La Salle University La Salle University Digital Commons La Salle Magazine University Publications Fall 1988 La Salle Magazine Fall 1988 La Salle University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/lasalle_magazine Recommended Citation La Salle University, "La Salle Magazine Fall 1988" (1988). La Salle Magazine. 81. https://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/lasalle_magazine/81 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the University Publications at La Salle University Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in La Salle Magazine by an authorized administrator of La Salle University Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LA SALLE FALL 1988 A QUARTERLY LA SALLE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE Major General William F. Burns, ’54 United States Army (retired) Director, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency A Volume 32, Number 4 LA SALLE Fall 1988 A QUARTERLY LA SALLE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE (USPS 299-940) CONTENTS 1 REACHING THE SUMMIT 49 ALUMNI NEWS William F. Burns, '54, has quietly as­ A chronicle of some significant events in sumed the directorship of the U.S. Arms the lives of the university’s alumni plus Control and Disarmament Agency. a profile on Brother Tony Pisano, ’71, the new chairman of La Salle’s Board of 5 HONOR ROLL OF DONORS Trustees. Phase II of the university’s Campaign for the 80’s exceeded its revised goal by a CREDITS: Front Cover, U.S. Army; back cover, substantial margin. A complete report. John Boyle, Omnigraphic Design; Pages 1, 3, Ann­ ette Lein; 12, 18, 28, 39, 40, 45, 48, 54 (top & center) Kelly & Massa; 50, Mike Maicher; 53, Christian Brothers College; 54 (lower), Melinda Maggiani; all others by Martha Ledger. Robert S. Lyons, Jr., '61, Editor James J. McDonald, '58, Alumni Director ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OFFICERS John J. French, '53, President Stephen L. McGonigle, '72, Executive Vice President John Fleming, ’70, Vice President Lynn Piatkowski, '82, Secretary Upsala Mansion Reception, The Alumni Phonathon, Joseph L. Patti, ’50, Treasurer Page 6 Page 33 La Salle Magazine is published quarterly by La Salle University. Philadelphia. Penna. 19141. for the alumni, students, faculty and friends of the University. Editorial and business offices located at the News Bureau. La Salle University. Philadelphia. Penna. 19141. Second class postage paid at Philadelphia. Penna. Changes of address should be sent at least 30 days prior to publication of the issue with which it is to take effect, to the Alumni Office. La Salle University. Philadelphia. Penna. 19141. Postmaster: send change of address to office listed above. Member of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Parents' Weekend, Page 40 William F. cadet. Bums sits at the desk first used by Secretary of State George C. Marshall in 1947. Ironically, Bill's son, William J., '78, won the only Marshall Scholarship ever awarded to a La Salle graduate. LaSalle, Fall 1988 1 BURNS — continued W illiam F. Burns, ‘54, the director of the U.S. Arms phia with his family when his late father, William H., Control and Disarmament Agency, stood up in his a roommate of famed sports columnist Walter “Red” office at the State Department in Washington—the Smith at Notre Dame, joined the editorial staff of the one that used to belong to the Secretary of State—and old Philadelphia Record. Indeed, when young Bill pointed to a newspaper clipping hanging on the wall. enrolled at La Salle as a French Literature major in It was a copy of Pravda, the Soviet Union’s most 1950, he appeared destined to follow in his father’s influential daily, and right there on the front page journalistic footsteps or, perhaps, pursue a career as was a story of Bill’s appointment by President Reagan an attorney. as the top advisor to the President and the Secretary It was, in fact, one of Bill's French professors, Dr. of State on arms control issues. John A. Guischard, '39, who has since become a priest Burns smiled. “It doesn’t bother me at all that The in the Diocese of Burlington, Vt., who encouraged him New York Times said (in its front page story announc­ to join La Salle’s fledgling Army Reserve Officers ing his appointment) that my selection confirms that Training Corps and consider a military career. Also the Administration's team on ranking arms control influential, says Burns, was the ROTC's first com­ officials will have a decidedly pragmatic cast, or that manding officer, Lt. Col. James F. Unger. they described me as a non-ideological military of­ “I was one of the early supporters of ROTC,” re­ ficer,” the recently-retired Major General explained. calls Father Guischard who is now the pastor of Our Then, referring to the framed memento hanging on Lady of Fatima Church