Global Conversations

Educator Tom Arlotto ’66 brings global conversations to Seton Hall through an endowed gift. 

Tom Arlotto has been on six continents, but he’s always called New Jersey home. A retired educator, he recalls pleasant memories of growing up in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his large family. “I’m one of nine siblings. It was organized chaos,” he says with a smile. “Really, though, our home was a very warm and welcoming environment. My parents were strict, but there was always room for one more at the dinner table,” he says.  

That familial spirit has influenced Arlotto throughout his life. For over 30 years, he taught math to middle schoolers in Franklin Township, New Jersey. “They were my kids. I loved it. I felt needed,” he says.  

The importance of education motivates Arlotto to continue making a difference in the field. In addition to volunteering with the New Jersey Retirees’ Education Association, he provides philanthropic support to higher education institutions in the state, including Seton Hall, where he received a master’s degree in business administration before becoming a teacher.  

Arlotto’s endowed gift to the University supports the World Leaders Forum speaker series, a long-running initiative of the School of Diplomacy and International Relations that brings global conversations onto campus. The first program to be funded by the Arlotto Family Diplomacy Speaker Series was the recent World Leaders Forum featuring Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, the Permanent Observer to the Holy See of the United Nations. Arlotto sees the endowment as a way to bring heads of state, leaders of internationally active organizations, Nobel Peace Prize laureates, public officials, journalists, labor leaders, business executives, philanthropists, ambassadors and diplomats to Seton Hall to engage in both community and small-group student-focused programming.  

“I hope those who attend, especially the University’s students, will gain more understanding about different cultures of the world and can appreciate seeing different people who have different values,” Arlotto says. He also notes that his gift, purposely named for the Arlotto Family, is a way for him to thank his parents and siblings.  

“Tom has frequently told me how amazed he is to have the opportunity to engage with the dignitaries that we host on campus, which is right in line with what I hear from our students and faculty about the World Leaders Forum,” says School of Diplomacy Dean Courtney B. Smith, who has been with the school since 1999, when the speaker series launched.  

“Maybe one of the kids who attends my lecture series becomes, I don’t know, the secretary of state one day,” Arlotto ponders.  

In terms of his own career path, Arlotto did not set out to become a teacher. After graduating from college with a bachelor’s degree in economics, he worked at Honeywell in the personnel department. “It wasn’t for me,” he says, noting that firing people was part of his job. He left the corporation and started substitute teaching as a way to make money — turns out, he also found his calling. “Teaching came naturally to me. I loved it. I loved teaching math. It was a very rewarding experience,” he says. Arlotto went on to earn a teacher certification and later a master’s degree in education.  

In 1991, he was honored by New Jersey Gov. Jim Florio as Teacher of the Year at Franklin Township’s Hillcrest School. The award certificate hangs on a wall in Arlotto’s home, which is adorned with artifacts and collectibles from his world travels. Among the many meaningful items on display is a linguistics textbook. Though its cover is plain compared to the intricate global décor alongside it, the textbook was written by his brother, who was a Harvard professor. Its prominent display in Arlotto’s home reflects the invaluable roles that family and education have played throughout his life.  

“I am privileged to know Tom,” says Smith. “I am especially touched when he indicates that he wishes his parents could see him now and witness the experiences he gets to have through his relationship with our school. I smile right back and remind him that his support is an essential piece in making these moments happen.” 

Lori (Varga) Riley, M.A., ’06, is a freelance writer living in New Jersey.