Architect and Dean of the School of Architecture, University of Detroit
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
1984
Bio:
Professor Leon entered eternal life on June 4, 2013.
Citation:
The founding dean of the University of Detroit School of Architecture in 1964, you have built a dream into a reality, welding the ideals of a Jesuit education to technical studies to create - with your inimitable panache - a small selective School of Architecture committed to excellence. The school, which you have guided for twenty years now, clearly reflects your ideals as a professional and an educator. You have always affirmed that architecture, at its best, can uplift the human spirit while at least, it must respond to human needs. Acting on this belief, you have put design at the hub of the curriculum, while encouraging the students to develop their understanding of human responses and to think for themselves - traits that distinguish graduates of the school and which have enabled them to become original designers, rather than just proficient technicians. Through your efforts, the School of Architecture has earned a national reputation, attracting many of its students from out-of state. In turn, the impact of its graduates on architecture and design has been felt locally, nationally and internationally and is continuing to grow. As a practicing architect, you have distinguished yourself both on independent projects throughout the country and in collaboration with such notables as I.M. Pei and Buckminster Fuller. Your many contributions to your field have earned you recognition in reference works, such as Who's Who in America and Leaders in Education, as well as your election as a fellow of the American Institute of Architects. For your extraordinary achievement as an architect and an educator, for the unique spirit you have instilled in the School of Architecture and for the special camaraderie you have inspired among the students and faculty, it is with great pleasure that we confer upon you the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters. Commencement, University of Detroit, May 12, 1984.