John D. Whitney | |
|---|---|
 Whitney in 1906 | |
| 32nd President of Georgetown University | |
| In office 1898–1901 | |
| Preceded by | J. Havens Richards |
| Succeeded by | Jerome Daugherty |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Dunning Whitney July 19, 1850 Nantucket, Massachusetts, US |
| Died | November 27, 1917 (aged 67) Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, US |
| Resting place | College of the Holy Cross Cemetery |
| Alma mater | |
| Military service | |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Years | 1866–1872 |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | August 15, 1885 |
John Dunning Whitney SJ (July 19, 1850 – November 27, 1917) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who became the president of Georgetown University in 1898. Born in Massachusetts, he joined the United States Navy at the age of 16, where he was introduced to Catholicism by way of a book that accidentally came into his possession and prompted him to become a Catholic. He entered the Society of Jesus and spent the next twenty-five years studying and teaching mathematics at Jesuit institutions around the world, including in Canada, England, Ireland, and around the United States in New York, Maryland, Boston, and Louisiana. He became the vice president of Spring Hill College in Alabama before being appointed the president of Georgetown University.
During his three-year tenure, several improvements were made to Georgetown's campus, including the completion of Gaston Hall and the construction of the entrances to Healy Hall. The Georgetown University Hospital and what would become the School of Dentistry were also established. After the end of his term, he went to Boston College for several years as treasurer before doing pastoral work in Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Baltimore, where he became the prefect of St. Ignatius Church. He continued to spend time at Boston College, where he died in 1917.