Background
DeFleur, Lois B. was born on June 25, 1936 in Aurora, Illinois, United States. Daughter of Ralph Edward and Isabel Anna (Cornils) Begitske.
Sociology educator university president
DeFleur, Lois B. was born on June 25, 1936 in Aurora, Illinois, United States. Daughter of Ralph Edward and Isabel Anna (Cornils) Begitske.
AB, Blackburn College, 1958. Master of Arts, Indiana University, 1961. Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology, University Illinois, 1965.
HHD (honorary), University Alaska, 1999.
She came to the university after being provost at the University of Missouri. Before that she had served as a sociology professor at Missouri State University and Washington State University. She has a doctorate in sociology from the University of Illinois.
DeFleur became the president at Binghamton University in 1990, making her the longest serving president of the university to date.
She retired at the end of July 2010. A few of the events occurring under her administration:
Began an aggressive fundraising campaign, more than doubling giving for multiple consecutive years.
Moved athletics to Division I from Division III, changing the school"s mascot from the Colonial to the Bearcat. Binghamton"s publications rankings increased (although some have declined drastically in recent years, such as overall ranking in the Princeton Review).
Reorganized schools at Binghamton: the College of Community and Public Affairs and the School of Education were created July 1, 2006, from the former School of Education and Human Development.
Funded construction of over more than a dozen new buildings, including a new residence community, university union addition, events center, academic complex and the new Downtown University Center. The University’s endowment has risen from approximately $8 million to $64.5 million. Faculty research awards have increased 60 percent.
Binghamton completed its first-ever comprehensive gifts campaign more than a year early, and at 121 percent of its goal.
Binghamton was designated a New York State Center of Excellence in 2006. Announced retirement weeks before major scandal involving the basketball team was revealed to the public.
University was not included in rankings and lists of most competitive colleges (such as BARRON"South GUIDE TO THE MOST COMPETITIVE COLLEGES) but included as a Best Buy.;
Implicated for ethical violations that had been hinted at throughout her tenure as university president but which were clearly described in the Kaye Report;
DeFleur resigned in July 2010 to focus on her personal life. Although the state ethics commission has never accused DeFleur of wrongdoing, some question the propriety of DeFleur sitting on boards of companies that do millions of dollars in business with the university that she oversees.
Foreign years, she was on the board of Energy East, in which she had held more than half a million dollars in stock.
She is also a paid adviser to M&T Bank, a financial institution that has long had sole rights to operate on the Binghamton campus.
(Book by Winfield, Betty Houchin, Defleur, Lois B.)
Member Washington State Board on Correctional Services and Education, 1974-1977, State of New York Education Department Curriculum and Assessment Council, 1991-1994, Trilateral Task for North America Educational Collaboration, United States Information Agency, 1993-1995, New York State commission Higher Education, since 2007, New York State Task Force, since 2007. Member National Collegiate Athletic Association (president commission 1996, executive committee 1997-1998), American Sociological Association (publications committee 1979-1982, nominations committee 1984-1986, council member 1987-1990, committee on executive office and budget), Pacific Sociological Association (president 1980-1982), Council Colleges of Arts and Sciences (board directors 1982-1984, president 1985-1987), Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, International Comanche Society, National Association State University and Land-grant Colleges (executive committee 1990-1993, chair council of president 1994-1995, chairman board directors 1996-1997), American Council Education (board directors 1994-2000, vice president chair-elect 1997-1998, chair board directors 1998-1999), Consortium Social Science Associations (board directors 1993-1996).
Married Melvin L. DeFleur (divorced).