It is with great sadness that St. Ambrose University shares the news of the passing of Dr. Edward Rogalski, President Emeritus and the 12th president of St. Ambrose University. He was 84.
Dr. Rogalski’s relationship with St. Ambrose spanned nearly four decades. He joined St. Ambrose in 1968 and served the University in several leadership roles before becoming president in 1987. He led St. Ambrose for the next 20 years, retiring in 2007 after 39 years of service to the institution.
His presidency coincided with an extraordinary period of growth and transformation. In the same year he became president, St. Ambrose formally became a university. During his tenure, the institution expanded its academic offerings, launched its first doctoral programs, significantly increased its residential capacity, and invested substantially in the physical campus. Among the projects completed during those years were the University Library, new residence halls and, in 2004, the student center that appropriately bears his name, the Rogalski Center.
Dr. Rogalski understood that universities are ultimately built through people and relationships. His leadership helped shape St. Ambrose into the institution it is today, and generations of students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the Quad Cities community benefited from his commitment to Catholic higher education and to the University he served for so many years.
His legacy remains visible across campus every day. The Rogalski Center is more than a building bearing his name. It remains one of the primary gathering places for students and the campus community, a fitting reminder of a president whose work was centered on creating opportunities for people to learn, gather and flourish together.
“Anyone who knew Dr. Rogalski would tell you that he was a person who cared deeply about people. He knew their names, their hometowns, what their parents did and where they went upon graduation. He greeted people with a hug and had an impeccable memory for those he encountered. He was never too busy for a conversation or a pick-me-up pep talk. Over an impressive 39-year career at St. Ambrose, Dr. Rogalski’s impact can be found in the thousands of lives his leadership touched and in the institution St. Ambrose is today. He was a remarkable servant leader whose imprint will be lasting.”
The St. Ambrose community is asked to keep Dr. Rogalski’s family and all those who loved and worked alongside him in their prayers.
Funeral services and a Mass of Christian Burial for Dr. Rogalski will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday, October 10, 2026, at Christ the King Chapel on the campus of St. Ambrose University in Davenport. Private family burial will take place at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Davenport.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, October 9, at the Rogalski Center on the St. Ambrose campus, with selected eulogies to be shared at 6:30 p.m. Additional visitation will be held Saturday at Christ the King Chapel from 9 a.m. until Mass begins. For his full obituary and additional details, please visit the online obituary.
As Ambrosians gather for Homecoming Oct. 1-4, members of our Alumni and Advancement team will be available to receive written messages of sympathy and remembrance. Condolences may also be mailed to our office at:
Family of Dr. Edward Rogalski
C/O St. Ambrose University Alumni Office
518 W. Locust St.
Davenport, IA 52803
To honor Dr. Rogalski’s remarkable legacy and lasting impact on St. Ambrose, memorial gifts may be made in his memory.
Additional information about opportunities to honor and remember Ed will be shared with the St. Ambrose community as details become available.
St. Ambrose University gives thanks for Dr. Rogalski’s remarkable life of service and the enduring imprint he leaves on the University.
