Eamon Kelly (academic administrator)

Eamon M. Kelly
President of Tulane University
In office 1981–1998
Preceded by	Sheldon Hackney
Succeeded by	Scott Cowen
Personal details
Born	April 25, 1936 New York City, New York
Alma mater	Fordham University Columbia University

Eamon Michael Kelly (born April 25, 1936) was the president of Tulane University from 1981 to 1998.^[1][2] He was born in New York City and earned a bachelor's degree from Fordham University and a Ph.D. in economics from Columbia University.^[3]

While earning his Ph.D., Kelly taught undergraduate courses at Fordham and was a major influence on Mario Gabelli, who later became a billionaire fund manager.^[4]

Kelly managed a $50 million portfolio for the Ford Foundation, and was the city council president of Englewood, New Jersey from 1974-77, which political experience he recounted as useful preparation for his duties at Tulane.^[5]

Kelly is best known for shutting down the basketball program in 1985 due to a massive point-shaving scandal. Several players, including future NBA star John "Hot Rod" Williams, had been plied with cocaine in order to induce them to shave points.^[6] This revelation, combined with reports of academic irregularities, led Kelly to shutter the program in order to "demonstrate unambiguously this academic community's intolerance of the violations and actions we have uncovered."^[7] As it turned out, the outrage was such that several faculty members had demanded that Tulane drop athletics altogether, and were only appeased when Kelly offered to disband the basketball team.^[8] Kelly initially did not intend to ever allow its return, but relented in 1988 after several students convinced him that they were being punished for something that occurred when they were not enrolled at Tulane.^[9]

External links

• Biography of Eamon Kelly

References

1. Who, W. (2001). Who's who in Finance and Industry. 32. Marquis Who's Who. ISSN 0083-9523. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
2. "Tulane University - Past Presidents". tulane.edu. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
3. http://www.ifesh.org/content.php?info_id=138
4. http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2015/10/mib-mario-gabelli-of-gamco/
5. Mohr, Clarence L.; Gordon, Joseph E. (2001). Tulane: The Emergence of a Modern University, 1945-1980. LSU Press. pp. 438–439.
6. Looney, Douglas S. (April 8, 1985). "Big Trouble at Tulane". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
7. Keteyian, Armen (1985-04-15). "The Tulane Scandal: A Time for Harsh Measures". Sports Illustrated.
8. Looney, Douglas S. (1985-04-22). "All I Want Is to Be Happy". CNN.
9. Vanglider, Perry. A Sad Anniversary: 25 Years Since Tulane Basketball's Point Shaving Scandal. NewOrleans.com, 2010-03-25.