Constantine Papadakis (February 2, 1946 – April 5, 2009) was a

Greek-American Greek Americans ( el, Ελληνοαμερικανοί ''Ellinoamerikanoí'' ''Ellinoamerikánoi'' ) are Americans of full or partial Greek ancestry. The lowest estimate is that 1.2 million Americans are of Greek descent while the highest es ...

businessman and the president of

Drexel University Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, S ...

Academic career

Papadakis received his diploma in

Civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...

from the

National Technical University of Athens The National (Metsovian) Technical University of Athens (NTUA; el, Εθνικό Μετσόβιο Πολυτεχνείο, ''National Metsovian Polytechnic''), sometimes known as Athens Polytechnic, is among the oldest higher education institution ...

in Greece. He came to the United States in 1969 to continue his studies in civil engineering and earn his master's degree from the

University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,00 ...

. He then went on to earn his doctorate in civil engineering in 1973 from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

. Papadakis served as head of the civil engineering department at

Colorado State University Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a public land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. Colorado State University is classified among "R1: ...

and then dean of

College of Engineering Engineering education is the activity of teaching knowledge and principles to the professional practice of engineering. It includes an initial education ( bachelor's and/or master's degree), and any advanced education and specializations tha ...

prior to 1995. He was appointed President of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

in 1995 and held that position until his death in 2009. During his tenure, Papadakis doubled the full-time undergraduate enrollment, tripled freshman applications, quintupled the university's endowment, and quintupled research funding. His salary of $805,000 was the sixth highest among university presidents. After his death Papadakis' total earnings, including life insurance payout, was estimated at over $4 million.

Other activities

Papadakis sat on the

Philadelphia Stock Exchange Philadelphia Stock Exchange (PHLX), now known as Nasdaq PHLX, is the first stock exchange established in the United States and the oldest stock exchange in the nation. The exchange is owned by Nasdaq, which acquired it in 2007 for $652 million, a ...

as chairman of the compensation committee. He also served on the board of trustees of the

Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (HCHC) is an Orthodox Christian liberal arts college and seminary in Brookline, Massachusetts. Its mission is to educate individuals for life and service in the Orthodox Christian ...

Death

Constantine Papadakis grave at West Laurel Hill Cemetery

Papadakis died at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania from pulmonary complications due to pneumonia on April 5, 2009 after battling lung cancer for months. He was 63 years old. Sources 1.Lily Bita, ''Constantinos Papadakis, beside to his office, the statue of Sappho.'' "Apodemon Epos" Magazine of European Art Center (EUARCE) of Greece, 1st issue 1997 p. 3-4

References

External links

Drexel University Office of the PresidentThe Dragon Slayer
The Triangle {{DEFAULTSORT:Papadakis, Constantine 1946 births 2009 deaths Businesspeople from Philadelphia American people of Greek descent University of Cincinnati alumni University of Michigan College of Engineering alumni National Technical University of Athens alumni Deaths from lung cancer in Pennsylvania 20th-century American businesspeople Businesspeople from Athens 20th-century American academics