The present research takes a case study approach to understanding the academic merger process by analyzing the 2009 merger between Baltimore Hebrew University (BHU) and Towson University (TU). Based upon the interviews with fifteen stakeholders involved in the BHU / TU merger, we detail the sequence of events from their point of view, and consider how this sequence applies to the stages of the methodological process of mergers within an academic context. Factors that eventually led to successful implementation of the BHU / TU merger include a commitment of senior management, trust, transparency, giving up of ego and resources, communication between all parties, and mobilization. Analysis of the BHU / TU merger suggests that the process that led to successful integration of the two institutions implicitly followed the methodological steps outlined in the academic literature on mergers. Results highlight the stages of the merger implementation process: identifying the problems; analyzing the constraints and alternatives; choosing the optimal alternative; and implementing the merger. The conclusion of our research demonstrates that the goals set at the beginning of the process were met, as a result of documenting and following up the practical actions of the merger process.