Arthur A. O'Leary | |
|---|---|
 O'Leary in 1936 | |
| 40th President of Georgetown University | |
| In office 1935–1942 | |
| Preceded by | W. Coleman Nevils |
| Succeeded by | Lawrence C. Gorman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 27, 1887 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Died | February 8, 1962 (aged 74) Washington, D.C. |
| Alma mater | |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1919 |
Arthur Aloysius O'Leary SJ (September 27, 1887 – February 8, 1962) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit, who served as president of Georgetown University in from 1935 to 1942. Born in Washington, D.C., he studied at Gonzaga College before entering the Society of Jesus and continuing his education at St. Andrew-on-Hudson and Woodstock College. He then taught at St. Andrew-on-Hudson and Georgetown University, where he eventually became the university's librarian, and undertook a major improvement of the Georgetown University Library. O'Leary then assumed the presidency of the university in the midst of the Great Depression and, later, World War II.
In office, he began a revitalization of the nationwide alumni network from the disparate, regional chapters, re-established the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences as a standalone school within the university, and significantly expanded Georgetown's athletic programs. After, he became the pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Georgetown, and then pastor of St. Andrew-on-Hudson. Towards the end of his life, he returned to Georgetown, where he died.