William J. McGarry

McGarry was born on March 14, 1894, in Hamilton, Massachusetts. His father was an employee of the Myopia Hunt Club, and his family was relatively wealthy. McGarry attended Hamilton grammar school, On August 14, 1911, he entered the Society of Jesus, proceeding to the novitiate of St. Andrew-on-Hudson in New York. == Jesuit formation ==

McGarry then went to Woodstock College in Maryland in 1915 for his philosophical studies, where he remained until 1918. He then returned to New York, teaching at Fordham University for four years, during his regency period of Jesuit formation. In his fourth year, McGarry taught astronomy, French, and mathematics, as well as a philosophy class for pre-medical students, at the university. From 1922 to 1926, McGarry returned to Woodstock College for his theological studies, where he received a Doctorate of Sacred Theology. the day before McGarry left, the provincial superior of the Jesuits' newly established New England province instead assigned McGarry to teach Scripture and Hebrew at Weston College in Massachusetts. In 1928, he enrolled at the Pontifical Biblical Institute. Completing his studies in two years rather than the ordinary three, he was awarded a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture in 1930, graduating summa cum laude. During his studies, he also visited the Holy Land. == Weston College ==

Following his studies, McGarry returned to Weston College. Between 1930 and 1935, he taught Sacred Scripture. a position he held until 1937. In 1935, McGarry was appointed a professor of dogmatic theology. He also began teaching Hebrew and Biblical Greek, == Boston College ==

.|alt=Gargan Hall inside Bapst Library On July 1, 1937, McGarry was appointed to succeed Louis J. Gallagher as the president of Boston College. While he initially attempting to maintain a full undergraduate and graduate teaching load in addition to his presidency, this proved untenable after one semester, as his health began to deteriorate. He also reorganized the administration of the college's Intown Division, which was a two-year, accelerated, pre-law program for preparation to enroll in the Law School. In 1938, Boston College changed its admission requirements, allowing students to substitute an approved secondary school certification for the college's entrance examination. In February 1938, For this, McGarry is considered the business school's founder. In 1937, Francis X. Talbot, the president of America Press informed McGarry of his desire to establish a Jesuit theology journal in the United States, and that he wanted McGarry to be its first editor-in-chief. In July 1938, McGarry presided over a conference held at Inisfada, The conference unanimously decided to select McGarry to become the editor-in-chief of the new publication, Theological Studies. The provincial superior, James H. Dolan, permitted McGarry's appointment even though he had been president of Boston College for only two years, an unusual occurrence. He was also succeeded by Murphy as pastor of St. Ignatius Loyola Church. == Editor of Theological Studies ==

In January 1939, the Jesuit Superior General formally appointed McGarry the editor in chief of Theological Studies, and he took up residence at Campion House in New York City. The first issue was published in February 1940, with much of it written by McGarry. == Death ==

In 1940, McGarry's heart condition began to worsen. Between February and July 1941, he collapsed, losing consciousness, in public on three separate occasions. On September 23, 1941, while traveling from Campion House to the Sisters of the Cenacle's convent in Ronkonkoma to lead a retreat, he collapsed inside the 59th Street–Columbus Circle subway station. A surgeon arrived and pronounced him dead, and a priest arrived and administered him extreme unction. McGarry's funeral was held in Bapst Library, and he was buried at Weston College. John Courtney Murray succeeded him as editor-in-chief of Theological Studies. == Works ==