John Grady, d. 2008

I recently learned of the death of Mr. John Grady, who had been the director of the La Salle University Honors Program since 1969. Over the past 40 years, La Salle's Honors Program had come to be recognized as one of the best in the country, and this was certainly due to the leadership and vision of Mr. Grady. I was privileged to be a part of the Honors Program Class of 2000 - in fact, the Honors Program was one of the main reasons I went to La Salle, and almost all of the friends that I still keep in touch with from college were also members of the Honors Program. Part of Mr. Grady's success with the Honors Program was that he made it a very personal program - I remember that he called me personally at home inviting me to join the program, and apparently he did this for everyone offered a position in the Honors Program. He challenged us all to be better and to learn more - to always ask the impertinent question - and he did so always with determination and focus. The Honors Program consists of a series of small-group classes for freshmen - called The Triple - covering Western Civilization from the perspectives of history, literature, and philosophy, all at the same time. After The Triple, everyone took upper level Honors Seminars taught by the best professors at the school on topics that don't make it into the regular curriculum - like Religion in Philadelphia or Opera or the significance of the local history of the La Salle Campus (which is quite interesting!). The last time I was at La Salle, in November of last year, I stopped by the Honors Center to see Mr. Grady, but he was recovering from treatments for cancer and was working from home at the time. Every college or university has something that sets it apart from other schools, and the Honors Program was that unique and meaningful program at La Salle. John Grady made the Honors Program great, and he will be greatly missed. May he rest in peace!