<p><span data-contrast="auto">Staff and faculty from across Widener University paused this week to remember Tony Santoro, a </span><span data-contrast="auto">former law</span><span data-contrast="auto"> dean</span><span data-contrast="auto"> whose vision shaped </span><span data-contrast="auto">Widener&rsquo;s</span><span data-contrast="auto"> unique</span><span data-contrast="auto"> dual</span> <span data-contrast="auto">structure of legal education</span><span data-contrast="auto">.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Santoro, 77, died </span><span data-contrast="auto">Monday, </span><span data-contrast="auto">September</span><span data-contrast="auto"> 9 after a brief illness.&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">&ldquo;Tony Santoro had a profound impact on legal e</span><span data-contrast="none">ducation,&rdquo; said Widener Provost Andrew Workman. &ldquo;</span><span data-contrast="none">His vision and knack for hiring and inspiring exceptional faculty created law schools that not only provided top notch legal education, but also improved the skill and ethics of the bench and bar of the states in which they are located.  His influence will be felt by the legal co</span><span data-contrast="none">mmunity for many years to come.&rdquo;</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Santoro </span><span data-contrast="auto">arrived</span><span data-contrast="auto"> at Widener</span><span data-contrast="auto"> in 1983 at what was then known as Widener University School of Law. There was one campus in Wilmington, Del., and under his leadership that expanded to include a second campus in Harrisburg, Pa. He oversaw both campuses, which became separately accredited in 2015 and now </span><span data-contrast="auto">operate as </span><span data-contrast="auto">Widener University Delaware Law School and Widener University Commonwealth Law School</span><span data-contrast="auto"> under the leadership of separate deans.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">&ldquo;Tony was an entrepreneur,&rdquo; said Eugene D. McGurk, a member of the Widener Board of Trustees and 1978 graduate of the law school</span><span data-contrast="auto"> in Delaware</span><span data-contrast="auto">. &ldquo;He really had a vision for going to Harr</span><span data-contrast="auto">isburg because he saw a need </span><span data-contrast="auto">there for legal education.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">McGurk began a friendship with Santoro as an alumnus that only strengthened over t</span><span data-contrast="auto">ime</span><span data-contrast="auto">. Even </span><span data-contrast="auto">after</span><span data-contrast="auto"> Santoro</span><span data-contrast="auto"> relocated </span><span data-contrast="auto">to </span><span data-contrast="auto">New England in the 1990s</span><span data-contrast="auto">, where he</span><span data-contrast="auto"> helped establish Rhode Island&rsquo;s first law school at Roger Williams University</span><span data-contrast="auto">, McGurk said they</span><span data-contrast="auto"> remained in touch with visits and phone calls.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Emeritus Professor Thomas J. </span><span data-contrast="auto">Reed</span><span data-contrast="auto">, who served as Santoro&rsquo;s associate dean all but one year of Santoro&rsquo;s nine-year</span><span data-contrast="auto"> Widener</span><span data-contrast="auto"> tenure, </span><span data-contrast="auto">said Santoro had the ability to talk with people at their level. He could speak legal education with </span><span data-contrast="auto">law school academics and business with developers. He would listen to alumni reminisce.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">&ldquo;He had a number of ways of connecting with people,&rdquo; Reed said. &ldquo;And he brought the bar and bench into our school in a way his predecessors weren&rsquo;t able to do.&rdquo;</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Santoro&rsquo;s ability to </span><span data-contrast="auto">win the support of</span><span data-contrast="auto"> then-Widener President </span><span data-contrast="auto">Robert</span><span data-contrast="auto"> Bruce, and then-Board Chairman Les</span><span data-contrast="auto">lie C.</span><span data-contrast="auto"> Quick, </span><span data-contrast="auto">for</span><span data-contrast="auto"> his idea of</span><span data-contrast="auto"> expand</span><span data-contrast="auto">ing</span><span data-contrast="auto"> the law school to the Pennsylvania capitol was a testimony t</span><span data-contrast="auto">o his</span><span data-contrast="auto"> skill and influence.</span> <span data-contrast="auto">Santoro hired Professor Robyn Meadows to teach in Harrisburg, and</span><span data-contrast="auto"> it was</span><span data-contrast="auto"> his </span><span data-contrast="auto">vision </span><span data-contrast="auto">for the school&rsquo;s role in the</span><span data-contrast="auto"> commonwealth&rsquo;s capital city that convinced her </span><span data-contrast="auto">it was a wise career move.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">&ldquo;I was enthusiastic about joining the faculty in Harrisburg because Tony was enthusiastic about Harrisburg. That&rsquo;s why so many of us came. He infused the campus with his </span><span data-contrast="auto">excitement for the school and the role it would play for</span><span data-contrast="auto"> legal education in Pennsylvania</span><span data-contrast="auto">,&rdquo; Meadows said.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">While Santoro expanded</span><span data-contrast="auto"> the law school</span><span data-contrast="auto"> into Harrisburg, he also made</span><span data-contrast="auto"> his mark on the Delaware campus. He grew the institution into o</span><span data-contrast="auto">ne of the country&rsquo;s</span><span data-contrast="auto"> largest law schools</span><span data-contrast="auto"> in an era marked by </span><span data-contrast="auto">national enrollment surges, a</span><span data-contrast="auto">nd expanded facilities in Delaware&rsquo;s Main Law Building to accommodate the flourishing operation.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Santoro left Widener in 1992</span> <span data-contrast="auto">for</span><span data-contrast="auto"> Rhode Island</span><span data-contrast="auto"> and was </span><span data-contrast="auto">appointed </span><span data-contrast="auto">f</span><span data-contrast="auto">ounding dean </span><span data-contrast="auto">of the law school at Roger Williams University </span><span data-contrast="auto">in 1993. He </span><span data-contrast="auto">was named</span> <span data-contrast="auto">president of </span><span data-contrast="auto">the u</span><span data-contrast="auto">niversity shortly befor</span><span data-contrast="auto">e </span><span data-contrast="auto">the</span><span data-contrast="auto"> law school opened, and went on to serve as chancellor</span><span data-contrast="auto">. He returned to </span><span data-contrast="auto">the</span> <span data-contrast="auto">law school </span><span data-contrast="auto">there </span><span data-contrast="auto">as a faculty member in 2000</span><span data-contrast="auto"> and r</span><span data-contrast="auto">etired last year.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">&ldquo;We are deeply grateful for all of Tony Santoro&rsquo;</span><span data-contrast="auto">s contributions to legal education at Widener,&rdquo; said Delaware Law School Dean Rodney A. Smolla. &ldquo;The relationships he built</span><span data-contrast="auto"> with our alumni, the bench, bar</span><span data-contrast="auto">,</span><span data-contrast="auto"> and business community significantly strengthened the law school&rsquo;s position in Delaware and we are better for his leadership.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">&ldquo;As dean of Commonwealth Law School I have great respect and admiration for Tony Santoro,&rdquo;</span> <span data-contrast="auto">Dean Christian Johnson added. &ldquo;</span><span data-contrast="auto">His vision for a vibrant, successful law school serving the Pennsylvania capital has come to fruition. Without Tony there would be no Commonwealth Law School, and we are proud to </span><span data-contrast="auto">play</span><span data-contrast="auto"> such a significant</span><span data-contrast="auto"> role in</span><span data-contrast="auto"> his legacy.&rdquo;</span></p>