Dr. Lawrence Schall

Lawrence M. Schall, J.D., Ed.D. was elected the 16th president of Oglethorpe University in March 2005 and assumed office on June 23, 2005. Under Schall’s leadership, Oglethorpe has entered an era of growth and innovation, evidenced by a dramatic rise in enrollment, increased philanthropic giving, and new strategic entrepreneurial partnerships. To accommodate this growth, Oglethorpe’s campus has recently seen the addition of a new residential complex that includes 6,000 square feet of state-of-the-art laboratories for teaching and learning; the expansion of its arts and athletics facilities; and, the addition of the $16 million Turner Lynch Campus Center, home to the Atlanta Laboratory for Learning (A_LAB). The A_LAB houses three learning centers: the Center for Civic Engagement, opened in 2007, which focuses on volunteer, curricular, civic and cultural projects in Atlanta and beyond; the Center for Professional Development, opened in 2011, which provides work-based internships for every Oglethorpe student in their field of study; and the Center for Global Education, opened in fall 2013, which connects Oglethorpe students with the global community. The A_LAB also helps to join students and faculty with research, scholarship and learning on campus, in Atlanta and around the globe. Schall writes regularly for The Huffington Post, as well as his personal blog, and has been featured in The Washington Post, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and on NPR, CNN, and Bloomberg News. He has received national attention for his leadership on issues affecting the lives of college students, perhaps most notably leading College Presidents for Gun Safety. Born in Manhattan, Schall grew up in Wilmington, Del. He graduated with honors from Swarthmore College in 1975 and went on to earn his Juris Doctor degree in 1978 from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Schall practiced law in Philadelphia as a trial attorney, specializing in civil rights litigation. In 1990, he returned to his alma mater, Swarthmore College, and served for 15 years, leaving as Vice President for Administration. While at Swarthmore, Schall was awarded a doctorate in higher education from the University of Pennsylvania, and served as Director of the Executive Doctorate Program in Higher Education as well as an adjunct faculty member of Penn’s Graduate School of Education. Schall currently serves as Board Chair for the East Lake Foundation and on the board of the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). He is trustee emeritus at The Lovett School in Atlanta. He and his wife, Betty Londergan, have four children.