Richard Michael Catalano ’55

Richard Michael Catalano ’55 died on November 15, 2007, in San Francisco, California.

Born in Pittsburgh, Penn., on April 19, 1934, he prepared for college at Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh and became a member of Psi Upsilon Fraternity at Bowdoin. He served in the U.S. Army in Korea from 1956 to 1958, attaining the rank of first lieutenant. He received a master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in 1958 and a J.D. degree from George Washington University in 1963. He was a law clerk with the firm of Sharp & Bogan in Washington, D.C., in 1962-63. From 1963 to 1969, he worked for the Ford Foundation in New York City, successively holding the positions of assistant to the secretary, program officer for international affairs, and program officer for public broadcasting. In 1969, he was named vice president for administration at National Educational Television, and a year later became vice president for media services at the Educational Broadcasting Corporation (Channel 13) in New York City. In 1974, he became the executive director of the Regents Regional Coordinating Council for Postsecondary Education in New York City. He was the acting dean of the School of Law at Pace University in 1976 and served on the board of the Institute for Mediation and Conflict Resolution in New York City. He was the secretary to the board of trustees of the City University of New York and was vice chancellor for faculty and staff relations at CUNY from 1978 to 1984. In 1984, he became director of labor relations for the University of California. Before his retirement, he was deputy director for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He was a Shanti Project volunteer and a board member of Old First Concerts and the Green Belt Alliance. He was on the board of directors of the San Francisco Zen Center and Zen Hospice. He is survived by a sister, Michele Brown of Encino, Calif.; a nephew, Eric Brown of Novato, Calif.; and his ex-wife, Janet Sternburg of Encino.