Samuel Kirkwood came to AUB as dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences in 1962. His experience was extensive having served as commissioner of the Department of Public Health at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 1953 until 1958; later he was senior administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development in Iran.

In November 1965, when Burns resigned, Kirkwood was appointed AUB's seventh president, where he remained until his retirement in 1976. They were not easy years. The year 1965-66 marked the Centennial Year and Kirkwood worked hard, visiting Middle East countries, meeting with royalty, heads of state and government officials. He managed to keep AUB open during adverse times, Arab-Israeli wars, strikes, demonstrations, upheavals, and finally the civil war in Lebanon.

Kirkwood was a steadfast, soft-spoken person. At one of the student strikes on campus during the early 1970's, Kirkwood left his office in College Hall and went to West Hall to talk to the demostrating students. Amidst a great deal of commotion and shouting, President Kirkwood started to speak. Almost immediately there was calm, while the students strained to hear Kirkwood's softly spoken words.