Edward B. Bunn | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 43rd President of Georgetown University | |
| In office 1952–1964 | |
| Preceded by | J. Hunter Guthrie |
| Succeeded by | Gerard J. Campbell |
| 19th President of Loyola College in Maryland | |
| In office 1938–1947 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph A. Canning |
| Succeeded by | Francis X. Talbot |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 15, 1896 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | June 18, 1972 (aged 76) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Alma mater | |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1929 |
Edward Bernard Bunn SJ (March 15, 1896 – June 18, 1972) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who became the president of Loyola College in Maryland and later of Georgetown University. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he was educated at Loyola College before entering the Society of Jesus in 1919. He continued his education at St. Andrew-on-Hudson Woodstock College, and the Pontifical Gregorian University and then taught at Brooklyn Preparatory School and Canisius College.
In 1938, he became the president of Loyola College, and his term was largely defined by a protracted legal dispute with Archbishop Michael Curley of Baltimore, involving high-ranking church prelates. Bunn's term came to an end in 1947, when he was put in charge of the colleges in the Jesuits' Maryland Province. He also briefly transferred to the University of Scranton, before becoming the regent of Georgetown University's School of Dentistry and School of Nursing.
In 1952, Bunn was made the president of Georgetown University. He would become the longest-serving president in the university's history to that date and came to be described as the "founder of modern Georgetown." Bunn undertook an expansive building campaign, which produced eight new buildings, and he centralized the university's administration.
During his tenure, the School of Business, the School of Languages and Linguistics and the predecessor of the School of Continuing Studies were founded. The administration of the Georgetown University Hospital was also professionalized. Following the end of his presidency in 1964, Bunn remained at Georgetown as chancellor, where he continued to fundraise. The Edward B. Bunn, S.J. Intercultural Center at Georgetown was posthumously named in his honor.