Lawrence Albert Ianni, a former Chancellor of the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD), age 93, passed away on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. Ianni recently lived in San Bruno, California.
Ianni, the fifth Chancellor of UMD, was confirmed in May 1987 by the Board of Regents. He came to UMD after 12 years as an administrator at San Francisco State University. He served the campus for eight years, retiring in 1995.
At the time of Ianni’s tenure, universities in many parts of the country were facing funding cuts. Ianni had to fight efforts to freeze enrollment or even shrink the size of the Duluth campus. He took some risks that ultimately led to UMD’s growth. "Larry fought for the right of UMD to grow, and advised his staff to continue to recruit and admit all qualified students that applied to UMD," said Greg Fox, a retired vice chancellor for finance and operations at UMD.
During his time at UMD, Ianni welcomed many dignitaries to the campus, including then-U.S. President Bill Clinton. After speaking to students and the public in the Romano Gym, President Clinton and Chancellor Ianni, surrounded by members of the Secret Service, greeted students in Ordean Court.
Shortly after his retirement, in October of 1995, Ianni and his wife Mary Ellen, returned to the UMD campus to meet Chancellor Kathryn Martin at the dedication of the new Campus Center, now named the Solon Campus Center. In 2011, Ianni and his wife returned again for the dedication of the new Lawrence A. Ianni Residence Hall.
In 1989, Ianni helped dedicate three new residence buildings, including one named Goldfine Hall, in honor of Duluth business leader Erwin L. Goldfine, who served twelve years as a regent of the University of Minnesota. In 1992, Ianni also helped dedicate the Robert F. Pierce Speech-Language Hearing Clinic.
The UMD community honors former Chancellor Ianni and remembers all of his contributions to the campus and its people.
Header image: Former UMD Chancellor Lawrence Ianni addresses the crowd gathered to witness his inauguration at Romano Gymnasium on the UMD campus on October 30, 1988. Photo by Dave Ballard. From the Duluth News Tribune Photograph collection, U6236, Archives and Special Collections, Martin Library, University of Minnesota Duluth.