Kevin P. Quinn, S.J., (born on 23 December 1955) is an American Jesuit, lawyer and law professor. On July 1, 2011, Quinn became President of the University of Scranton,[1]Scranton, Pennsylvania.[2] The announcement was made in the university's Brennan Hall on December 15, 2010, that he was to be the 25th President of the University.[1][3] He succeeded Rev. Scott Pilarz, S.J., who left Scranton to become the President of Marquette University. Father Quinn's official inauguration took place on September 16, 2011, at the University of Scranton's William J. Byron, S.J., Recreation Complex.[2]
He received a bachelor's degree from Fordham University in 1979.[1] Quinn worked as a community organizer in the South Bronx while studying at Fordham University.[1] He focused on disputes between tenants and their landlords, which began Quinn's interest in the law.[1] In a December 2010 interview with the Scranton Times, Quinn noted, "I thought I could do a better job," after encountering lawyers who did a substandard job representing the interests of their clients and the larger community.[1]
Quinn began teaching law at Georgetown University in 1994, a position he held until 2006.[3] Additionally, Quinn worked as Georgetown University's chaplain-in-residence.[3] He also became a senior research fellow and faculty affiliate at Georgetown's Kennedy Institute for Ethics.[3][6]
University of Scranton President Fr. Scott Pilarz, was named President of Marquette University in September 2010. Pilarz had served as president at Scranton since 2003. A search was launched by the University of Scranton to find a successor.
On December 15, 2010, the University of Scranton's board of trustees, under chairman Christopher "Kip" Condron, unanimously voted to appoint Father Kevin Quinn as the University's 25th president.[3]
Father Quinn took office as the University of Scranton's 25th president on July 1, 2011.[2] His official inauguration took place on Friday, September 16, 2011, at the William J. Byron, S.J., Recreation Complex on the University's campus.[7]
Quinn's inauguration celebrations included events and seminars throughout the week. Australianhuman rights activist and lawyer Father Frank Brennan, S.J., who is chairman of the Australian National Human Rights Consultation Committee and a law professor at Australian Catholic University, presented the inaugural lecture, "A Jesuit Perspective on Making Human Rights and Religion Friends, Not Foes", on September 13.[2]
An inaugural concert held on September 17, 2011, included a new composition based on Philippians 4:4-8, described as Quinn's favorite passage from the Bible: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near."[2]
Quinn has stated that a priority is maintaining the price of higher education in order to keep pace with prevailing economic demographics in Northeastern Pennsylvania.[2] He resided in Condron Hall, a University of Scranton dorm, joking with local media, "It’s partly selfish. You live with 20-year-olds, it keeps you younger." On August 22, 2016, Father Quinn announced he would step down as University President, effective June 1, 2017.[2]