Once an Owl, always an Owl

“Working at Temple has been an amazing experience. The many successes I’ve witnessed in my more than 45 years at this university are a credit to the outstanding people who have worked here alongside me, including our faculty, administrators, students, physicians, nurses, coaches, academic advisors, police, facilities personnel, trustees, alumni, supporters and so many others ... From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all you’ve done for Temple University, for our vital mission, for the people we serve and for me personally.”
^{_{-President Richard M. Englert, in his final communication to the Temple community as president}}

President Englert arrived at Temple in 1976 as an assistant to the dean of the College of Education. He has served in a number of leadership roles, including: acting president; chancellor; provost and interim senior vice president for Academic Affairs; deputy provost and dean of the University College; interim dean of the Graduate School; acting provost; vice president for administration; acting director of Intercollegiate Athletics; associate vice president for Administration; executive assistant to the vice president for University Administration; and chief of staff to the late President Peter Liacouras.

At the college level, Englert has been dean of the College of Education; acting chief administrative officer of the School of Podiatric Medicine; acting dean of the College of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance; associate dean for administration and management at the College of Education; department chair for Policy, Organizational and Leadership Studies; and assistant to the dean of the College of Education. Since 1985, he has served as a professor in the College of Education and Human Development.

This is Englert’s second term as the university’s chief executive officer, having served as acting president for six months in 2012. Temple’s Board of Trustees appointed him to the role of chancellor at the end of 2012, a position he will once again hold after leaving the presidency.

Throughout President Englert’s career at Temple, he’s made one thing abundantly clear: He loves this university. While we start our next chapter, President Englert’s legacy will live on for years to come. To honor his more than four decades of dedication, we talked to the people closest to President Englert to hear about the impact he’s made at Temple and in their lives.

“He loves the Temple students and he also loves teaching, which he hasn’t been able to do the last couple of years because he’s been president, but he loves walking around and talking to the students on campus. When we go to football games and basketball games, especially the football games, all of a sudden he’s gone and I can’t find him. Where is he? He’s walking where the band plays and where the students are cheering and he goes to meet all of the students and talk to the band members.”
-Eleanor Englert, President Englert’s wife

“We can be in another country, we could be in England, or Rome, and he always has a Temple outfit on. People will stop and say  ‘Oh my father went to Temple!’ or ‘I graduated from Temple!’ no matter where we go. He’ll do the opposite, too. If we’re in a place and he sees somebody wearing a Temple hat or jacket—even if we’re in Europe—he’ll stop them to strike up a conversation.”
-Eleanor Englert, President Englert’s wife

“He is Temple made. He knows every aspect of Temple. He knows both athletics and academics, the faculty and the health system. The higher health system reports to our president and it’s a big responsibility. It’s a big enterprise with over 10,000 employees. He’s a jack of all trades. Anything we threw at him, he was able to accomplish well.”
-Board of Trustees Chair Mitchell Morgan

“He is the kindest, most generous person I’ve ever been with. He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. He’s somebody that I consider a friend. He’s just a good human being. And he’s changed my life because I’ve seen in the business world, there are CEOs and presidents of companies and they know how to make money and how to be profitable. But sometimes they don’t have a heart. He’s been able to keep us financially strong and he has a big heart.”
-Board of Trustees Chair Mitchell Morgan