The Washington times., 1901-07-12
FATHER WHITNEY RETIRES
Succeeded at Georgetown Univer
sity by Father Daugherty.
The New President to Assume Full
Authority This MOrning-His Pre-
deccssOr's Future work Not Yet
AssiSned-HistOry of Both Priests.


AssiSned-HistOryo of Both Priests.
The Rev. John d. Whitney. S. j., rector
of the Georgetown University. retired
from that Office yesterday and was sue
! ceeded by the Rev. Jerome Daugherty, s.
j. The formal change in the presidency
! of the university was made last night.
and Father Daugherty will assume charge
of his new duties this morning 1t is not
yet known what assignment Father Whit
ney will be called upon to fulfill, but he
| will remain at the university until July
| 81, the day of the feast of st. Ignatius
| Loy0la, when it is customary TO make the
annual changes in the faculty, with the
| exception of that of rector, which may
/ be made at any time.
1t has been the practice at Georgetown
! for a long time to appoint new rector
once in three years. As Father Whitney's
term expired on July B. the announcement
of his retirement was expected. 1t was
not known. however until yesterday who
| had been chosen to succeed him
| The ceremony of the transfer of au-
thority which occurred at the supper table
| at o'clock last night was very simple.
| Cardinal Martineli, the Apostolic Dele
gate, was the only person beside the regu-
lar faculty present. Father Whitney sat
at the head of the table in the seat which
he has been accustomed to occupy during
/ his presidency of the university, and when
/ all We're seated the reader announced the
order appointing Father Daugherty as
rector to succeed Father Whitney. The
| retiring head of the university completed
| the ceremony by surrendering his seat of
| honor to his successor appointment
was made at Rome as is the practice in
| such cases The minor changes in the
! faculty will be made on July 81 by the
! Right Rev. Thomas l. Cannon. of St.
| Francis Xavier College, New York City,
| provincial of the New York and Maryland
province, upon whose recommendation
| Father Daugherty was selected by the
Vatican as rector.
Father Whitney, tke retiring rector, is
native OF Nantucket. Mass. and for sew
eraI years Immediately following the close
| of the civil war was an instructor in
mathematics in the navy. He became a
convert to Catholicism in 1872, and shortly
! after retired from the navy and Joined the
Jesuit Order. He studied under its in
| stTuctions, first in Canada, and later in
| England at the famous Stonyhurst Col
! lege, from which institution he was grad
uated and afterward became a professor
of mathematics there. He then returned
to this country and became a member of
the faculty of st. Francis &aYier's Col
lcge. New York city. Continuing his the
illogical studies at Woodstock. Md, he
completed them at Mfllston. Dublin. Re
turning then to America, he first became
vice president Of Springhill College, Mo
bile, Ala; then vice president of the sem
mary at Grand COteau, La. and after
ward vice president Of the Jesuit College
at New Orleans. La.
During his presidency GEORGETOWN has
experienced marked prosperity, and il is
with deep regret upon the part both of
his associates and the students who have
been under his direction that it becomes
necessary for him TO leave There has
been a considerable increase in the num-
Der OF students and the last class to
graduate was the largest which has ever
left the institution. He has inaugurated
number of improvements and raised the
educational standard to a high degree
lie learned TO know by name every stu
dent under his charge, and each regarded
him not only as his instructor, but as
his personal friend and counselor. Our
ing his incumbency of Office the athletic
sports haYe experienced a marked revival,
and, in fact, in every department of the
university he made his presence and his
slronG personality felt. During the first
year OF his presidency the law course was
extended TO three years. and a number
of changes were inaugurated in the medi-
cal department. In keeping with his idea
of charging the university plans were
formed for the erection Of separate build
ings for the preparato department and
other structures to neet the growing de-
mands of the institution
The students consider themselves espe-
cially favored by the selection of Father
DauEherty as successor to Father Whit
ney. He Is by TO means a stranger at the
institution, but is thoroughly acquainted
with the duties which he viii be called
upon the perform. he has spent several
years at the UNIVERSITY in different ca
pacities. He i5 an cluhsent mathemati-
clan and astronomer. Father Daugherty
is a native of Baltimore Md. having
been born in that city March .. 1919. He
entered the Society of Jesus August H.
1850. He studied at Woodstock and in
1872 came to Georgetown, where he was
an instructor For four years from 1873
he was president Of Gonzaga College, and
for ten years following. with the excep-
tion Of one yes T. he was a member of the
faculty al Georgetown. For the past two
years he has been minister at Holy Cross
College, Worcester, Mass.