Memorial planned for Prof. Robert Schweitzer

5:46 p.m., July 9, 2013--A campus memorial service is being planned this fall for Robert L. Schweitzer, the Donald J. Puglisi Professor of Finance and Administration in the Lerner College of Business and Economics, who died Sunday, July 7.

Dr. Schweizer joined the UD faculty in 1980 and held a joint appointment in the Department of Finance and the Department of Economics.  

Bruce Weber, dean of the college, said, "Bob was a dedicated teacher, an energetic and creative scholar, and an unwavering and highly visible supporter of the University of Delaware and its students in the classroom, in intercollegiate athletics and in their educational and professional pursuits." Noting Dr. Schweitzer's "insightful research on banking and lending in top outlets" and his highly regarded work on discrimination in mortgage markets and the impact of the Community Reinvestment Act, Weber said, "His loss will be felt throughout the UD community and beyond." 

Dr. Schweitzer, who was 63, was the first chairperson of the college's Department of Finance, serving from 1990-97, and he was named the Donald J. Puglisi Professor of Finance in 2007.

He directed UD's Financial Institutions Research and Education Center and served on numerous dissertation and thesis committees for degree candidates in the Department of Economics. In 2006, he received the college's Student Choice Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award. 

A long-time supporter of UD athletics, Dr. Schweitzer chaired the UD Athletic Department's Professional Sports Counseling Panel and served on its NCAA Compliance Committee.

He published articles on banking and financial regulation in the Journal of Finance, American Economic Review, Financial Review, and Real Estate Finance and Economics, and he was past president of the Eastern Finance Association and the Southern Finance Association. He also served on the Board of Trustees of the Eastern Finance Association. 

A nationally recognized educator in banking executive programs, Dr. Schweitzer regularly taught at banking schools throughout the country, and he served as research foundation liaison for the Financial Executives International's Delaware Chapter. 

Born in Baltimore, he earned his bachelor's degree in business and economics at Towson University, his master's degree in economics at UD and his doctorate in economics at Duke University. After graduating from Duke, he worked as a senior financial economist at the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

A lifelong devotee of sports, Dr. Schweitzer refereed college and high school lacrosse for more than 40 years as a member of the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Officials Association, and as chief assigner for high school men's lacrosse in Delaware. He coached baseball and softball for his children's teams. 

He is survived by his wife, Mary; son, Eric (Traci); daughter, Carolyn; and two grandchildren, Kendall and Connor. 

Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m., Thursday, July 11, at the Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home, 121 West Park Place, Newark. Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, July 12, at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church, 10 Old Church Rd., Greenville. Interment will follow in the adjoining parish cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions may be made to the Robert Schweitzer Scholarship Fund, University of Delaware, 83 East Main Street, Third Floor, Newark, DE 19716.

To leave condolences online, visit the Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home website.