Thomas Rollins Fitzgerald, S.J. (February 23, 1922 – March 22, 2004) was an American

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

priest who served as the sixth president of

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 ...

from 1973 to 1979 and the 30th president of

Saint Louis University Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Mississip ...

from 1979 to 1987.

Biography

Thomas Fitzgerald was born on February 23, 1922, in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, and attended

Gonzaga College High School Gonzaga College High School is a private Catholic college-preparatory high school for boys in Washington, D.C. Founded by the Jesuits in 1821 as the Washington Seminary, Gonzaga is named in honor of Aloysius Gonzaga, an Italian saint from the 16 ...

. He later studied at

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

and entered the

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

in 1939. He was ordained a priest in 1952 in

Leuven Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

, having received a

licentiate degree A licentiate (abbreviated Lic.) is an academic degree present in many countries, representing different educational levels. It may be similar to a master's degree when issued by pontifical universities and other universities in Europe, Latin Am ...

sacred theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the s ...

there. He also received a

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...

classical language A classical language is any language with an independent literary tradition and a large and ancient body of written literature. Classical languages are typically dead languages, or show a high degree of diglossia, as the spoken varieties of the ...

s from the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

. During his six-year tenure at Fairfield University, Father Fitzgerald oversaw the construction of the Student Recreational Complex and the Center for Financial Studies, which has since become the home of the Dolan School of Business. He also directed the creation of the Dolan School of Business in 1978, which had been the Department of Business Administration for 31 years within the Fairfield College of Arts and Sciences. Fitzgerald suffered from heart problems in his later years and died in his hometown on March 22, 2004, at age 82.

References

External links

Fairfield University: Rev. Thomas R. Fitzgerald, S.J. ProfileSaint Louis University: Rev. Thomas R. Fitzgerald, S.J. ProfileRev. Thomas R. Fitzgerald, S.J., the 6th President of Fairfield University (1973-1979)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzgerald, S.J., Thomas R. Presidents of Fairfield University 20th-century American Jesuits 21st-century American Jesuits Georgetown University alumni Deans and Prefects of Studies of the Georgetown University College of Arts & Sciences Presidents of Saint Louis University Gonzaga College High School alumni 1922 births 2004 deaths 20th-century American academics