The following was printed on Louis Vaccaro's HOF
plaque:
The presidency of Dr. Louis C. Vaccaro from 1978-1983 was
highlighted by tremendous growth and improvements at Siena Heights
College. Nowhere was that growth more evident than in the
athletic department.
Under Dr. Vaccaro’s leadership, the college doubled the
amount of sports it sponsored on the intercollegiate level.
Dr. Vaccaro was also instrumental in overseeing the construction of
the Siena Heights College Student Activities Center (the
“Fieldhouse”) and other key construction projects on
campus that led to the development of strong intercollegiate
athletic programs for the Saints.
During Dr. Vaccaro’s tenure, the Saints went from fielding
fledgling varsity teams to building nationally-ranked teams in
several sports. While some of Dr. Vaccaro’s lasting
legacy at the Heights can be seen in the newly renovated Siena
Heights University Fieldhouse, a closer look reveals the Hall of
Fame coaches and administrators that were hired under Dr.
Vaccaro’s insightful watch, including basketball coach Ben
Braun, soccer coach Doug Mello, and athletic director and
basketball coach Fred Smith.
A Southern California native, Dr. Vaccaro received undergraduate
and masters’ degrees from the University of Southern
California. He earned his doctoral degree from Michigan State
University in 1963. In addition to serving as President of
Siena Heights College, Dr. Vaccaro also served as president at
Colby-Sawyer College, the College of Saint Rose, and Georgian Court
College.
