Brother Raymond L. Fitz, S.M., the longest serving president in UD history, was feted Wednesday with the renaming of The College Park Center in his honor.
The center, at Brown and Stewart streets, was dedicated as Raymond L. Fitz Hall in a ceremoney that included the blessing of the building by his brother, the Rev. James F. Fitz, S.M., vice president for mission and rector at UD.
Fitz served as UD president from 1979 to 2002. In the 1990s, he led Montgomery County's Child Protection Task Force in the aftermath of the deaths of five children in Dayton's child welfare system. He also helped shepherd two human services levy campaigns to wins at the polls.
For the past dozen years has served as Ferree Professor of Social Justice at UD, where he has provided leadership on community boards and teaches classes that connect Catholic social teaching to urban justice issues.
In 2012, he was inducted into the Dayton Walk of Fame.
In January, he will accept the 2015 Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, CSC, Award for Outstanding Contributions to Catholic Higher Education. That national honor is bestowed by the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.
