Vincent Rougeau facts for kids

Vincent D. Rougeau (born June 17, 1963) is an important American expert in law. He is currently the 33rd president of the College of the Holy Cross. He made history by becoming the college's first president who is not a priest (called a "lay" president) and also its first Black president. Before leading Holy Cross, Mr. Rougeau was the dean (head) of Boston College Law School from 2011 to 2021. He also led the Association of American Law Schools, a group for law schools across America.

Early Life and Education

Vincent Rougeau was born on June 17, 1963, in Miami Beach, Florida. His parents were Catholic. His father, Weldon Rougeau, became a lawyer after graduating from Harvard Law School in 1972. He was involved in the Civil Rights Movement, working to make sure everyone had equal rights. Vincent's mother was a medical professional who worked at a hospital in Miami Beach.

Vincent grew up in several different places, including Chicago, Illinois; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Queens, New York; and Silver Spring, Maryland. After finishing Wheaton High School, he earned a scholarship to attend Brown University. He graduated in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in international relations. He earned this degree magna cum laude, which means "with great honor."

After Brown, he went to Harvard Law School. While there, he worked as an editor for the Harvard Human Rights Journal. He earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, which is a law degree, in 1988.

Career Highlights

After law school, Mr. Rougeau became a member of the Maryland State Bar Association and the District of Columbia Bar. This meant he was officially allowed to practice law in those areas. From 1988 to 1991, he worked as a lawyer in a private law firm called Morrison & Foerster in Washington, D.C..

Later, he became a professor of law at Loyola University Chicago. He taught there from 1991 to 1997.

Notre Dame Law School

In 1997, Mr. Rougeau joined the team at Notre Dame Law School as a visiting associate professor. He later earned "tenure," which means he got a permanent teaching position. From 1999 to 2002, he also served as the school's Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. This role meant he helped manage the school's teaching programs.

Leading Law Schools

In 2011, Vincent Rougeau was chosen to be the Dean (the main leader) of Boston College Law School. He held this important position until July 2021. During his time there, he also became the president of the Association of American Law Schools in January 2021. This group helps connect law schools across the country.

President of Holy Cross

In July 2021, Mr. Rougeau took on a new role as the President of the College of the Holy Cross. When he started, he said his main goals were to make the college more diverse (meaning including people from many different backgrounds) and to improve the college's relationship with the city of Worcester.

Personal Life

Vincent Rougeau is married to Robin Kornegay-Rougeau. They have three children together: Christian, Alexander, and Vincent.