John Lancaster, Class of 1963

Mr. Lancaster is a native of Hamburg, New York. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1967 with a B.A. in the General Program of Liberal Studies. As a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, he commanded an infantry platoon in combat during the Vietnam War earning a Purple Heart and Bronze Star in 1968. Following military service, he returned to Notre Dame for a law degree. Mr. Lancaster retired as the Executive Director of the National Council on Independent Living in May 2009. From 1981-1987, he served Governor Harry Hughes of Maryland as the Director of the Office for Individuals with Disabilities. In 1995, President Clinton appointed him as Executive Director of the President’s Committee’s on Employment of People with Disabilities. In 2011, President Barack Obama appointed and the United States Senate confirmed Mr. Lancaster to the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace. He currently serves as a Board Member on many committees, some of which include the United States International Council on Disabilities, World Institute of Disability, and Handicap International Federation.