Edward I. Devitt | |
|---|---|
 Edward I. Devitt in 1891 | |
| 9th President of Boston College | |
| In office 1891–1894 | |
| Preceded by | Robert J. Fulton |
| Succeeded by | Timothy Brosnahan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 26, 1840 Saint John, Colony of New Brunswick |
| Died | January 26, 1920 (aged 79) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Resting place | Jesuit Community Cemetery |
| Alma mater | |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1875 by James Roosevelt Bayley |
Edward Ignatius Devitt SJ (November 26, 1840 – January 26, 1920) was a Canadian American priest, Jesuit, and historian of the American Catholic Church. Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, he moved with his family to Boston, Massachusetts, at a young age. He studied in public schools in the city before enrolling at the College of the Holy Cross. Devitt spent two years there, and then entered the Society of Jesus in 1859. He studied at the novitiate in Frederick, Maryland, and at the newly opened Woodstock College. He briefly taught at the Washington Seminary during his studies, and after graduating, was a professor for the next thirty years at Holy Cross, Woodstock, and Georgetown University.
To the surprise of many Jesuits, Devitt was appointed the vice rector of Boston College in 1891, becoming the rector and president later that year. He held the position for three years, and spent the remainder of his life teaching and working as a historian of the Catholic Church in the United States and of colonial Maryland. He died at Georgetown University in 1920.