January

We remember: former president Paul Magelli

Magelli passed away in early December. He served as MSU Denver president from 1985-88.

By Meghanne Shipe

January 9, 2017

Paul Magelli, Ph.D., served as MSU Denver’s president from 1985-88. He passed away peacefully on Sunday, Dec. 4 in Chicago at age 85. Magelli had been courageously battling lung damage, which he received after heart surgery this past summer.

Magelli was a strong and determined man. Despite being diagnosed with a heart problem in his forties, he decided to challenge his condition and train to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro when he was 79.

During his time at MSU Denver, then known as Metropolitan State College, he showed great dedication to the growth of a still young university, which he clearly saw as promising. He wanted all students, faculty, staff and community members to have pride in the college for it to grow. “We have to teach ourselves to develop pride,” Magelli said in an interview for a 1985 issue of The Metropolitan.

Magelli’s family and the College of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, where he’d been working as a professor and senior director, will celebrate his life on Saturday, Jan. 21 in Champaign, Illinois.

The life celebration will be livestreamed. To get the link, you must fill out the RSVP form by Jan. 9. Additional details will be sent via email the week of Jan. 16 to those who have filled out the RSVP form.

A memorial fund will be established; details are forthcoming.