Edward A. McGurk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Edward A. McGurk | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 15th President of the College of the Holy Cross | |
| In office 1893–1895 | |
| Preceded by | Michael O'Kane |
| Succeeded by | John F. Lehy |
| 8th President of Loyola College in Maryland | |
| In office 1877–1885 | |
| Preceded by | Stephen A. Kelly |
| Succeeded by | Francis Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 6, 1841 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | July 3, 1896 (aged 54) Fairhaven, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Resting place | College of the Holy Cross Cemetery |
| Alma mater | |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1872 |
Edward A. McGurk SJ (1841 – July 3, 1896) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who was the president of Loyola College in Maryland from 1877 to 1885 and the president of the College of the Holy Cross from 1893 to 1895. Born in Philadelphia, he entered the Society of Jesus in 1857. He taught at Holy Cross before becoming the president of Loyola College, where he liquidated some of the school's debt, which had accrued during the Civil War. In 1885, McGurk became the president of Gonzaga College (later a high school) in Washington, D.C. During his tenure, he constructed a new residence for the Jesuits and scholastics.
In 1893, McGurk became the president of Holy Cross. He took office during a dispute over the construction of a new building. He oversaw the completion of the building, which required fundraising and the assumption of significant debt. The new building, O'Kane Hall, opened in 1895. McGurk died in office in 1896.
McGurk was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 6, 1841.[1][a] He studied at St. Joseph's Preparatory School before entering the Society of Jesus on July 20, 1857, proceeding to the novitiate in Frederick, Maryland.[3][4] While there, the Civil War broke out. The novitiate was converted into a hospital for Union soldiers, and McGurk tended to some of the soldiers.[1] He pronounced his Jesuit perpetual vows in 1859 and then spent two more years studying at Frederick. In September 1861, McGurk was sent to the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, for his regency, where he served as a teacher.[5] He was the prefect of studies there from 1874 to 1876.[2]
In 1866, McGurk went to Washington, D.C., to begin his philosophical studies at Georgetown University. When the new Jesuit house of studies, Woodstock College, opened in September 1869 in Maryland, he continued his education there as a member of its first cohort. In the summer of 1872, McGurk was ordained a priest at Woodstock.[5]
McGurk was then sent to Boston College for two years.[5] For some of this time, he was vice president of the college.[1] Afterwards, he became the chair of rhetoric at the College of the Holy Cross. In 1876, McGurk went to the Frederick novitiate to complete his tertianship. He then professed his fourth vow on August 15, 1877.[5]
Loyola College
In 1877, McGurk succeeded Stephen A. Kelly as the president of Loyola College in Maryland.[6] At the same time, he became the pastor of St. Ignatius Church,[7] which was attached to the college.[5] When he assumed office, the school was burdened by significant debt, which had accrued during the Civil War. McGurk successfully liquidated some of this debt, which his predecessor had begun to do. He also raised the academic standards of the school and renovated St. Ignatius Church.[5] McGurk remained president and pastor until 1885, when he was succeeded by Francis Smith.[6][7]
Gonzaga College
On July 31, 1885, McGurk succeeded John J. Murphy as the president of Gonzaga College in Washington, D.C. (later known as Gonzaga College High School).[8] At the same time, he became the pastor of St. Aloysius Church.[9] In 1886, he began raising money from parishioners to construct a new residence for the priests and Jesuit scholastics of the church and school. On May 26 of that year, construction began on the new building, which opened on August 1, 1887.[10] Enrollment remained low during his presidency, numbering 87 students during the academic year of 1886 and 1887.[11] That number declined again to just 57 students at the start of the academic year of 1887 and 1888.[12] Eventually, at the start of the 1889 academic year, the school discontinued its upper-level classes.[13] McGurk's tenure as president and pastor came to an end on November 18, 1890, and he was succeeded by Cornelius Gillespie.[14][9]
From 1890 to 1893, McGurk engaged in pastoral work in Boston.[5]
