Larry Lucchino
Doctor of Laws
Larry Lucchino grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he attended Pirates baseball games at old Forbes Field. In high school he played baseball and basketball, and at Princeton University he played basketball, appearing in the 1965 NCAA Final Four. He graduated from Yale Law School in 1971.
Early in his legal career Mr. Lucchino became a staff member of the House Committee on the Judiciary, aiding its investigation into the Watergate crisis. Following President Nixon's resignation, he joined the Washington law firm of Williams & Connolly. There, he was mentored by founder Edward Bennett Williams, who also was an owner of the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Redskins.
Williams appointed Mr. Lucchino general counsel for the Redskins, and then to the same position with the Orioles. Ultimately, Mr. Lucchino became president and chief executive officer of the Orioles. Faced with the need for a new facility, he made a decision that has changed the way ballparks are conceived and constructed. Instead of building a multi-purpose stadium outside the urban area, his design team built a ballpark in downtown Baltimore close to the Inner Harbor, one that resembled idiosyncratic and beloved yards that had been built generations ago. Oriole Park at Camden Yards began a trend that has been replicated in baseball cities throughout America.
While in Baltimore, Mr. Lucchino noticed a young intern who wanted to learn the business of baseball, and who followed Mr. Lucchino when he became president and CEO of the San Diego Padres under new owner Tom Werner. In 2001, Mr. Lucchino and Mr. Werner joined with businessman John Henry to buy the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Park. His former intern, Theo Epstein, was named general manager of the Sox in 2002.
Long constrained in an aging and cramped facility, the Red Sox had often considered replacing the 1912 Fenway Park. But Mr. Lucchino recognized the value of history and instead led efforts to improve the park. The new leadership team also put in place players and managers who have won the World Series in 2004 and 2007, during the freshman and senior years of Boston University's Class of 2008.
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