| Antonio “Tony” E. Lapitan, Ph.D. Beaver Creek, Ohio A Committed National Leader Of The Filipino Communities Dedicated To Highlight Positive Filipino Image |
In the 1950s, many young Filipinos came to America for graduate
studies or advanced training in many areas of specialization.
They came as graduate students or professional health
practitioners seeking advanced degrees, training, and work
experience. Many had no plans for staying in this country
because they were imbued by a strong desire to make a
contribution to the national development of the Philippines.
Dr. Tony E. Lapitan was one of those who came to America in
1955 with a clear plan for graduate studies in the field of
International Relations and a return to the Philippines to serve in
the government. This is the story of his educational experience
in the United States, his successful career as a college
professor, and his public service as the first Filipino-American
elected to public office in the State of Ohio.
studies or advanced training in many areas of specialization.
They came as graduate students or professional health
practitioners seeking advanced degrees, training, and work
experience. Many had no plans for staying in this country
because they were imbued by a strong desire to make a
contribution to the national development of the Philippines.
Dr. Tony E. Lapitan was one of those who came to America in
1955 with a clear plan for graduate studies in the field of
International Relations and a return to the Philippines to serve in
the government. This is the story of his educational experience
in the United States, his successful career as a college
professor, and his public service as the first Filipino-American
elected to public office in the State of Ohio.
In the summer of 1955, the Philippine Fulbright Commission selected Lapitan one of several Filipino
students for graduate study in the United States. He was 22 years old then and recently graduated from U.P.
with an A.B. degree in Political Science. He went to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania to pursue his Master’s
degree in International Relations. He was one of about half a dozen Filipino students at Lehigh at the time.
He completed the
Master’s degree in International Relations with distinction in 1957. He applied and was admitted to the
University of Oregon to pursue his doctorate in Political Science.
He was elected President of the Cosmopolitan Club in 1958-59 for foreign students at the University of
Oregon. He was the first Filipino student to be elected Foreign Student Representative to the Associated
Students of the University of Oregon.
In 1961, he transferred to Boise State and developed a reputation as an Asian specialist. He wrote articles
for the local newspaper and he became a popular speaker with many service and professional
organizations. In 1964, an academic opening with better opportunities for professional growth became
available at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. Lapitan applied and was offered the position. He was
associated with UNLV from 1964 to 1969, except for the year in 1966-67 that he and his family spent in the
Philippines on a Ford Foundation grant. At UNLV he increased his participation in the political life of the
community and successfully completed the Ph.D. UNLV rewarded him for these accomplishments with a
promotion to Associate Professor, a permanent appointment to the faculty, and the Chair of the Political
Science Department. He was giving back something to the community and particularly to the Filipino-
American community in Las Vegas.
It was at this time that Lapitan began to consider how he could give back something to the Philippines. The
opportunity came in 1966-67 when Lapitan received a Ford Foundation grant to do research in the
Philippines. A faculty appointment was arranged at the Ateneo de Manila University in return for an office
space and an opportunity for Lapitan to interact with the faculty and students.
In the summer of 1967, the Lapitan family returned to Las Vegas where they lived until 1969. His scholarship
in Philippine studies gained national and international recognition. There were also other opportunities
coming from universities in the East and the Midwest. One of these was the offer from the University of Dayton
for the Chairmanship of the Political Science Department in 1969.
Lapitan was associated with the University of Dayton from 1969 to 1998. It was a period of many professional
challenges, opportunities. He was Chairperson of the Political Science Department from 1969 to 1978,
Director of Graduate Studies from 1979 to 1996, and was Full Professor of Political Science. He was elected
by his peers to the first Academic Senate, played a major role in the development of its constitution, and
served in several university-wide committees on planning, affirmative action, international programs, and
faculty affairs.
In 1978, he took a sabbatical leave, and accepted a consultancy position with the College of Public
Administration at the University of the Philippines. He assisted in the development of the graduate program in
Public Policy and taught courses at U.P. He also participated in the evaluation of the Bicol River Basin
Development Project in Camarines Sur.
