Tom's Life Bits

Orlando Sentinel; Orlando, Fla.; Jul 3, 1987; Cory Jo Lancaster of The Sentinel Staff;

Abstract:

Those credentials have been listed for several years in course catalogs and pamphlets. Former FIT President Jerome Keuper and acting President John Miller knew about the credentials when [James Lyons] was appointed to the faculty of its aeronautics school three months ago, Lyons said last week.

Full Text: (Copyright 1987 by The Orlando Sentinel)

Florida Institute of Technology officials started an extensive background investigation Thursday into the school's board chairman and will meet in two weeks to decide what action to take against him for using diploma-mill college credentials.

 The investigation started amid growing sentiment by students,
 alumni and faculty that FIT board chairman and professor
 James Lyons, 59, should resign or be fired because of the
 diploma-mill degrees.

   Melbourne attorney Philip Nohrr was hired by the school and
   began the investigation Thursday into Lyons' military,
   educational and employment background, board Vice Chairman
   Bill Potter said Thursday.

  Those results should be available in two weeks and the board
  then will meet to decide what action to take, Potter said.

Meanwhile, FIT's faculty senate has called a special meeting for Tuesday afternoon because of concern over Lyons' credentials.

   "The faculty I've talked to are very concerned about what's
   appeared in the press," said Clayton Baum, faculty senate
   president and chemistry professor. "I don't know exactly
   what will happen Tuesday, but I think it would be best for
   us to get together as a group and talk about this."

Lyons told FBI agents in 1983 that he sent off for a bachelor's and a master's degree in 1981 from National College of Arts and Sciences. The owner of the college, Anthony Geruntino, later pleaded guilty to using the mail and telephones to operate three diploma mills, including National College.

Lyons used the two degrees to obtain a doctorate in management
science from Clayton University, an unaccredited college with
no campus or faculty in St. Louis. He also received an
honorary degree from another one of Geruntino's schools,
called Southwestern University.

Those credentials have been listed for several years in course
catalogs and pamphlets. Former FIT President Jerome Keuper and
acting President John Miller knew about the credentials when
Lyons was appointed to the faculty of its aeronautics school
three months ago, Lyons said last week.

“I am greatly fearful of the tremendous damage to the school if the board of trustees doesn't ask for his resignation or fire him,” said Larry Mortland of Melbourne, president of the alumni association.

“The majority of students feel that Lyons is living a lie,” said junior Paul Swann, former student government president. “He's misled a lot of people, so he should be gotten rid of for FIT's sake and to make an example of him.”

Said one professor: “This whole thing is a bomb. I am afraid he will jeopardize FIT's accreditation if he does not leave.”

     The Southeastern Association of Colleges and Schools, the
     regional accrediting board in Atlanta, "would have a real
     problem with someone on the faculty having pure mail-
     order degrees," Assistant Executive Director Jack Allen
     said.

“If one of our committees was on campus and picked up on it, it

would definitely go into a report," he said. "But it would not
       be significant unless the school failed to correct it."

Lynn Weaver, dean of engineering at Auburn University who will
become FIT's president in the fall, said Thursday he was aware
of the controversy. He would not comment on it because he does
not know the details, he said.

Besides the questionable degrees, Potter said the investigation will look into the following areas of Lyons' background:

1. - Whether he misrepresented his credentials to FIT or another

institution to gain an academic appointment with the School of

Aeronautics.

    Lyons is listed as an aviation management professor in the
    college's 1987-88 catalog and as an aeronautics professor
    in other FIT records.

1. - Whether Lyons used his relationship with FIT to obtain the

college degrees or whether he used his position with FIT to

            promote the colleges that granted him the degrees.

Lyons told the FBI in 1983 that he did not agree to transfer any

   credits from Geruntino's colleges to FIT, "but did agree to
         evaluate or consider transfer from any of Geruntino's

institutions or any other university,” according to FBI records.

– Whether Lyons misrepresented his military experience.

 During the FBI interview, Lyons first said that he had been a

test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base in California, the records show. “Lyons later advised that he was only stationed at Edwards

           Air Force Base as a sergeant and worked strictly in
     communications in the airport tower," the records stated.

Lyons could not be reached for comment Thursday, but last week he said that he has clearly proved that he has the abilities needed to be chairman of the board. His ties with the university date to its beginning in the late 1950s when he served on its first fund-raising campaign. He also said he has not yet taught any classes at FIT.

[Illustration] PHOTO: James Lyons

Sub Title: [3 STAR Edition] Start Page: D1 Dateline: MELBOURNE Companies: Federal Bureau of InvestigationSic:922120Sic:9200

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