Paul A. FitzGerald, SJ papers

Collection

Identifier: BC-2000-160

Staff Only

Dates

Creation: 1908 - 1987
Creation: Majority of material found within 1966 - 1986

Scope and Contents

Documents surrounding Paul A. FitzGerald, SJ’s book The Governance of Jesuit Colleges in the United States (Notre Dame Press, approximately 1984), including the acquisition of research materials, drafts, and promotion. The book was largely based on research in the Jesuit Educational Association records (JA.2015.001, John J. Burns Library, Boston College) plus these additional primary source materials FitzGerald acquired. His papers include correspondence,... drafts, reviews of his book, photographs, and collected materials on Jesuit education history, most notably a full set of the Jesuit Inter-Province Committee on Studies minutes (1921-1931). Also includes FitzGerald's encyclopedia entries on Jesuit education and Jesuit educators.

FitzGerald's papers also contain his documents as a representative to the International Federation of Catholic Universities (Fédération Internationale des Universités Catholiques, FIUC), 1978-1982, principally in the form of reports and printed matter, as well as some biographic materials.

Creator

FitzGerald, Paul A. (probably 1926-1987) (Person)

Restrictions on access

Collection is open for research.

Restrictions on use

These materials are made available for use in research, teaching and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. The original authors may retain copyright to the materials.

Biographical note

Paul A. FitzGerald, SJ was born in Wellesley, Massachusetts in about 1926 to Joseph A. and Alice M. (Ryan) FitzGerald. He attended Boston College High School and College of the Holy Cross before entering the Jesuit Order at Shadowbrook. He earned his BA and MA from Boston College in 1941 and 1942 respectively. He completed a second Master's degree, in history, at Fordham University in 1947 and was ordained at Weston College in 1948. He received his... PhD in history from Georgetown University in 1953, and he was named Dean of the Graduate School at Boston College that fall.

FitzGerald served as Dean at Boston College through the spring of 1960. He became vice-president and assistant for higher education of the Jesuit Educational Association (JEA) under President Edward Rooney from 1960-1966, following which he returned to Boston College as a professor of history. In 1970 he was named history department chair, but in April of 1971 he resigned due to health issues. He became pastor of Sacred Heart Mission in Reading, Jamaica. He returned from Jamaica in 1975 and served as coordinator of visiting committees and special projects, reporting to the president’s office, at Boston College.

In 1976 he was appointed Secretary of Boston College, and he oversaw the acquisition of the records of the Jesuit Educational Association. FitzGerald started a history of the JEA, and in 1980 he became University Archivist. In 1981 he paused writing The Governance of Jesuit Colleges and Universities to write Boston College: A Pictorial History with University Historian Charles F. Donovan, SJ. Throughout the early 1980s FitzGerald acquired other records related to Jesuit educational history for the University archives, and in 1984 he published Governance.

In February of 1987 Paul FitzGerald retired, intending to produce a second volume of the Boston College history with Donovan. FitzGerald died of a heart attack on April 9, 1987, at age 71.

Sources:

“Constance to become archivist as Fr. FitzGerald steps down.” Boston College Biweekly, Volume 7, Number 11, 12 February 1987

“Fitzgerald new History chairman.” The Heights, Volume L, Number 18, 3 March 1970

“Former BC Archivist dies at 71” The Heights, Volume LXVIII, Number 10, 13 April 1987

“Rev. Paul A. FitzGerald Named Grad School Dean.” The Heights, Volume XXXV, Number 2, 9 October 1953.

Extent

5 Linear Feet (5 containers)

Language of Materials

English

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Additional Description

Abstract

Papers of twentieth-century American Jesuit historian Paul A. FitzGerald, SJ documenting his research and writing on the history of Jesuit education, his work with the International Federation of Catholic Universities (Fédération Internationale des Universités Catholiques, FIUC) in the 1970s and 1980s, and his time as a missionary in Reading, Jamaica. Materials include awards and honors; correspondence; drafts of The Governance of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and entries for the Jesuit Encyclopedia; photographs; and copies of Jesuit Province and committee records collected for his research.

Arrangement

Organized in five series: I. Biographical; II. Collected materials; III. Curatorial correspondence; IV. Organizational service; and V. Writing and presenting.

Provenance

Because the current accessioning system was not used until January 1986, it is not possible to know exactly the dates of acquisition of materials received before that time.

Related Materials

Edward B. Rooney, SJ papers, JA.2015.003, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.

Jesuit Educational Association records, JA.2015.001, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.

Robert P. Neenan, SJ papers on Jesuit Secondary Education, BC.2024.052, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.

Processing Information

FitzGerald's research materials on Jesuit educational history were previously described as part of the Jesuit Educational Association records in 2016. FitzGerald's curatorial correspondence in this collection indicated that he acquired the materials separately from JEA records, therefore they have been redescribed here.