Rosenthal oversaw several significant developments in Notre Dame Athletics history. These included securing the first exclusive television contract with NBC in 1991, moving Irish Olympic sports into the BIG EAST Conference in 1995, and expanding Notre Dame Stadium from just over 59,000 seats to 80,000 for the 1997 season.
During Rosenthal’s tenure, Notre Dame added six women’s varsity sports: golf, soccer, softball, track and field, lacrosse, and rowing. He also served on the NCAA’s Gender Equity Task Force. In 1991, Rosenthal was recognized among the ‘100 Most Powerful People In Sports’ by The Sporting News, making him the only collegiate athletics director on the list at 37th place.
Born on January 20, 1933, in St. Louis, Missouri, Rosenthal was one of the greatest players in Notre Dame Basketball history. By the end of his Notre Dame career in 1954, he was the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,227 points. He captained the 1953-54 Irish team, which achieved an 18-game win streak and defeated top-ranked Indiana to advance to the NCAA Elite Eight.
Rosenthal received the Byron Kanaley Award in his senior year at Notre Dame, the highest honor for a Notre Dame student-athlete. The GLD Center in Notre Dame Athletics features the Rosenthal Leadership Academy, dedicated to fostering strong leadership among the university’s sports teams through progressive annual programming.
After being drafted by the Fort Wayne Pistons in the first round of the 1954 NBA Draft, Rosenthal played 85 games for the Pistons over three years before retiring to pursue a successful banking career. He later served as the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of St. Joseph Bank and Trust Company in South Bend, before assuming the role of Notre Dame Director of Athletics in 1987.
Rosenthal is survived by his wife Charlotte V. Rosenthal, and eight children: Kathy Bax (Michael), John Rosenthal (Mary), Lori Rosenthal, Joe Rosenthal (Blanca), Carol McClory (Michael), Ellen Bruneel (David), Susan Braun (Andy), and Mary Pat Davis (Scott). He is also survived by 21 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, four stepchildren, ten step-grandchildren, a cousin Jo Ann Lorek, and many extended family members.
Preceding him in death were his wife of 41 years, Marylyn, his infant son Richard Peter, his parents John and Bertha, and his brother Robert (JoAnn).
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at The Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the campus of the University of Notre Dame on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. The Mass will be live-streamed at basilica.nd.edu/sacraments/funerals/funerals-livestream/.
