Clarence C. Walton
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Clarence Cyril Walton (June 22, 1915 – April 13, 2004) was the 10th president of
The Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...
and the first layman to hold the position. He was also the first to hold the title 'president' and not 'rector.'


Early life

Clarence Walton was born in
Scranton, Pennsylvania Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 U.S. census, Scranton is the largest city in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Wyoming V ...
, to Leo and Mary Walton. His background has been described as working-class, his father worked for Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, and was of Irish American origin. In
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
he served in the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
. He married Betty Kennedy in 1943 and with her had two children. His wife had also served during the war with
WAVES Waves most often refers to: *Waves, oscillations accompanied by a transfer of energy that travel through space or mass. *Wind waves, surface waves that occur on the free surface of bodies of water. Waves may also refer to: Music *Waves (band) ...
.


Education and career

He earned his bachelor's degree from the
University of Scranton The University of Scranton is a private Jesuit university in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1888 by William O'Hara, the first Bishop of Scranton, as St. Thomas College. In 1938, the college was elevated to university status and took t ...
and a Master's from Syracuse University. His doctorate came from
The Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...
where he later became President. On his becoming President a student from
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
, where he served with distinction as Dean of the School of General Studies stated of him: "He's a really good guy in the American tradition. He comes on as almost goody-goody, at the same time he's a very clever, shrewd diplomat. He's genuinely liberally progressive." He also had a strong interest in business ethics and later taught it at
Villanova University Villanova University is a private Roman Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Augustinians in 1842 and named after Saint Thomas of Villanova. The university is the oldest Catholic university in Penns ...
.Clarence C. Walton Obituary in the Philadelphia Inquirer
/ref> Despite being called "liberally progressive" in 1969, and having critiqued capitalism, he has been described as a devout Catholic and thus banned
Ti-Grace Atkinson Grace Atkinson (born November 9, 1938), better known as Ti-Grace Atkinson, is an American radical feminist activist, writer and philosopher. Life and career Atkinson was born into a prominent Louisiana family. Named after her grandmother, Gra ...
from speaking at the University because of her views on the
Blessed Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
. However this ban was overturned in court and he attended or observed the event. Due to this Patricia Buckley Bozell, who while listening to Atkinson ran to the podium to slap her for ridiculing the Virgin Birth then left, felt Walton to ultimately be weak and "sniveling" for following the court order and knowingly attending.


References


Copy of Clarence C. Walton's obituary
American people of Irish descent People from Scranton, Pennsylvania University of Scranton alumni Syracuse University alumni Presidents of the Catholic University of America Villanova University faculty 1915 births 2004 deaths 20th-century American academics {{US-academic-administrator-1910s-stub