William J. Byron

In 1999, he was the recipient of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities' Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for his contributions over the years to the advancement of Catholic higher education. In the same year, Father Byron received the Council of Independent Colleges’ Academic Leadership Award.

The School of Management was later renamed the Arthur J. Kania School of Management, or KSOM, in order to recognize the achievements of Mr. Kania as a leader in the business world and a dedicated alumnus of the University. The School was accredited by the AACSB, the International Association for Management Education, in 1996, becoming one of only 13 colleges in the state and 325 in the nation to receive this accreditation. KSOM has continued to expand its programs and majors throughout the years, currently offering programs in accounting, economics, finance, international business, business administration, management, marketing, and operations management in addition to many individualized and specialized majors.

Father Byron taught "Social Responsibilities of Business" in the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University from 1992 until 2000. He also held an appointment as Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Ethics and served as rector of the Georgetown Jesuit Community. From 2000 to 2003, he was pastor of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. He served as the interim president of Loyola University New Orleans from 2003 to 2004. Father Byron worked as President of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School from 2006 until 2008. Currently, he works as a Professor of Business and Society at St. Joseph’s University.

On August 27, 1986, the University of Scranton dedicated their new William J. Byron Recreational Complex, which was built to serve the students, particularly the intramural program. Rev. J. A. Panuska, S.J., president of the University of Scranton from 1982 until 1998, stated that naming this facility for Fr. Byron "provides us with a marvelous opportunity to thank him for his leadership at the University and in the region."

Byron received a doctorate in economics from the University of Maryland. He also holds two theology degrees from Woodstock College, a bachelor's degree in philosophy and a master's degree in economics from Saint Louis University. Over the course of his career, Father Bryon has received more than twenty-five honorary degrees, including an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from the University of Scranton in 1982.

Although he originally planned to spend the academic year of 1982-1983 on sabbatical working on his books, Father Byron accepted the position of President of The Catholic University of America, where he worked from 1982 until 1992. He was the twelfth president of CUA, installed on Thursday, November 18, 1982. He was the first Jesuit to serve as the President of CUA, which, according to Byron, “signifie[d] cooperation between Jesuits and the Catholic hierarchy” and represented “a warm handshake” between the members of the Society of Jesus and the Catholic Church administration.

In 1981, Father Byron announced his plans to leave the University of Scranton in June 1982, giving the Board of Trustees ample time to find a suitable replacement. The Board of Trustees picked Father Joseph Allen Panuska, S.J., to succeed him. As Judge Conaboy wrote in a letter after he heard of Byron’s announcement to resign as President of the University of Scranton, Byron’s accomplishments and improvements at the school combine with the establishment of the Scranton Journal, setting new records in medical school acceptances and Fulbright Scholarships, winning a national basketball championship in men’s competition, and producing national title contenders in soccer and women’s basketball, “to make a review of Byron’s tenure at the University of Scranton an enormous success and a great contribution to this entire community.”

The University Commons proposal was approved by the Scranton City Council on December 20, 1978. In order to accommodate the concerns of some members of the Scranton community, the University replaced the 84 legal parking spaces closed on Linden Street with over 100 legal parking spaces. The University also reduced the size of the traffic triangle at Linden Street and Monroe Avenue by one-third, creating a smooth traffic flow on Monroe to accommodate Linden Street’s closing and widened the turning radius on Monroe. The University also pledged 40,000 dollars towards the construction of traffic lights to manage traffic flow. Construction on the project was begun on June 2, 1980, as parts of Linden Street were removed. The project was completed around November 1980 and dedication ceremonies were held in December 1980.

Before the inception of the School of Management, business and economic programs had been offered in the other three colleges at the University, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Hanley College, and the Graduate School. However, under Byron’s leadership, the School of Management became a separate academic school in 1978. By establishing the School of Management, the University offered a consolidated business program, benefiting both the students and Northeastern Pennsylvania by providing students with the tools and education needed to cultivate administrative talent needed in local businesses, government, non-profit organizations, hospitals, and schools. The School also sponsored a number of seminars and workshops to discuss and resolve economic problems and difficulties in the local business community, such as through the Executive-in-Residence program, where a businessman would come to the University to discuss their business practices.

In 1975, Father Byron became the President at the University of Scranton, succeeding Dexter L. Hanley, S.J. He served as President until he resigned in 1982. Father Panuska, the former academic vice president and dean of faculties at Boston College, succeeded Byron as Scranton’s next president. Under Byron’s leadership, the University of Scranton underwent significant changes, including gains in enrollment, increasing academic standing of the University, improvements, construction, and expansion on the campus, the addition of a number of academic majors and programs.

During Father Byron’s tenure as President, total enrollment grew from 3,954 in the 1974-1975 academic year to 4,196 by the time of his departure in 1980-1981. The applicant pool, the total students applying for admission to the institution, was enlarged under Father Byron. Additionally, the acceptance ratio, the percentage of individuals accepted for admission to the University from the total percentage of applicants, fell from seventy-three percent to sixty percent. As Scranton became more selective during the admission process, it indicated the rising academic quality of the University. Byron also doubled the operating budget while also maintaining a positive balance in that budget each year and enhanced the administrative efficiency and ability to properly plan by introducing a computer-based Management Information System.

Father Byron served as a mathematics professor at Scranton Preparatory School from 1956 to 1958. In 1962 he was named assistant editor of America and from 1965 to 1966 he held a teaching fellowship and a U.S. Department of Labor Manpower Research Fellowship at the University of Maryland. From 1967 to 1969 he served as assistant professor of economics at Loyola University Maryland and served as adjunct professor of pastoral theology at Woodstock College, the most important center of Catholic teaching in the Country. He was named associate professor of social ethics and director of field education at Woodstock College. When Woodstock moved from Maryland to New York City, he became rector of the Woodstock Jesuit Community. He also served as a lecturer at Union Theological Seminary in New York City.

Before entering the Society of Jesus in 1950, he was a student at St. Joseph’s University for three years. He was ordained in 1961.

Rev. William James Byron, S.J. (born 25 May 1927) is an American priest of the Society of Jesus. Byron served as the President of the University of Scranton from 1975-82 and the President of Catholic University of America from 1982-92. He is now a Professor of Business and Society at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia.

Byron was born on 25 May 1927 in Pittsburgh, and raised in Philadelphia. He attended St. Joseph's Preparatory School, graduating in 1945. Upon his graduation, Byron served in the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the United States Army in the Second World War from 1945-46.