Robert J. Lane - Director, National Fraternal Congress of America

Robert J. Lane is Supreme Director Emeritus for the Knights of Columbus.

As the supreme secretary, Mr. Lane was responsible for all financial and insurance records of the Knights of Columbus.  He retired in November 2007.

A New Haven native, he was born in 1937 and attended Wilbur Cross High School and New Haven College.  He joined the staff of the International Headquarters in 1954 as a summer clerk and part-time employee in the accounting department before becoming a full-time employee in 1955.

Prior to being appointed supreme secretary, his extensive life insurance administration background led to a series of promotions.  He was designated assistant supreme secretary in 1984, serving in that capacity for 18 years before being named executive vice president (business process management) in 2002, and then in July 2005, supreme secretary.  He served as the chairman of the Knights of Columbus 125th Anniversary Committee.  A fifty-one year member of the Knights of Columbus, he joined San Salvador Council No. 1 in New Haven in 1956 and is also a member of the John Barry Fourth Degree Assembly. 

In 2000, he was made a Knight of St. Gregory by Archbishop Emeritus Daniel A. Cronin. That same year he was named by the archbishop to the Foundation for the Advancement of Catholic Schools board of trustees where he now serves as vice president.  Junior Achievement of Southwest New England named him to its Business Hall of Fame in May 2006.  New Haven Business Times recognized him for “A Lifetime of Service” on the cover of its November 2006 issue and featured his service in its Biography Series article.

He represented the Knights of Columbus Headquarters on the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, the Regional Leadership Council and is the vice-president and former treasurer of Farnam Neighborhood House, an inner-city community center and United Way agency in New Haven where he continues to serve on its board of directors. 

Mr. Lane and his wife Lee are parishioners of St. Stanislaus Church in New Haven where he serves as parish trustee and formerly served as both president of its school board and president of the Holy Name Society. In 2004, he received the St. Joseph’s Medal from Archbishop Henry J. Mansell for his parish community commitment.  He and his wife have a son, three daughters and eight grandchildren and have resided in North Branford, Connecticut, since 1971.



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