Through exemplary teaching, fair and rigorous course work, and a deep commitment to students, the professor furthered academic and professional success for scores of Bentley graduates. Commencement 2008 — over which he presided in his longtime role as ceremonial marshal — marked the close of Professor Cross’s long career at Bentley. His retirement from the faculty prompted the school to establish the Richard L. Cross Fund for Excellence in Accountancy Education.
The native of Bangor, Maine, moved to Boston in 1960 to attend Bentley. He earned associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in accountancy in 1962 and 1966, respectively; an MBA from Northeastern University would follow. His first academic role came as an undergraduate, serving as a faculty assistant and a member of what was the Accounting Correcting Department. He went on to the Boston office of Ernst & Young, filling the post of staff auditor for three years. In 1969, the certified public accountant returned to Bentley for a faculty post he held for the rest of his career.
His contributions have ranged across the institution. These include teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, chairing the Accountancy Department, coordinating the CPA review course, and serving on many faculty committees. He represented the faculty on the Academic Affairs, Institutional Advancement, and Nominating committees of the Board of Trustees. In 1991, Professor Cross took up duties as the school’s ceremonial marshal.
Professor Cross’s unfailing commitment to students inspired several awards, notably, the Gregory H. Adamian Award for Teaching Excellence and the Outstanding Advising Award. His mentoring role extended to coordinating the Bentley Business Bowl case competition and advising student organizations such as Beta Alpha Psi and Kappa Pi Alpha. True to his calling, Professor Cross maintained a detailed log of the students who have filled his classroom through the years. The compilation (known simply as “The Book”) lists some 11,200 individuals, with the attendance date and grade for each student.
Contributions in memory of Richard Cross can be sent to Bentley University, c/o Randy Shaw, University Advancement, 175 Forest Street, Waltham, MA 02452.