Education
Lawler graduated from Regis High School in 1954, and then attended the College of the Holy Cross, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1958, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison (Master of Arts 1962).
Lawler graduated from Regis High School in 1954, and then attended the College of the Holy Cross, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1958, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison (Master of Arts 1962).
He obtained his doctorate at Harvard University. His interests include Chaucer, Langland, Dante, medieval Latin, Old English, the history of the English language, paleography and golf. In 1983 he was a Guggenheim Fellow.
From 1986 to 1995 and from 2002 to 2003 he served as Master of Ezra Stiles College.
He retired from teaching in 2005, and is preparing, with other scholars, a commentary on the known versions of Piers Plowman. Under Lawler"s watch, Ezra Stiles College at Yale University has had remarkable intramural success.
During his first tenure as Master, Stiles won the Tyng Cup in six out of eight years. During his second term of service as Master, Ezra Stiles again won the Tyng Cup and continued to win in two subsequent years under the guidance of Stuart Schwartz. Traugott is the younger brother of environmental engineer John P. Lawler, founder of Lawler, Matusky, and Skelly Engineers (Learning Management System).