RF
The basics
Quick facts
Intro
American University chancellor
Gender:
Male
Places:
Is:
Birth:
20 November 1890
Death:
12 April 1966
Star sign:
The details
Biography
Rufus Henry Fitzgerald (November 20, 1890 – April 11, 1966) was the eleventh Chancellor (1945–1955) of the University of Pittsburgh.
He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in 1919. He became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity as an undergraduate.
His administration is best remembered for its smooth ten-year tenure: reinstatement of athletic scholarships at the university, expansion of the student body, especially returning veterans after World War II, and the worldwide success of Jonas Salk's polio vaccine developed at Pitt's medical center.
Fitzgerald Field House, an athletic venue on the Pitt campus which opened during his tenure, is named in his honor.
| Preceded by John Gabbert Bowman |
University of Pittsburgh Chancellor 1945–1955 |
Succeeded by Edward Litchfield |