Evening star., 1939-02-01
Father Lyons Dies;
Former President =
0fGeorgetownU.
Expires in Boston on
71st Birthday
Anniversary

The Rev. Charles W. Lyons, S. j.,
noted Catholic educator, who was
president of Georgetown University
from 1924 to 1928, died last night in
Boston on his list birthday ami
versary.
A tribute to Father Lyons as IAN
able leader and wise administrator"
was paid today by the Very Rev.
Arthur A. OLeary, S. j., president
of Georgetown, who had served
under him here. Father OLeary
is making arrangements to attend
the funeral in Boston Friday.
"The death of Father Lyons ends
notable career of IS years as priest,
educator and executive that was CHI
NAKED by his service at George
town." Father OLeary said. He
had served with distinction as
president, also, of Gonzaga College
in Washington, st. Joseph's College
of Philadelphia and at Boston Col
lege AS president of Georgetown,
Father Lyons had a broad view of
the future needs of the university.
In advancing its building program
| he put the medical school and hos
pital in the position of being able
to provide adequate equipment for
important studies of medicine.
Sad Loss to Jesuits.
There are many at Georgetown
now who served with him here and
at different Jesuit colleges. His
death is a sad loss to the Jesuit
Order and the cause of education"
Father Lyons left the wool business
to join the Jesuit Order. Subse-
quently, he distinguished himself in
the educational field. He had served
as president of Boston College from
1914 to 1919 From here he re-
turned to Boston, where he remained
in educational and missionary work,
until becoming i'll year ago.
He gave up a business career to
become an educator and had held
numerous posts in church institu-
tions in this city, Philadelphia, New
York and Boston
In 1890, he entered the Jesuit
Order, beginning his studies at Fred
erick, Md. Later he pursued philo-
sophical and scientific studies at
Woodstock College, Woodstock, Md,
and. as a scholastic, taught at
Georgetown University. He was or
dained priest in 1904.
The year he was ordained Father
| Lyons served briefly as prefect of
discipline at Georgetown and also
as faculty adviser of athletics.
That was the period of the univer-
sity's greatest track teams.
In 1906 and 1907 he served as pro-
fessor of metaphysics and political
economy at St Francis Xavier Col
lege, New York. He returned to
Boston in 1907 as professor of meta
physics at Boston College.
From 1908 to 1909 he headed the
then Gonzaga College here and from
1909 to 1914 he was president of St.
! Joseph's College, Philadelphia.
While at Boston College he was
appointed a member of the Military
Commission of Massachusetts and
| the advisory board of the State
Board of Education.
While at Boston College, Father
Lyons became an intimate friend
Of the then Gov. Calvin Coolidge.
During the World War he was
drafted by Mr.. Coolidge for various
wartime activities in the State. In
later years their friendship was re-
neWed at the White House
Father Lyons was noted pulpit
orator. He belonged to the select
group of Massachusetts, men chosen
to deliver the Fourth of July grafton
in Faneuil Hall, Boston. 1t was an
honor in which he always took pride
Funeral in Boston Friday.
Later he went to New York as
| assistant to the rector of the Church
of st. Ignatius of Loyola. Three
years later he returned to Boston
College as head of the Department
of Philosophy.
Burial in the Jesuit Cemetery at
Holy Cross College, Worcester, will
follow requiem mass in Boston at 10
am. Friday
Father Lyons lsaves two brothers,
DR.. Joseph V. Lyons, former men,
ber of the Boston School Committee,
and Daniel M. Lyons, pardon attor-
ney for the Department of Justice,
| here, and two sisters, both of Bos-
ton.