Laing Kennedy
Encyclopedia
Laing E. Kennedy is a sports administrator. He previously served as athletic director for Kent State University
in Kent, Ohio
, United States since 1994 and previously served as athletic director at Cornell University
in Ithaca, New York
from 1983-1994. In 2005 he began serving as a member of the NCAA Division I Basketball Committee in a five-year position, the second representative ever from the Mid-American Conference
. He currently resides in Kent, Ohio.
, Ontario
, Canada
. He attended college at Cornell University
, earning a bachelor's degree in animal science in 1963. While at Cornell, he was a member of the Quill and Dagger
society and played for the men's ice hockey team. As a goalkeeper he earned All-Ivy League honors for three consecutive years and attained All-America status in 1963 along with being named Cornell’s Outstanding Athlete.
and construction of the Alberding Field House (now Bartels Hall
) and the Oxley Equestrian Center.
. Through the 2008-2009 season, Kennedy's tenure has seen the Golden Flashes
win 251 individual Mid-American Conference
titles, 85 MAC team titles, along with 83 All-America honors. All four of Kent State's Reese Trophy wins, awarded for best men's athletic accomplishments in the MAC, occurred under Kennedy with the most recent being in 2009. The women's athletic teams have won the MAC's Jacoby Trophy 5 times under Kennedy with both men and women consistently finishing in the top 3. He oversaw the addition of two varsity sports, women’s soccer and women’s golf, and major facility upgrades at Dix Stadium
, the MAC Center
, and Olga Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium
. New facilities built during Kennedy's tenure include Murphy-Mellis Field for field hockey
, the Ferrara and Page Golf Training and Learning Center for men's and women's golf
, the Diamond at Dix for softball
, and the Athletic Academic Resource Center for all KSU student-athletes. Kent State was given full certification by the NCAA both in 1997 and 2004. He also oversaw completion of a comprehensive gender equity study, and the formation of two organizations: the National Athletic Development Council which systematically evaluates the various sports programs and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee which provides input on the department’s planning process.
Kennedy was named the Northeast Region Division I-A Athletic Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) in both 2002 and 2006. He announced in August 2009 that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2009-2010 athletic season.
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
in Kent, Ohio
Kent, Ohio
Kent is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the largest city in Portage County. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeastern Ohio on the western edge of the county. The population was 27,906 at the 2000 United States Census and 28,904 in the 2010 Census...
, United States since 1994 and previously served as athletic director at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
from 1983-1994. In 2005 he began serving as a member of the NCAA Division I Basketball Committee in a five-year position, the second representative ever from the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
. He currently resides in Kent, Ohio.
Background
Kennedy is a native of WoodstockWoodstock, Ontario
Woodstock is a city and the county seat of Oxford County in Southern Ontario, Canada. Woodstock is located 128 km southwest of Toronto, north of Highway 401 along the historic Thames River...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He attended college at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, earning a bachelor's degree in animal science in 1963. While at Cornell, he was a member of the Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger is a senior honor society at Cornell University. It is often recognized as one of the most prominent collegiate societies of its type, along with Skull and Bones of Yale University...
society and played for the men's ice hockey team. As a goalkeeper he earned All-Ivy League honors for three consecutive years and attained All-America status in 1963 along with being named Cornell’s Outstanding Athlete.
Cornell University
Kennedy served as Cornell's athletic director from 1983 to 1994. While there, Cornell totaled nine team national championships, 36 Ivy League team championships and 102 All-Americans. It was also during his tenure that several upgrades were made to athletic facilities including the press box and playing surface at Schoellkopf FieldSchoellkopf Field
Schoellkopf Field is a 25,597-capacity stadium at Cornell University's Ithaca-campus that opened in 1915 and is used for the Cornell Big Red football, sprint football, lacrosse and field hockey teams...
and construction of the Alberding Field House (now Bartels Hall
Newman Arena
Newman Arena is a 4,473-seat multi-purpose arena at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, located in Bartels Hall, which is adjacent to Lynah Rink. It is home to the Cornell Big Red basketball and volleyball teams. It opened in January 1990, replacing Barton Hall, which was remodeled to become a...
) and the Oxley Equestrian Center.
Kent State University
Since 1994, Kennedy has been Athletic Director at Kent State UniversityKent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
. Through the 2008-2009 season, Kennedy's tenure has seen the Golden Flashes
Kent State Golden Flashes
Kent State University's intercollegiate athletic teams are known as the Golden Flashes or simply as the Flashes. The university fields sixteen varsity athletic teams, all of whom play in the Mid-American Conference and in the NCAA's Division I...
win 251 individual Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
titles, 85 MAC team titles, along with 83 All-America honors. All four of Kent State's Reese Trophy wins, awarded for best men's athletic accomplishments in the MAC, occurred under Kennedy with the most recent being in 2009. The women's athletic teams have won the MAC's Jacoby Trophy 5 times under Kennedy with both men and women consistently finishing in the top 3. He oversaw the addition of two varsity sports, women’s soccer and women’s golf, and major facility upgrades at Dix Stadium
Dix Stadium
Dix Stadium is a stadium in Kent, Ohio, United States. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Kent State Golden Flashes football team. It lies at the far eastern end of the KSU campus along Summit Street, just east of State Route 261 and is the center piece of...
, the MAC Center
Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center
The Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center, also known as the MAC Center, MACC, and previously as Memorial Gym, is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, United States...
, and Olga Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium
Olga Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium
Olga Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium is a baseball venue located on the campus of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, United States. It is home to the Kent State Golden Flashes baseball team, a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Mid-American Conference...
. New facilities built during Kennedy's tenure include Murphy-Mellis Field for field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, the Ferrara and Page Golf Training and Learning Center for men's and women's golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, the Diamond at Dix for softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, and the Athletic Academic Resource Center for all KSU student-athletes. Kent State was given full certification by the NCAA both in 1997 and 2004. He also oversaw completion of a comprehensive gender equity study, and the formation of two organizations: the National Athletic Development Council which systematically evaluates the various sports programs and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee which provides input on the department’s planning process.
Kennedy was named the Northeast Region Division I-A Athletic Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) in both 2002 and 2006. He announced in August 2009 that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2009-2010 athletic season.