The Hon. Frederick J. Lower ’64 (LMU ’56) passed away on Jan. 26, 2026, at the age of 90 years old. He leaves an outsized legacy at LLS. His time at the school included two tenures as dean, longtime service as a faculty member, a stint as Judge-in-Residence, and of course, his years as a student.
Judge Lower’s LLS story began when he enrolled in our Evening JD Program after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, having earned his undergraduate degree from LMU in 1956. Later, Judge Lower had a trial and appellate litigation practice before returning to the law school as an adjunct and then full-time professor. He taught Civil Procedure, Torts, and Insurance Law, among others.
LLS would not be what we know it as today without Judge Lower’s transformative leadership as its 10th dean from 1973-79. Expansion of campus was a signature part of his tenure, which included commissioning architect Frank O. Gehry’s award-winning campus design and the acquisition of land on which to build it. His tenure also saw faculty growth, the launch of the Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review, and broader alumni outreach. Under his watch, the school started 15 alumni chapters across the country, introduced the Board of Visitors, and added key scholarships.
Judge Lower returned to serve as interim dean in 1990. He later was appointed to the L.A. Superior Court bench and became a Judge-in-Residence in our Civil Litigation Practicum. To honor his commitment to LLS, an academic chair – currently held by Professor Ted Seto – was named in Judge Lower’s honor.
A memorial service will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, at St. Lawrence Martyr Catholic Church (1940 S. Prospect Ave, Redondo Beach). Judge Lower is survived by Virginia, his wife of 69 years; daughters Susan E. Greene ’87, Catherine L. Keefe ‘80, Therese L. Lower ‘79, and Karen M. Stoffers ‘84/LLS ’89; 10 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.