Sitting in the waiting area of the President’s suite, the form of a man in a hound’s-tooth jacket flashed past me, gripping my hand in welcome. The firm grip led me from my seat and towards the conference room. With a friendly smile, he offered me a seat. And so began my interview with Chuck Carletta, secretary of the Institute and general counsel.

Chuck was born and raised here in Troy, NY. He lived across the street from Mangione Locksmith in a building which is being restored by its current owner. It wasn’t until he was an undergraduate at Manhattan College, however, that his interest in law began. "Like many of my generation, I wanted to make a difference somewhere that would make something work better. I decided law was the vehicle by which I would make it happen."

In 1966, he received a B.A. with a double major in philosophy and government (political science). Although a member of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, he was allowed to attend law school after his undergraduate work. "There was a war on, and the Air Force needed lawyers. They told me that if I was willing to pay for it, they would give me the time to do it," Chuck recalled. He focused on constitutional law at the Albany Law School of Union University, and received his Juris Doctorate in 1969.

It was while studying law that his interest in student affairs began. Chuck authored a thesis on the due process rights of college students. It was slated to be published in the Albany Law Review, but due to other academic commitments on Chuck’s part it was not. Despite that, the topic continued to fascinate him. "Very few college general counsels seem to focus on student life, but to me it’s always been very interesting," mentions Chuck. After serving as a prosecuting attorney and defense counsel in a number of criminal cases in the Air Force, Chuck joined the Troy law firm of Pattison, Sampson, Ginsberg & Griffin in 1973. His trial work was expanded to include marital law and issues in higher education. The Pattison firm has serviced Rensselaer’s legal needs since the 1920’s.

After having lived all over the country, Chuck had come full circle, and he was now working with the same university that had been his playground as a boy. During his time as an external legal consultant, he became very involved with RPI’s student life. His involvement includes advising Alpha Phi Omega, Rensselaer’s highly regarded service fraternity, working with greeks generally, and advising student government. "One of my proudest moments was being honored by Phalanx. When they asked me to ‘consider’ being a member, tears welled up in my eyes," says Chuck.

In the months before the arrival of Dr. Jackson as president, Chuck’s workload increased, and he had the opportunity on give input on the issues that faced the Institute. However, it was Dr. Jackson who offered him the position of secretary of the Institute and general counsel, which allowed him to combine advising the president on legal issues with being responsible to the president for issues relating to the governance of the corporation, an area providing interaction with Rensselaer’s Board of Trustees. He jumped at the chance. "I knew big things would be happening under this new president and I wanted to be a part of them," Chuck said with a smile. He became secretary of the Institute and general counsel on January 1, 2000.

Outside of RPI he writes for a number of law journals, and is a nationally recognized speaker on higher education law.

In closing, Chuck gave me some words of wisdom for Rensselaer students. "The most important decisions we make in life are often the ones we are least trained for. One key to success in your life is selecting your personal and business partners wisely and then allowing for change. You must give the people you care about the freedom to change."

Chuck is the father of four, two of whom are now adults. The other two are involved in youth soccer (for which Chuck is a volunteer coach), and the Young Actors Guild at Rensselaer. He spends much of his free time with his children, but he also enjoys learning about new things and researching subjects outside of this field. He has "an insatiable curiosity about absolutely everything."

Next week: William A. "Bud" Baeslack III, Dean of the School of Engineering.