Of Jewish heritage,[2] Lefton was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, and completed his bachelor's in psychology from Northeastern University in Boston in 1969.

An award-winning teacher with 36 years of university teaching experience, Lefton's introductory psychology textbook, now in its ninth edition, is used in college classrooms nationwide.

He earned $520,000 a year, plus up to 20 percent bonus, retirement benefits, a housing allowance, automobile, entertainment, deferred annuity, etc.

Lefton also upholds the university's role as a regional cultural resource through service on the boards of public television station Channels 45/49 and the Musical Arts Association of the Cleveland Orchestra.

Mrs. Lefton is an attorney who served as a state prosecutor in South Carolina and was an academic advisor for pre-law majors at George Washington and Tulane universities.

She serves on the board of the Pediatric Palliative Care Center at Akron Children's Hospital and is a member of the Women's Committee of the Cleveland Orchestra.

Lefton and Ruller's $110 million mixed-use development efforts have spurred new office, retail, entertainment and residential spaces, targeted to the 28,000 students and 3,000 faculty members from the university.

[33] Additionally, a new multimodal transit facility, providing a transfer point for buses and visitors in the area, the Kent Central Gateway, is scheduled to be completed in July 2013.