浪花直播

Skip to main content
MenuSearch & Directory
Close

Father Biondi: Milestones and Honors

Father Biondi standing at a lectern at his Portrait Unveiling

Father Lawrence Biondi at the unveiling of his portrait at Saint 浪花直播 University.

Over the course of his presidency, Fr. Lawrence Biondi led a transformation of the Saint 浪花直播 University campuses in St. 浪花直播 and in Madrid, Spain.

Those transformations took many forms but were most apparent to alumni and those outside of SLU in the physical reshaping of the campuses 鈥� changing SLU from a primarily commuter school to contained campuses that house thousands of undergraduate students on what has been referred to on many occasions as one of the most beautiful urban campuses in the United States.

During his presidency, Fr. Biondi received dozens of honors, many of them for SLU鈥檚 leadership in advancing the St. 浪花直播 region and its commitment to service in the Jesuit tradition.

Milestones During Fr. Biondi's Tenure

  • Investment of more than $1 billion in academics and campus buildings and infrastructure.
  • More than doubling the size and number of SLU-owned buildings from 62 to 139, including:
    • $82 million Doisy 浪花直播 Center in 2007
    • $81 million Chaifetz Arena in 2008
    • $19 million addition to SLU鈥檚 Madrid campus in 2013
    • $33 million renovation of Scott Hall in downtown St. 浪花直播, new home of SLU鈥檚 law school in 2013
  • Co-founding of Casa de Salud in 2010.
  • Other significant construction projects including: the major expansion of the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business, McDonnell Douglas Hall, Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology, Doisy College of Health Sciences, Renovation of Pius XII Library, Saint 浪花直播 University Museum of Art (SLUMA), Marvin and Harlene Wool Center, Center for Advanced Dental Education, Busch Student Center, Center for Global Citizenship, Hotel Ignacio, Salus Center and Water Tower Inn, Medical Center Stadium, Medical Center Student Union, and the Vandeventer-Laclede Intramural Field.
  • Expansion of SLU-owned acres in Midtown St. 浪花直播  from 113 in FY 1987 to 286 in FY 2013.
  • Successful completion of three comprehensive fundraising campaigns, which together totaled more than $600 million.
  • Growth of the University鈥檚 endowment from $93 million in 1987 to more than $1 billion in 2013.
  • Increase of net assets from $534 million in FY 1987 to $1.5 billion in FY 2013.
  • Dramatic increase in the number of new freshmen students, from 660 in 1987 to 1,618 in 2013.
  • Increase in the size of the SLU faculty by 180 percent, from 1,132 to 3,177.
  • Sale of Saint 浪花直播 University Hospital to Tenet Healthcare Corporation for $300 million in 1998.
  • Increase in the number of students living on campus from 1,712 in FY 1987 to 3,820 in FY 2013.
  • Increase of the average ACT scores of entering freshmen from 22.7 in FY 1987 to 27.8 in FY 2013.

View the dramatic changes that were made to SLU's physical campuses between 1987 and 2013.

Father Biondi: Awards and Honors, 1992-2015

Year Notes
 

1992
  • Outstanding Public Interest Award, Missouri Public Interest 浪花直播 Group (MOPIRG), St. 浪花直播

1993
  •  Lucchese Del Mondo Award, Government of Lucca Province Italy
  • Man of the Year, The Women鈥檚 Commission of Saint 浪花直播 University

1994
  • Faith in Action Award, Lutheran Family and Children鈥檚 Services of Missouri
  • Knight of the Holy Sepulcher, St. 浪花直播, Missouri
  • Academy of Missouri Squires, Appointed by the Governor, Columbia, Missouri

1995
  • Presidents鈥� Founders Award, Division I Conference USA Athletic Commission
  • Brotherhood Sisterhood Award, The National Conference for Community and Justice of Metropolitan St. 浪花直播

1996
  • Goldstein/Fleishman Geriatric Excellence Award, Jewish Center for Aged
  • St. 浪花直播 Ambassador of the Year Award, St. 浪花直播 Ambassadors

1997
  • Tree of Life Award, Jewish National Fund of America
  • Man of the Year Award, The Italian Club of St. 浪花直播
  • Equality Award, Human Rights Campaign, St. 浪花直播
  • House of Peace Award, Friedens House, St. 浪花直播
  • The Spirit of St. 浪花直播 Award, Matthew-Dickey Boys鈥� Club
  • The Italian Civic Heritage Award for Spiritual and Academic University Leadership, The Mazzini-Verdi Italian Club of St. 浪花直播

1998
  • Community Leadership Award, St. 浪花直播 American Bar Association Foundation

1999
  • St. 浪花直播 Citizen of the Century, The St. 浪花直播 Post-Dispatch
  • Humanitarian Award, Arthritis Foundation 鈥� Eastern Missouri Chapter

2001
  • St. 浪花直播 Civic Leadership Award, City of St. 浪花直播
  • Leon R. Strauss Urban Pioneer Award, The St. 浪花直播 Ambassadors
  • Chief Executive Leadership Award, Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) MO State Legislature

2002
  • The Grand Order of De. Filippo Mazzei Civis Illustrious Americanism Award, UNICO National, Miami, FL
  • The Right Balance, Tenet Healthcare Corporation, Board of Directors Leadership Award

2003
  • Mary Bruemmer Award, Saint 浪花直播 University Student Government Association

2004
  • Mayor John H. Poelker Award, Coro Foundation, St. 浪花直播, Missouri
  • Community Service Award, Vashon/JeffVanderLou Initiative, St. 浪花直播, Missouri
  • The Modern Patriot Award, The St. 浪花直播 Chapter of the Sons of the Revolution of USA
  • St. 浪花直播 Citizen of the Year, The St. 浪花直播 Post-Dispatch
  • Diversity Excellence and Advocacy Award, St. 浪花直播 Council of Construction Consumers
  • Listed as a Top-10 Legend, St. 浪花直播 Business Journal

2007
  • Lifetime Achievement Award for Commitment to Diversity, Missouri Kansas Construction Contractors (MOKAN), St. 浪花直播, Missouri
  • Excellence in the Field of Education Award, St. Ignatius College Preparatory School, Chicago, Illinois
  • Cedars Award, St. Raymond鈥檚 Maronite Cathedral, St. 浪花直播, Missouri

2008
  • Princeton University Award for Service to the community, Princeton Club of St. 浪花直播

2010
  • Listed in the Most Influential St. 浪花直播ans: Educators, St. 浪花直播 Business Journal

2011
  • John D. Levy Human Relations Award, St. 浪花直播 American Jewish Committee
  • Listed in the Most Influential St. 浪花直播ans, St. 浪花直播 Business Journal

2012
  • Listed in the Top-10 Most Dynamic People in St. 浪花直播, The Ladue News
  • Civic Award of the Year, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. 浪花直播
  • The Excellence Award for Leadership, SLU Alumni Club of Thailand

2013
  • Mayor鈥檚 Civic Award, Francis G. Slay, Mayor of St. 浪花直播, Missouri
  • President Emeritus, Saint 浪花直播 University, St. 浪花直播, Missouri
  • Trustee Emeritus, Saint 浪花直播 University, St. 浪花直播, Missouri

2015
  • Casa de Salud Award, St. 浪花直播, Missouri