Presentation of the Medal of Honor to
Alfred V. Liberti, Ph.D.
Every University has its giants – titanic figures who stand tall in the memories of graduates and who leave an indelible mark on the institution itself. For St. John’s University Alfred V. Liberti, Ph.D. is one of those giants. He arrived at St. John’s already immersed in the Vincentian tradition, having earned his undergraduate degree at Niagara University. Once here, his work as a Graduate Assistant on the Schermerhorn Street campus was so impressive that, after he received his M.S. in Zoology from St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1941, he was asked to remain as a faculty member to establish an undergraduate degree program in the Biological Sciences, which he then chaired for more than 25 years. Throughout his years as an active faculty member, he influenced and inspired thousands of students as they prepared for careers in a variety of science-related professions. Reflecting their everlasting respect for their beloved professor, his former students have established the Dr. Alfred V. Liberti Endowed Scholarship Fund to provide annual scholarships to academically talented undergraduate students majoring in Biology in St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. But Dr. Liberti’s impact on St. John’s was to extend even beyond the classroom. He served on a plethora of University committees, including the Centennial Committee, the Committee for the Establishment of St. Vincent’s College, the Liberal Arts Faculty Council and the Board of Athletic Control. He also served as Chairperson of St. John’s Pre-Medical Advisory Committee and served on the New York State Department of Education Committee that prepared the nationally administered College Proficiency Examination in Anatomy. His lifetime of commitment to the ideals of St. Vincent de Paul is evidenced by his designation as a Vincentian Affiliate, and he has supported the Vincentian mission at St. John’s through membership in The Loughlin Society. A grateful University presented him with the President’s Medal in 1983 and awarded him a Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa in 2007. Tonight, on the 70th anniversary of his graduation, and in everlasting gratitude for his lifetime of loyalty to the University he loves, St. John’s University, with affection and admiration, presents the Medal of Honor to Alfred V. Liberti, Ph.D.
May 20, 2011