Thomas P. O'Malley (March 1, 1930 - November 4, 2009) was an American

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

and academic. O'Malley was the president of John Carroll University from 1980 until 1988 and Loyola Marymount University from 1991 until 1999. He later became a professor at

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...

after leaving Loyola Marymount in 1999.

Biography

Early life and education

Thomas O'Malley was born to Irish immigrant parents in Milton, Massachusetts, on March 1, 1930. He received a bachelor's degree in

classics Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

from

in 1951 and his master's degree from

Fordham University Fordham University () is a Private university, private Jesuit universities, Jesuit research university in New York City. Established in 1841 and named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the The Bronx, Bronx in which its origina ...

in 1953. O'Malley entered the Society of Jesus through the Jesuits' former Shadowbrook

novitiate The novitiate, also called the noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Christian ''novice'' (or ''prospective'') monastic, apostolic, or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether ...

Lenox, Massachusetts Lenox is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The town is based in Western Massachusetts and part of the Pittsfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,095 at the 2020 census. Lenox is the site of Shakespeare & Company and T ...

. He completed his training at the

Catholic University of Leuven University of Leuven or University of Louvain (french: Université de Louvain, link=no; nl, Universiteit Leuven, link=no) may refer to: * Old University of Leuven (1425–1797) * State University of Leuven (1817–1835) * Catholic University of ...

in Belgium and was ordained a

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

Roman Catholic priest in 1961. He obtained his doctorate in early

Christian theology Christian theology is the theology of Christianity, Christian belief and practice. Such study concentrates primarily upon the texts of the Old Testament and of the New Testament, as well as on Christian tradition. Christian theology, theologian ...

and literature from Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands, which was known as the Catholic University of Nijmegen at the time.

Academia

O'Malley became the chairman of the Department of classical languages at Boston College in 1967, and later became the chair of Boston's theology department as well. He was named the dean of Boston College's

College of Arts and Sciences A College of Arts and Sciences or School of Arts and Sciences is most commonly an individual institution or a unit within a university that focuses on instruction of the liberal arts and pure sciences, although they frequently include programs and ...

in 1973. O'Malley was appointed the president of John Carroll University, a Jesuit institution in University Heights, Ohio, in 1980. O'Malley oversaw the addition of new endowed chairs and increased the finances of John Carroll's

campus ministry Religious departments in higher education Faith based services provide access to activities, events and counselling that allow students to pursue spiritual growth and development. Many campuses offer multi-faith spaces, ministering to those who ...

programs and scholarships. O'Malley also led the construction of new buildings and residence hall. He remained the president of John Carroll University until 1988. After his departure from John Carroll University, O'Malley taught in Nigeria for a year. He then became the

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

Fairfield University Fairfield University is a private Jesuit university in Fairfield, Connecticut. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1942. In 2017, the university had about 4,100 full-time undergraduate students and 1,100 graduate students, including full-time ...

's Jesuit community in Connecticut.

Loyola Marymount University

Thomas O'Malley was appointed the 13th President of Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Westchester, Los Angeles in 1991. He would remain as the head of the university until his retirement in 1999. He spearheaded a capital improvement fundraising campaign which raised more than $144 million, more than $16 million more than the campaign's intended goal. The goal of O'Malley's fundraiser was to improve existing structure on campus and construct new buildings. The Burns Recreation Center and the Hilton Center for Business were both constructed during his tenure as president. Under O'Malley, new residence halls were also constructed during the 1990s. He also initiated the purchase of the former

headquarters Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the to ...

of Hughes Aircraft in 2000, which was acquired after he had retired as president. The building is now the location of LMU's administration, the School of Education and the College of Liberal Arts. O'Malley initiated the recruitment of minority faculty members at Loyola Marymount. Loyola Marymount earned a 1998 Theodore M. Hesburgh Award from the American Council on Education for its recruitment efforts. O'Malley led a number of academic initiatives during his administration. The Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles was founded at LMU during O'Malley's time as president. The Leavey Center studies and researches regional issues related to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area, including local politics, education and immigration. O'Malley retired as president of Loyola Marymount University in 1999. He was succeeded by

Robert B. Lawton Robert B. Lawton (born May 3, 1947)''U.S. Public Records Index'' Vol 2 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 2010. is an American Jesuit and the 14th President of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. He also holds tenur ...

, S.J., LMU's 14th president.

Later life

O'Malley returned to the faculty of Boston College following his departure from Loyola Marymount in 1999. He spent the rest of his life teaching as part of the Boston College arts and sciences honors program. O'Malley died of a heart attack in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 4, 2009, at the age of 79. He was survived by three brothers and sisters - Mary E. O'Malley, John F. O'Malley and Austin J. O'Malley.

References