He returned to the University of Dayton for the 1980-81 school year only to be informed of his selection to
receive the prestigious Fulbright-Hays Senior Award for Taiwan to teach and do research in the Republic of
China in Taiwan. He taught graduate courses in public administration at the National Taiwan University and
became a senior research associate at the Institute of American Studies’ Academia Sinica. There were
several academic honors and appointments that Dr. Lapitan received during his long tenure at the University
of Dayton. Besides the Fulbright-Hays Senior Teaching appointment he received from the U.S. government,
he was also the recipient of a U.S. Department of Education grant for research in Pakistan, a U.S. Department
of State appointment as visiting scholar in the State Department, and several National Science Foundation
grants for post-doctoral studies. His teaching experience was not limited to the American and Philippine
university system because he also taught at the Universidad Internacional de Mexico in Mexico City, the
University of Florence in Italy, and the Pontifical Catholic University of Parana in Brazil. The results of his
research and writing in the fields of political development, development administration, policy analysis, and
international political economy were presented in professional conferences in the United States, Asia,
Canada, and Western Europe.
In 1988, he was selected by the Rotary International to receive the Rotary Foundation Grant for Teaching in a
Third World country. He selected Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao as a venue for his
teaching. It was a time for giving back something to the Philippines and Dr. Lapitan was glad to have the
opportunity to serve the people of northern Mindanao.
As a political science professor, Lapitan was always conscious of the importance of public service. The
closest he got to public service in 1971 when he accepted a summer appointment to work for the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID) in South Vietnam. In 1981, he was provided the
opportunity to run for the school board of the Trotwood-Madison City Schools in Ohio. He was the first Asian-
American to run for public office in this community. He received broad support from the voters and became
the first Filipino-American in the State of Ohio to be elected to a public office and was re-elected in 1985
receiving the highest number of votes among the five candidates in that election. He served the Trotwood-
Madison City School Board until his resignation in 1988. As a member of the Trotwood-Madison Board of
Education, he served as Vice President and President of the Board twice. He was instrumental in the
development of policies that strengthened academic requirements for student participation in athletics, in
requiring the school district to participate in the national proficiency testing of students, and in encouraging
school teachers to pursue advanced training in their teaching fields.
From this simple roots in the south side of Manila, Dr. Lapitan brought about many changes in his life and the
people he touched and taught. He was an example of a Filipino-American who was not only successful in
pursuing his career but also in giving back something to his community and his native country. In June
1998, Dr. Lapitan retired from the University of Dayton and was recognized with an appointment as Emeritus
Professor in the University. He continues to be active in the Greater Dayton Chapter of FAPA which he co-
founded in 1990, in the Philippine-American Society of Greater Dayton which he helped establish in 1972, and
in the national empowerment movement of Filipino-Americans in this country through the NFAC and NaFFAA.
Now at 65 years old, Dr. Lapitan is beginning his retirement by continuing his interest in Filipino-American
causes, sharing life with his wife of 38 years, Ethel Nanette, their four daughters, and three grandchildren, and
building a retirement home in Florida. Although he was not able to directly accomplish his plan of returning to
the Philippines and to serve its people, he is satisfied with what he has been able to give back to the country
of his birth. #
students for graduate study in the United States. He was 22 years old then and recently graduated from U.P.
with an A.B. degree in Political Science. He went to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania to pursue his Master’s
degree in International Relations. He was one of about half a dozen Filipino students at Lehigh at the time.
He completed the
Master’s degree in International Relations with distinction in 1957. He applied and was admitted to the
University of Oregon to pursue his doctorate in Political Science.
He was elected President of the Cosmopolitan Club in 1958-59 for foreign students at the University of
Oregon. He was the first Filipino student to be elected Foreign Student Representative to the Associated
Students of the University of Oregon.
In 1961, he transferred to Boise State and developed a reputation as an Asian specialist. He wrote articles
for the local newspaper and he became a popular speaker with many service and professional
organizations. In 1964, an academic opening with better opportunities for professional growth became
available at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. Lapitan applied and was offered the position. He was
associated with UNLV from 1964 to 1969, except for the year in 1966-67 that he and his family spent in the
Philippines on a Ford Foundation grant. At UNLV he increased his participation in the political life of the
community and successfully completed the Ph.D. UNLV rewarded him for these accomplishments with a
promotion to Associate Professor, a permanent appointment to the faculty, and the Chair of the Political
Science Department. He was giving back something to the community and particularly to the Filipino-
American community in Las Vegas.
It was at this time that Lapitan began to consider how he could give back something to the Philippines. The
opportunity came in 1966-67 when Lapitan received a Ford Foundation grant to do research in the
Philippines. A faculty appointment was arranged at the Ateneo de Manila University in return for an office
space and an opportunity for Lapitan to interact with the faculty and students.
