Larry Geraty

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Lawrence "Larry" T. Geraty (born 1940) is an American academic who served as the second President of La Sierra University in Riverside, California. He completed his undergraduate education at Pacific Union College, a liberal arts college in California's Napa Valley, and received a doctorate in biblical studies from Harvard University. Geraty comes from a family of scholars, his father was also a professor who went on to lead a number of colleges.

In addition to leading La Sierra University Geraty has been President of other colleges, including the American Schools of Oriental Research, and worked as an archeologist and history professor. In 2007 he was recognized as "Citizen of the Year" by the local Chamber of Commerce in his adopted town of Riverside, California. He was also honored in a speech by Rep. Ken Calvert in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Family and early life

Geraty was born to missionary parents in 1940. With his family he lived in China, Burma, Hong Kong, Lebanon, England, Germany, France and Israel.^[2][3] His family also lived in the United States in California, Maryland, Michigan and Massachusetts.^[2][3] He has a brother, Ronald Geraty, a graduate of Loma Linda University's School of Medicine in 1971,^[3] and a sister, Kathleen Geraty.

His father, T.S. Geraty, worked as an educator and missionary. As a youth Geraty learned from his father's diverse roles as President of Middle East College, now Middle East University in Lebanon, as a missionary in China, a professor at Andrews University in Michigan, Associate Education Secretary for the General Conference and editor of the church's education journal.^[3][4][5] His mother, Hazel Geraty, was an elementary school teacher who taught at J.N. Andrews. School in Maryland and Ruth Murdoch Elementary School in Michigan. Geraty attended San Pasqual Academy in the late 1950s, a now defunct Adventist High School in San Diego County, California.^[6][7]

Higher education

Pacific Union College, where Geraty received his undergraduate degree

Pacific Union College

After completing high school Geraty went to Pacific Union College (PUC) for his undergraduate degree in theology, which he received in 1962.^[7] During his college years he spent time at Newbold College, then known as Newbold Missionary College, in Binfield, Berkshire, England.^[8] During his senior year at PUC he was elected as the editor of the Campus Chronicle, the school newspaper, after running on a platform of "printing all that deserves to be printed" and making the paper "truly representative" of students at the school.^[7] He previously had editorial experience at the school newspapers of both San Pasqual Academy and Newbold College.^[7] During the summer of 1960 Geraty worked as a colporteur for the Potomac Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.^[9]

Andrews University Seminary

In 1962, while a senior theology student at Pacific Union College, Geraty accepted a ministerial internship with the Southeastern California Conference. The first part of the internship consisted of going to Andrews University for graduate school, after which he was to return to California to begin a field internship.^[10] In August 1963 Geraty graduated with a Masters of Arts in Religion^[11] and completed his Bachelor of Divinity in May 1965, both at Andrews University.^[11]

Harvard University

In 1966, while the Assistant Pastor of the Adventist Church in Santa Ana, California, Geraty was invited by Andrews University to join their Old Testament Department. Geraty, his wife, and infant daughter Julie moved to Harvard University in July 1966 where he began work on his PhD under the tutelage of George Ernest Wright and Frank Moore Cross. In 1972 he completed his PhD in Syro-Palestinian Archaeology with minor fields in Aramaic, Syriac, classical Hebrew, Northwest Semitic philology, and Old Testament history.^[12][13] During the summer of 1970, while a graduate student at Harvard, Geraty studied at Hebrew University in Jordan on a Fulbright Scholarship.

Career

Andrews University

From 1966 to 1976 Geraty is listed as Licensed Minister at Andrews University.^[14] In 1971 he became part of the Old Testament faculty at the University's Seminary, along with S. H. Horn, Gerhard Hasel, A. F. Johns, and Mrs. Leona G. Running.^[15] From 1977 Geraty is listed in the SDA Yearbook as an ordained minister; he and his father are listed side by side in the 1977 yearbook, both as employees of Andrews University.^[16]

Archaeologist

As a field archaeologist Geraty started at Gezer with Darrell Lance as field supervisor. In 1968 he joined Siegfried Horn and Roger Boraas at Tel Hisban. Geraty served the first three seasons there as a field supervisor. In 1974 he took over as director of the Hisban Expedition, which culminated with a final season in 1976. In 1982 Geraty began the Madaba Plains Project with Larry Herr and Øystein LaBianca.^[17]

In 1986 he was instrumental in forming the Archeological Consortium of Adventist Colleges when he led a tour of students from the member schools to the Madaba Plains Project dig, including the 'Umayri site.^[18] He led a similar 16-day tour in 1984, in his capacity as Director of the Institute of Archaeology at Andrews University, which journeyed to Jordan, Israel, and Egypt.^[19]

He is a long-time member of the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) at Boston University. He became the organization's vice-president in 1982 and was selected as its President on November 16, 2001.^[12][20]

One of the buildings on the old campus of Atlantic Union College

Atlantic Union College

Dr. Geraty was president of Atlantic Union College in South Lancaster, Massachusetts, from 1985 until 1993.^[1] While in this capacity he earned a reputation as a progressive academic administrator.^[2][21]

La Sierra University

From 1993 to 2007 Geraty served as President of La Sierra University.^[22] He took over following La Sierra's reformation as an independent institution, after it split from Loma Linda University, with his immediate role being to create an identity for the school.^[22] Geraty is credited with leading the school as it retired its debt and opened a new $23 million science complex.^[22] He was noted for his leadership in supporting the ordination of women in the Adventist church, with a prominent advocate saying he was not "afraid to stand alone for truth" in that regard.^[23] Responding to President Geraty's initiative La Sierra University's Board of Trustees voted in November 1996 to establish the first Women's Resource Center in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.^[24] Geraty serves on the Center's Board of Advisors to this day.^[24] On June 7, 2007, Geraty was honored as the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce's Citizen of the Year at a celebration dinner.^[2]

Awards

• 1970 – Fulbright Fellow.^[25]
• 2001 – Awarded the P. E. MacAllister Field Award for his "outstanding career" as a builder of archaeologists and archaeological teams. It noted that he promoted cutting-edge research among his students and colleagues and his work as a statesman in representing the interests of American Schools for Oriental Research archaeologists to the broader public.^[12][26]
• 2002–2005 – President of American Schools for Oriental Research (ASOR). Responsible for oversight of relationships with the institutes in Jerusalem, Amman, and Nicosia, as well as contacts with other professional organizations concerned with archaeology in the Middle East. The award cited his direction of a major archaeological expedition in Jordan, his presidency of a university, his accomplishments as a scholar and leader, and the respect of his colleagues for his non-controversial and diplomatic personality.^[26]
• 2007 – Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce's Citizen of the Year.^[2]
• 2007 – Honored in speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Ken Calvert.^[2]

Publications

See also

• Seventh-day Adventist Church
• History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
• Ellen G. White
• Adventist

References

External links

• lasierra.edu – Official website, La Sierra University