William J. Byron
Upon his graduation, Byron served in the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the United States Army in the Second World War from 1945 to 1946.
During Father Byron's tenure as president, total enrollment grew from 3,954 in the 1974–1975 academic year to 4,196 by the time of his departure in 1980–1981.
[8] The applicant pool, the total students applying for admission to the institution, was enlarged under Father Byron.
[9] One of the components of the development program, called “Commitments to Excellence,” was targeted at improving the physical plant of the campus as well as the greater Scranton/Wilkes-Barre community.
[10] In addition to Father Byron's work to receive approval to build the Linden Street Commons, Byron accomplished this project by organizing a number of other projects aimed at improving and expanding the physical campus, which included the purchase of a number of buildings, including Jefferson Hall to serve as an additional residence hall and center for student activities and “The Gallery” to house classrooms, offices, and study spaces.
[12] The development program also included plans to establish the School of Management and to extend the Office of Continuing Education to meet the needs of those in the greater community who wanted to continue their post-secondary education by offering a range of associate degrees and opportunities for local employers and employees to train at the corporate site or at the university.
[8] In 1981, Father Byron announced his plans to leave the University of Scranton in June 1982, giving the board of trustees ample time to find a suitable replacement.
As Judge Conaboy wrote in a letter after he heard of Byron's announcement to resign as President of the University of Scranton, Byron's accomplishments and improvements at the school combine with the establishment of the Scranton Journal, setting new records in medical school acceptances and Fulbright Scholarships, winning a national basketball championship in men's competition, and producing national title contenders in soccer and women's basketball, “to make a review of Byron's tenure at the University of Scranton an enormous success and a great contribution to this entire community.”[9] For twenty-five years, there had been an effort by the University of Scranton to close the 900 and 1000 blocks of Linden Street which ran through the school’s campus.
The Commons project proposed by Father Byron was intended to create a more attractive, park-like atmosphere on the campus and to eliminate the safety hazards associated with pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
Some, including the Hill Neighborhood Association, expressed concerns about Linden Street’s closing negatively affecting traffic flow, failing to provide significant access to emergency vehicles, and decreasing the availability of parking in the Hill section of the city.
[21] By establishing the School of Management, the university offered a consolidated business program, benefiting both the students and Northeastern Pennsylvania by providing students with the tools and education needed to cultivate administrative talent needed in local businesses, government, non-profit organizations, hospitals, and schools.
He also held an appointment as Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Ethics and served as rector of the Georgetown Jesuit Community.
[24] On August 27, 1986, the University of Scranton dedicated their new William J. Byron Recreational Complex, which was built to serve the students, particularly the intramural program.
[9] Finally, he served as an editorial consultant for the Paulish Press, Educational Record and Theological Studies.
[4] In the same year, Father Byron received the Council of Independent Colleges' Academic Leadership Award.
[27] Father Byron wrote a syndicated bi-weekly column, called "Looking Around," for Catholic News Service.
