawton went on to attend Harvard University where he completed his doctorate in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations in
40
1981.
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of the University of Scranton and Fairfield University. Father Lawton holds the rank of professor in LMU’s Departments of Theological Studies and Classics.