Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-22
Succeeds DR.. O'ConneII at
Catholic University.
ANNOUNCED BY CARDINAL
Appointment Is Made Public in
Baltimore Today.
Is MEMBER OF THE FACULTY
Promotion Is Received as Compli-
ment Both to the City and
Recipient.

Cardinal Gibbons announced In BATH
more today the appointment of Rev.
Thomas J. Shahan of the chair of church
history of the Catholic University as rec
tor of that institution to succeed Rev. d.
]. O'Connell, who has been made auxil-
larry bishop of San Francisco, being al
ready titular bishop of Sebaste.
This is the first appointment of rector
of the university from the faculty of the
institution. and is received in Washington
as a compliment both. to the city and to
DR. 'Shahan.
There was considerable talk before the
appointment of giving the place to Bishop
Carroll of Helena, Mont, but he preferred
to remain at his post there. and DR.. Sha-
han was the next logical candidate.
1t was said at the university this after
noon that no official announcement had
been received there of the appointment.
Dr. Shahan went to Baltimore this morn
ing.
Personally Very Popular.
Rev. Thomas J. Shahan has held the
chair of church history in the university,
and is the editor of the Catholic Encyclo-
pedia. He is a very scholarly man and
personally popular both with his students
and with his associates in the faculty of
the university.
He is a native of Hartford, Conn, and
was educated partly in Rome and partly
in Belgium. He has been a resident of
Washington for the past fifteen years. He
owns pretty cottage at lexington, and
has been prominent in the civic affairs
of the section as well as in it's religious
life. AS a member of the faculty or the
university it has been the ambition OF
the other members that he should be ap-
pointed to the rectorship The office has
always been filled heretofore from out
side the faculty, and this has been u
matter of regret to many OF the mem
bers.
When the announcement of Bishop
O'ConnelrS retirement was made the posi-
ton was offered to Bishop Carroll OF
Helena, Mont. He was unwilling, now
ever, to give up his work in Montana,
land Dr. Shahan became the logical candf-
date.
The new rector is well known among
Catholics as an author. He has written
| The Blessed Virgin in the Catacombs.
1.-The Beginnings of Christianity" The
and The House of God" He has been
a constant contributor to the magazines
| and the Catholic Church journals and
reviews. His work on the Catholic En-
cyclopedia brought him international
| fame.
Ordained in 1883.
Dr. Shahan attended the public schools
of Milbury. Mass. from 1854 to 1872. In
that year he entered the Montreal Col
lege, Canada. After graduating there he
entered the American College at Rome.
He received the degree of doctor of di-
vinity in 1882. This was followed by the
degree of JUL. from the Roman Sem
mary in 1889. His course in history was
followed in the University of Berlin from
1889 to 1891. He was ordained priest by
Bishop Monaco in the Church of ST. John
Latern, in Rome. in 1883. Afterward he
filed the post of chancellor and secretary
of the Hartford diocese from 1883 to 1888
He has been the editor of the Catholic
University Bulletin since 1895.
DR.. Shahan is member of the Hall of
Fame, University Heights, New York
He was also professor of church peda-
gogy in the Catholic University of New
York from 1902 to 1903. The new rector
has filled the chair of church history at
| the Catholic University here since the
creation Of that professorship in 1891.