Robert W. Brady | |
|---|---|
 Photograph of Brady around 1870 | |
| 8th & 12th President of the College of the Holy Cross | |
| In office 1883–1887 | |
| Preceded by | Edward D. Boone |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Cahill |
| In office 1867–1869 | |
| Preceded by | James Clark |
| Succeeded by | Anthony F. Ciampi |
| 2nd President of Boston College | |
| In office 1869–1870 | |
| Preceded by | John Bapst |
| Succeeded by | Robert J. Fulton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1825-10-06)October 6, 1825 Hancock, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | March 26, 1891(1891-03-26) (aged 65) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Resting place | Jesuit Community Cemetery |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | July 25, 1857 by Peter Richard Kenrick |
Robert Wasson BradySJ (October 6, 1825 – March 26, 1891) was an AmericanCatholic priest who led severalJesuit institutions in the United States. He served twice as the president of theCollege of the Holy Cross from 1867 to 1869 and from 1883 to 1887. He was also the second president ofBoston College from 1869 to 1870 and theprovincial superior of theJesuits' Maryland Province from 1877 to 1882.
Robert Wasson Brady was born on October 6, 1825, inHancock, Maryland.[1] In his youth, Brady's father died and his mother moved the family toFrederick, Maryland, so that Brady could study atSaint John's College.[2] He then decided to enterreligious life, and proceeded to the Jesuitnovitiate in Frederick, where he entered theSociety of Jesus on August 31, 1843.[3]
In 1845, Brady became a professor of rudiments atGeorgetown College. However, he began experiencing health problems and his superiors transferred him in 1847 to the newly foundedCollege of the Holy Cross inWorcester, Massachusetts, where they thought the climate would be more advantageous to his health. Brady's health did improve, and he was made theprefect of the school as well as a professor of grammar and poetry.[4]
While continuing in his roles as prefect and professor, Brady began his next stage ofJesuit formation, the study ofphilosophy andtheology, in September 1853. Four years later, he completed his studies and wasordained apriest by ArchbishopPeter Richard Kenrick ofSt. Louis on July 25, 1857, in the students' chapel at Holy Cross. Brady was then promoted to vice president and first prefect of discipline of the school.[5]
In 1859, Brady returned to Frederick in 1859 to complete his third year ofprobation (a part of his Jesuit formation).[5] He professed his thirdvow on August 15, 1860.[6] That year, he was sent toLoyola College inBaltimore, where he became a minister and teacher of algebra.[7] In 1861, he was assigned to teach juniors at the college, and the following year, he left the college to become a priest atSt. Aloysius Church inWashington, D.C.[6] His time in Washington coincided with theCivil War, and Brady ministered to soldiers inmilitary hospitals.[8]
At the end of 1863, Brady moved toBoston,[6] where he became the superior of St. Mary's Church in theNorth End.[9] On July 10 of that year, he was elected to a three-year term as the treasurer and a member of the board of directors ofBoston College.[10] As superior of St. Mary's, Brady refused to continue paying the $3,000 per year (equivalent to approximately $77,000 in 2024)[11] to Boston College that had been paid by his predecessors.[12] The college's president,John Bapst, unsuccessfully protested Brady's decision, and BishopJohn Bernard Fitzpatrick ofBoston stated that St. Mary's had been placed under the direction of the Society of Jesus so that its revenue could support the newly founded Boston College.[12]
On February 27, 1867, Brady was named thepresident of the College of the Holy Cross,[6] replacingJames Clark.[13] The college's board of trustees authorized Brady to take out $46,000 in loans to expand the school physical facilities.[14] Brady oversaw the addition of a west wing and spires to Fenwick Hall,[6] the college's original building.[15] The new wing included a library, meeting rooms for the debating society, and dormitories for students and the Jesuits; it also saw the addition ofsteam heating to the building.[14] The project cost a total of $50,000. Brady left to become the secondpresident of Boston College on August 27, 1869,[6] succeeding John Bapst.[16] At Holy Cross, he was succeeded byAnthony F. Ciampi.[13] Instead of taking the typical title of president andrector, Brady and his successor,Robert J. Fulton, took the title of vice rector, because the school was still in the process of being established.[17] At the same time that he was president, Brady was thepastor of the Church of the Immaculate conception in Boston'sSouth End.[18] On August 2, 1870, Brady left Boston College to once again resume the position of superior of St. Mary's Church.[6] At St. Mary's, he oversaw the construction of a new church building andrectory.[19]
Brady succeededJoseph E. Keller as theprovincial superior of theJesuits' Maryland Province on May 8, 1877,[6][20] and professed hisfinal vows that day.[1] With the unification of the Maryland and New York provinces on August 7, 1879, Brady assumed the position of provincial of the New York Province. The province was renamed the Maryland–New York Province on August 19, 1880.[20] Brady was succeeded as provincial by Robert J. Fulton on May 28, 1882.[6]
Following his term as provincial, Brady became anoperarius (a Jesuit ministering away from his home community)[21] inJersey City, New Jersey.[6] On June 28, 1883, he again returned to the College of the Holy Cross to replaceEdward D. Boone as president.[22][13] In 1883,[23] while president, Brady was sent to the Jesuits' 23rdgeneral congregation as an elector. Despite experiencing poor health, he was sent to Italy in 1886 to temporarily become theprocurator of the Jesuit Province ofFiesole. Upon his return in November 1886, he became the vice provincial superior and acting superior of the Maryland–New York Province while Fulton was appointed avisitor in Ireland; Brady held this position until May 1887.[24] Brady's second term as president of Holy Cross ended on August 2, 1887,[24] and he was succeeded bySamuel Cahill.[13]
Around this time, Brady became ill and was assigned to various posts in Maryland and Washington, D.C. that would be less taxing than his previous roles. He first became anoperarius atBohemia Manor inCecil County, Maryland. He then was made the superior ofSt. Thomas Manor inCharles County and then spiritual father at Georgetown College.[24]
In 1890, Brady succeededStephen A. Kelly as the pastor ofHoly Trinity Church inGeorgetown, where he would spend the remainder of his life.[25] On March 16, 1891, he became ill withpneumonia and was taken to nearby Georgetown College. He was administeredlast rites on March 26,[24] and he died that day.[3] John J. Murphy replaced Brady as pastor of Holy Trinity.[25] His funeral was held at Holy Trinity Church on March 30,[24] and he was buried that day in theJesuit Community Cemetery.[26]
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | 8thPresident of the College of the Holy Cross 1867–1869 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | 2ndPresident of Boston College 1869–1870 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | 12thPresident of the College of the Holy Cross 1883–1887 | Succeeded by |
| Catholic Church titles | ||
| Preceded by Francis diMaria | 5th Superior of St. Mary's Church 1863–1867 | Succeeded by Denis O'Kane |
| Preceded by | 3rd Pastor of the Church of the Immaculate Conception 1869–1870 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Denis O'Kane | 7th Superior of St. Mary's Church 1870–1877 | Succeeded by William H. Duncan |
| Preceded by | 11thProvincial Superior of theJesuit Maryland Province 1877–1879 | Succeeded by Himself as Provincial of the New York Province |
| Preceded by Himself as Provincial of the Maryland Province | Provincial Superior of the Jesuit New York Province 1879–1880 | Succeeded by Himself as Provincial of the Maryland–New York Province |
| Preceded by Himself as Provincial of the New York Province | Provincial Superior of the Jesuit Maryland–New York Province 1880–1882 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | 27th Pastor ofHoly Trinity Church 1890–1891 | Succeeded by John J. Murphy |
