Paul Reiss

Paul Jacob Reiss (1930 – February 28, 2024) was an American sociologist and academic who served as the 14th president of Saint Michael's College in Colchester, Vermont. During his tenure, 80 percent of the College's facilities were newly built or renovated, and there was extensive computerization on campus. In 1989, he was an American representative at the Vatican consultation that led to Ex corde Ecclesiae.

Early life and education
Reiss was born in Lake Placid, New York, to Julian and Daisy Reiss. After graduating from La Salle Military Academy, he was educated at the College of the Holy Cross, where he received a Bachelor of Science (B.S.), magna cum laude, in 1952.

Reiss pursued graduate studies in sociology at Fordham University, earning a Master of Arts (M.A.) in 1954, then attended Harvard University, where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1960. His dissertation was titled "The Extended Kinship System in the American Urban Middle Class."

Career
After marrying Rosemary Agnes Donohue, a student at Emmanuel College, in 1955, Reiss joined the sociology faculty of Marquette University in 1957 and moved to Wisconsin. Her taught there until 1963, and then moved to Fordham University (1963–1985). From 1969 until 1985, he worked in Fordham's administration as Dean, Vice President, and Executive Vice President before leaving to become President of Saint Michael's (from which he retired as President Emeritus in 1996) he worked in administration as Dean, Vice President, and Executive Vice President.

Reiss was named Vermont Distinguished citizen of the year in 1996 and was awarded honorary degrees by Middlebury College and Showa University of Japan. Reiss's published works in sociology are primarily concerned with family, kinship, higher education, and moral values in Catholic education. Since the 1960s, Reiss and his wife Rosemary have tenaciously and successfully overseen the mission of a foundation established by his father Julian to operate summer camps for underserved children from New York City that focus on academics, leadership and recreation in Lake Placid, NY.

Reiss finished his book titled Dad in 2000. The memoir contains stories about his family, mostly referring to the accomplishments of his ancestors.

After his retirement from St Michael's College, Reiss served several years as President of the Lake Placid Sinfonietta and as the founding Chairman of Mercy Care for the Adirondacks. Reiss was married to the former Rosemary A. Donohue for over 60 years, until her death in 2023. They have nine children, 30 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.