John E. Corbally

John Edward Corbally Jr. (October 14, 1924 – July 23, 2004) was an American academic administrator and university president. Corbally led Syracuse University from 1969 to 1971 before becoming president of the University of Illinois system from 1971 to 1979. He held roles in numerous non-profit organizations,

During World War II, Corbally held the rank of lieutenant junior grade in the United States Navy. He saw battle in the Pacific Ocean theater and received a Purple Heart.

After the war, Corbally returned to school, where he met his wife Marguerite Walker; they married in 1946. positions held until he accepted the chancellor position at Syracuse University in 1969. this included the establishment of a Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program. By the time Tolley left office, the university faced major financial issues and there was uncertainty regarding the future of the ROTC program. The matter was referred to the school senate, a democratic body composed of students, faculty, and administrators, which voted to keep the program open,

Later that same year, on May 4, the shooting of four students at Kent State protesting against the United States' invasion of Cambodia led directly to the student strike of 1970, a nationwide protest by students on college campuses against US involvement in Vietnam, including at Syracuse. but Corbally's decision to cancel classes and allow the students to protest without police or administration interference arguably resulted in more moderate protests than at other colleges.

The peace was short lived, however, as in August 1970, eight black players on the Syracuse Orange football team did not show up for preseason practice, citing systemic racism in the program and discrimination by coach Ben Schwartzwalder. The move was a continuation of a boycott of spring practice by the players, and they were automatically suspended as a result. In response, Corbally reinstated the players and approved the creation of the Athletic Policy Board to oversee athletics at the school. The board would include input from students and ensure that all students, regardless of race, were entitled to fair treatment. The suddenness of his resignation at Syracuse led to speculation that he had been pressured to leave due to the tense events of 1970 or that he wanted to jump ship from a school still facing financial difficulties.

However, John Robert Greene, in a 1998 book on the history of Syracuse, argues that none of that is true: Corbally handled the student protesters and football boycott admirably, despite criticism at the time from some alumni of the school, and he, along with his vice chancellor Ronald Brady, had improved the financial status of the school much in the two years since Corbally took office. According to Greene, the chancellor took the new job "simply because he received a better job offer".

Corbally is the only Syracuse chancellor to not have a campus building named after them after finishing term.

University of Illinois At Illinois, Corbally replaced David D. Henry, who stated he was stepping down in favor of a younger president with fresh ideas. Continued funding was secured from the state legislature in 1977 by way of a campaign by current and former students of the school organized by Corbally.

MacArthur Foundation Corbally was elected to the board of directors of the Chicago-based MacArthur Foundation in 1979. He later resigned his position at the University of Illinois to become the first president of the foundation, serving from 1979 to 1989, after which he remained on the board of directors, He is credited with starting the MacArthur Fellows Program, After his time at the MacArthur Foundation, Corbally retired to his home state of Washington, where he served as a board member for various Seattle-area organizations, including the Rural Development Institute, now known as Landesa. He died on July 23, 2004, from brain cancer, aged 79, at his home in Mill Creek, Washington.

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