Richard A. Gleeson (December 24, 1861 – December 23, 1945) was an American
Jesuit priest and academic administrator, the president of
Santa Clara University and
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a private Jesuit and Marymount research university in Los Angeles, California. It is located on the west side of the city near Playa Vista. LMU is the parent school to Loyola Law School, which is located ...
.
Life
Gleeson was originally from
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
, where he was born on December 24, 1861. He studied at
Saint Joseph's College there, but by 1877 he had traveled to
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara (; Spanish for " Saint Clare") is a city in Santa Clara County, California. The city's population was 127,647 at the 2020 census, making it the eighth-most populous city in the Bay Area. Located in the southern Bay Area, the cit ...
, and joined the Jesuits there. After several assignments and more study, he was ordained in 1894. He continued to teach there until 1899, when he became the pastor of the
.
He was appointed 13th president of
Santa Clara University,
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara (; Spanish for " Saint Clare") is a city in Santa Clara County, California. The city's population was 127,647 at the 2020 census, making it the eighth-most populous city in the Bay Area. Located in the southern Bay Area, the cit ...
, USA, (1905–10) after the presidency of
Robert E. Kenna. From 1911 to 1914 he headed the newly founded
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a private Jesuit and Marymount research university in Los Angeles, California. It is located on the west side of the city near Playa Vista. LMU is the parent school to Loyola Law School, which is located ...
in Southern California, becoming its first president.
He was named
provincial superior for California, from 1914 to 1918. After this, he spent the rest of his life working at the
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco (USF) is a private Jesuit university in San Francisco, California. The university's main campus is located on a setting between the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park. The main campus is nicknamed "The Hil ...
. He died on December 23, 1945.
Legacy
In December 1950 the
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco (USF) is a private Jesuit university in San Francisco, California. The university's main campus is located on a setting between the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park. The main campus is nicknamed "The Hil ...
's Gleeson Library was dedicated and named for him.
References
Further reading
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1861 births
1945 deaths
19th-century Italian Jesuits
Presidents of Santa Clara University
19th-century American clergy
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