in Wilmington, Vt. “I was the wall, a gift from some of his colleagues, he added, always very favorably impressed with Bill. He had a “But when Pravda says that I take more moderate determination about him and I admired the way he positions toward questions of limiting weapons com­ handled things. He was a little on the quiet side, but pared with the hawkish views of the former director, he had a great presence and he was able to work well that’s something else again.” with people. He was soft-spoken, but he was nobody's Pravda’s opinions notwithstanding, the soft-spoken pushover. When Bill said something, you knew it was graduate of La Salle's ROTC program, has played a worth saying. People always respected him for his significant role formulating and articulating Ameri­ leadership. When he decided to go into the military, ca’s arms control policy. Before his current appoint­ I knew that he would go up the ladder quickly.” ment—he was confirmed by the Senate effective April 1, Burns was the top military advisor who help­ Burns, who has fond memories of some of his other ed negotiate the new INF Treaty banning medium- college teachers including Brother Jude Sapone and shorter-range missiles. He accompanied the (“Latin and good study habits”), emerged as La President and Secretary of State to the Moscow sum­ Salle’s first cadet colonel and was named “dis­ mit in June and, in August, visited China and Japan tinguished military cadet” his senior year. He was to advance the process of bilateral arms control and one of the two or three outstanding cadets who was discuss such problems as missile proliferation. offered a regular Army commission as a second Burns, who succeeded Kenneth L. Adelman as lieutenant in 1954. But even then, the young officer Arms Control Director, appears to have a low-keyed didn’t expect to make the military his career until a personality more suited to that of a college professor, number of attractive assignments—including an op­ which some of his classmates thought he would be­ portunity to return to La Salle as an assistant come, than someone who would make numerous trips professor of military science with the ROTC from to Moscow and Geneva to spar verbally with the 1962 to 1965—persuaded him otherwise. notoriously boisterous Russians. He is certainly not Following a tour of combat in Vietnam, Burns one to seek the spotlight and enjoys such a low profile served in several field artillery battalion assign­ that he quietly declined to attend the various “photo ments. He earned a master’s of public affairs degree opportunity” sessions during the recent summit in in international relations from the Woodrow Wilson Moscow with President Reagan and Mikhail School of Princeton University. He studied at the Gorbachev. United States Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Highly-respected by American arms negotiators, Pa., directed political-economic studies in the col­ Burns is often used by La Salle’s Brother President lege’s Department of National and International Se­ Patrick Ellis as an example “of how a military career curity Studies, and later served as deputy comman­ can conduce to the peace of the world” in replying dant there. He commanded the 42nd Field Artillery to critics who tend to equate the military with vio­ Group in Europe and served as senior liaison officer lence and aggression. “Mr. Burns has clearly com­ to the Army of the Federal Republic of Germany mitted his energies and his career to the arduous task while working out of the U.S. Embassy in Bonn. of peace-making,” Brother Patrick added, “often In 1981, while serving as deputy assistant comman­ amidst a culture that sees less clearly than he does, dant of the U.S. Army Field Artillery School, at Fort but with total loyalty and professionalism.” Sill, Okla., Burns was nominated by President Jimmy A native of Scranton, Pa., Burns moved to Philadel­ Carter for promotion to Brigadier General. From 1981 to 1986, he represented the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Schaefer, the director of medical education at the U.S. Delegation to the Intermediate-Range Nu­ McGraw-Hill, Inc., recalls that Burns displayed prom­ clear Forces negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland. In ising leadership potential as an undergraduate back that capacity he was the top military advisor to the in 1953 when 30 La Salle ROTC cadets decided to Americans who negotiated the new missile treaty. travel together to summer camp at Fort Sill. ‘‘Bill Before being sworn in as the ninth director of the U.S. arranged the mode of transportation for everyone,” Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, Burns was says Schaefer. ‘‘We took the train from the old B&O principal deputy assistant secretary of state in the station (at 24th and Chestnut Sts.) and changed in St.