[2] Christ-Janer was born in Nebraska and received his Bachelor of Arts at Carleton College.
During World War II he served in the Pacific as a bombardier in the 39th Bomb Group (VH), a U.S. Army Air Force B29 squadron.
At the time of Christ-Janer's inauguration both organizations protested with a sit-in in the presidential office.
Although Christ-Janer made attempts to quell the turmoil at the school, ultimately his efforts proved to be unsuccessful and he resigned in July 1970.
[2] Even though 1970 marked a difficult conclusion to his time at Boston University, Christ-Janer was to be appointed as College Entrance Examination Board's president in the same year.