List of presidents of Georgetown University

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The Office of the President is housed in Healy Hall. Georgetown University entrance.JPG
The Office of the President is housed in Healy Hall.

Georgetown University is a private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States that was founded as Georgetown College by Bishop John Carroll of Baltimore in 1789. [2] The president of Georgetown University is its chief executive officer, [3] and from its establishment until the 1960s was also the rector of the university's Jesuit community. [4] The president is elected by and may be removed by the university's board of directors, and is ex officio a member of the board. The president is also one of five members of the university's legal corporation, [3] known as the President and Directors of Georgetown College, which was first chartered by the United States Congress in 1815. [5]

Contents

The president is charged with control over the "business affairs and properties" of the university, and appoints the vice presidents and administrators and, with the concurrence of the board, appoints the provost, secretary, and treasurer of the university. The president may remove any officer, vice president, or administrator by his accord, except the provost, secretary, and treasurer, which require the concurrence of the board. If the office is vacant, then the powers of the presidency are exercised by the provost. [3] The president is among the 100 highest-paid university presidents in the United States. [6]

Of the 41 individuals to have held the office, nearly all have been Jesuits. [4] Only one has been a member of another religious order while president: Louis William Valentine DuBourg, who was a Sulpician. [7] Three presidents have gone on to become bishops: DuBourg, [7] Leonard Neale, [8] and Benedict Joseph Fenwick. [9] Every president has been a Catholic priest except one, the current president, John J. DeGioia. [4] Having assumed office on July 1, 2001, [10] DeGioia is the university's longest-serving president. [4]

Presidents

Giovanni Antonio Grassi Giovanni Antonio Grassi portrait.jpg
Giovanni Antonio Grassi
Patrick Francis Healy Patrick Francis Healy.jpg
Patrick Francis Healy
J. Havens Richards J. Havens Richards portrait.png
J. Havens Richards
W. Coleman Nevils W. Coleman Nevils.png
W. Coleman Nevils
Timothy S. Healy Timothy S. Healy.png
Timothy S. Healy
John J. DeGioia John J. DeGioia at the World Economic Forum Summit on the Global Agenda 2008.jpg
John J. DeGioia
Key
SJ Society of Jesus
PSS Society of the Priests of Saint Sulpice
Presidents
No.NameYearsNotesRef.
1 Robert Plunkett SJ17911793 [11]
2 Robert Molyneux SJ17931796Superior of the Jesuit Maryland Mission (18051808) [12] [11]
3 Louis William Valentine DuBourg PSS17961798Founder and President of St. Mary's College (17991810); Bishop of Louisiana and the Two Floridas (18151826); Bishop of Montauban (18261833); Archbishop of Besançon (1833). [7] [11]
4 Leonard Neale SJ17981806 Coadjutor Bishop of Baltimore (17951815); Archbishop of Baltimore (18151817) [8] [11]
5 Robert Molyneux SJ18061808 [11]
6 Francis Neale SJ18081809Acting president [11]
7 William Matthews 1809President of the Washington Seminary (18241848). [13] Georgetown alumnus. [14] Was a Jesuit novice only for the duration of his presidency. [13] [11]
8 Francis Neale SJ18091812 [11]
9 Giovanni Antonio Grassi SJ18121817Superior of the Jesuit Maryland Mission (18121817); Provincial Superior of the Jesuit Province of Turin (18311835); Rector of the Pontificio Collegio Urbano de Propaganda Fide (18401842). [15] Sometimes referred to as Georgetown's "second founder." [16] [11]
10 Benedict Joseph Fenwick SJ1817 Bishop of Boston (18251846). [9] Georgetown alumnus. [17] [11]
11 Anthony Kohlmann SJ18171820 Apostolic Administrator of New York (18101815); Superior of the Jesuit Maryland Mission (18171819); [18] President of the Washington Seminary (18201824). [19] [11]
12 Enoch Fenwick SJ18201825Georgetown alumnus [20] [11]
13 Benedict Joseph Fenwick SJ1825Acting president [11]
14 Stephen Larigaudelle Dubuisson SJ18251826Georgetown alumnus [21] [11]
15 William Feiner SJ18261829 [11]
16 John W. Beschter SJ1829 [11]
17 Thomas F. Mulledy SJ18291838Provincial Superior of the Jesuit Maryland Province (18371840); [12] President of the College of the Holy Cross (18431845). [22] Georgetown alumnus. [23] [11]
18 William McSherry SJ18381839Provincial Superior of the Jesuit Maryland Province (18331837, 1839). [12] Georgetown alumnus. [24] [11]
19 Joseph A. Lopez SJ18391840Acting president. First Latin American college president in the United States. [25] [11]
20 James A. Ryder SJ18401845Provincial Superior of the Jesuit Maryland Province (18431845); [12] President of the College of the Holy Cross (18451848); President of Saint Joseph's College (18561857). [26] Georgetown alumnus. [27] [11]
21 Samuel Mulledy SJ1845Georgetown alumnus [28] [11]
22 Thomas F. Mulledy SJ18451848 [11]
23 James A. Ryder SJ18481851 [11]
24 Charles H. Stonestreet SJ18511852Provincial Superior of the Jesuit Maryland Province (18521858); [12] President of Gonzaga College (18581860). [29] Georgetown alumnus. [30] [11]
25 Bernard A. Maguire SJ18521858Georgetown alumnus [31] [11]
26 John Early SJ18581865President of the College of the Holy Cross (18481851); President of Loyola College in Maryland (18521858, 18661870). [32] Georgetown alumnus. [33] [11]
27 Bernard A. Maguire SJ18661870 [11]
28 John Early SJ18701873 [11]
29 Patrick Francis Healy SJ18731882Self-identified as white but posthumously recognized as the first black American to become a Jesuit, earn a Ph.D. and become the president of a predominantly white American university. [34] Sometimes referred to as Georgetown's "second founder." [35] [11]
30 James A. Doonan SJ18821888Georgetown alumnus [36] [11]
31 J. Havens Richards SJ18881898 [11]
32 John D. Whitney SJ18981901 [37]
33 Jerome Daugherty SJ19011905 [37]
34 David Hillhouse Buel SJ19051908 [37]
35 Joseph J. Himmel SJ19081912Rector of St. Andrew-on-Hudson (19151921) [38] [37]
36 Alphonsus J. Donlon SJ19121918Georgetown alumnus [39] [37]
37 John B. Creeden SJ19181924 [37]
38 Charles W. Lyons SJ19241928Rector of Gonzaga College (19081909); President of Saint Joseph's College (19091914); President of Boston College (19141919) [40] [37]
39 W. Coleman Nevils SJ19281935President of the University of Scranton (19421947) [41] [37]
40 Arthur A. O'Leary SJ19351942 [37]
41 Lawrence C. Gorman SJ19421949 [37]
42 J. Hunter Guthrie SJ19491952 [37]
43 Edward B. Bunn SJ19521964President of Loyola College in Maryland (19381947) [42] [43]
44 Gerard J. Campbell SJ19641968 [43]
45 Robert J. Henle SJ19691976 [43]
46 Timothy S. Healy SJ19761989President of the New York Public Library (19891992) [44] [43]
47 Leo J. O'Donovan SJ19892001Georgetown alumnus [45] [43]
48 John J. DeGioia 2001presentFirst lay president of a Jesuit university in the United States. [46] Georgetown alumnus. [4] [43]

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Mulledy</span> American Jesuit priest (1811–1866)

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References

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Sources