In the summer of 1967, the Lapitan family returned to Las Vegas where they lived until 1969. His scholarship
in Philippine studies gained national and international recognition. There were also other opportunities
coming from universities in the East and the Midwest. One of these was the offer from the University of Dayton
for the Chairmanship of the Political Science Department in 1969.
Lapitan was associated with the University of Dayton from 1969 to 1998. It was a period of many professional
challenges, opportunities. He was Chairperson of the Political Science Department from 1969 to 1978,
Director of Graduate Studies from 1979 to 1996, and was Full Professor of Political Science. He was elected
by his peers to the first Academic Senate, played a major role in the development of its constitution, and
served in several university-wide committees on planning, affirmative action, international programs, and
faculty affairs.
In 1978, he took a sabbatical leave, and accepted a consultancy position with the College of Public
Administration at the University of the Philippines. He assisted in the development of the graduate program in
Public Policy and taught courses at U.P. He also participated in the evaluation of the Bicol River Basin
Development Project in Camarines Sur.
He returned to the University of Dayton for the 1980-81 school year only to be informed of his selection to
receive the prestigious Fulbright-Hays Senior Award for Taiwan to teach and do research in the Republic of
China in Taiwan. He taught graduate courses in public administration at the National Taiwan University and
became a senior research associate at the Institute of American Studies’ Academia Sinica. There were
several academic honors and appointments that Dr. Lapitan received during his long tenure at the University
of Dayton. Besides the Fulbright-Hays Senior Teaching appointment he received from the U.S. government,
he was also the recipient of a U.S. Department of Education grant for research in Pakistan, a U.S. Department
of State appointment as visiting scholar in the State Department, and several National Science Foundation
grants for post-doctoral studies. His teaching experience was not limited to the American and Philippine
university system because he also taught at the Universidad Internacional de Mexico in Mexico City, the
University of Florence in Italy, and the Pontifical Catholic University of Parana in Brazil. The results of his
research and writing in the fields of political development, development administration, policy analysis, and
international political economy were presented in professional conferences in the United States, Asia,
Canada, and Western Europe.
In 1988, he was selected by the Rotary International to receive the Rotary Foundation Grant for Teaching in a
Third World country. He selected Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao as a venue for his
teaching. It was a time for giving back something to the Philippines and Dr. Lapitan was glad to have the
opportunity to serve the people of northern Mindanao.
As a political science professor, Lapitan was always conscious of the importance of public service. The
closest he got to public service in 1971 when he accepted a summer appointment to work for the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID) in South Vietnam. In 1981, he was provided the
opportunity to run for the school board of the Trotwood-Madison City Schools in Ohio. He was the first Asian-
American to run for public office in this community. He received broad support from the voters and became
the first Filipino-American in the State of Ohio to be elected to a public office and was re-elected in 1985
receiving the highest number of votes among the five candidates in that election. He served the Trotwood-
Madison City School Board until his resignation in 1988. As a member of the Trotwood-Madison Board of
Education, he served as Vice President and President of the Board twice. He was instrumental in the
development of policies that strengthened academic requirements for student participation in athletics, in
requiring the school district to participate in the national proficiency testing of students, and in encouraging
school teachers to pursue advanced training in their teaching fields.
From this simple roots in the south side of Manila, Dr. Lapitan brought about many changes in his life and the
people he touched and taught. He was an example of a Filipino-American who was not only successful in
pursuing his career but also in giving back something to his community and his native country. In June
1998, Dr. Lapitan retired from the University of Dayton and was recognized with an appointment as Emeritus
Professor in the University. He continues to be active in the Greater Dayton Chapter of FAPA which he co-
founded in 1990, in the Philippine-American Society of Greater Dayton which he helped establish in 1972, and
in the national empowerment movement of Filipino-Americans in this country through the NFAC and NaFFAA.
Now at 65 years old, Dr. Lapitan is beginning his retirement by continuing his interest in Filipino-American
causes, sharing life with his wife of 38 years, Ethel Nanette, their four daughters, and three grandchildren, and
building a retirement home in Florida. Although he was not able to directly accomplish his plan of returning to
the Philippines and to serve its people, he is satisfied with what he has been able to give back to the country
of his birth. #
Washington D.C. Since 1987
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