Charles W. Lyons | |
|---|---|
 Charles W. Lyons in 1914 | |
| 38th President of Georgetown University | |
| In office 1924–1928 | |
| Preceded by | John B. Creeden |
| Succeeded by | W. Coleman Nevils |
| 14th President of Boston College | |
| In office 1914–1919 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas I. Gasson |
| Succeeded by | William J. Devlin |
| 11th President of Saint Joseph's College | |
| In office 1909–1914 | |
| Preceded by | Cornelius Gillespie |
| Succeeded by | J. Charles Davey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 31, 1868 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | January 31, 1939 (aged 71) Boston, Massachusetts |
| Resting place | College of the Holy Cross Cemetery |
| Alma mater | Woodstock College |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1904 |
Charles William Lyons SJ (January 31, 1868 – January 31, 1939) was an American Catholic priest who became the only Jesuit and likely the only educator in the United States to have served as the president of four colleges. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he attended the local public schools before entering the wool industry. He abandoned his career in industry to enter the Society of Jesus. While a novice in Maryland, he suffered a nervous breakdown and was sent to Georgetown University as prefect. He then resumed his studies at Woodstock College, teaching intermittently at Gonzaga College in Washington, D.C. and Loyola College in Baltimore. After his ordination, he became a professor at St. Francis Xavier College in New York City and at Boston College.
In 1908, Lyons became the rector of Gonzaga College, where he remained for a year before being appointed the president of Saint Joseph's College in Philadelphia. While there, he had constructed a new building for the faculty, and his tenure came to an end when he became the president of Boston College in 1914. He continued the major construction plan of his predecessor, overseeing the completion of St. Mary's Hall and Alumni Field. He also dealt with the severe downturn in enrollment due to World War I. His term came to an end in 1919, and for the next several years, he taught at Boston College, was a priest at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in New York, oversaw the construction of Weston College, and led retreats around the country.
He was finally appointed president of Georgetown University in 1923. While he managed construction of the New North building, he was regarded as a poor leader, and his term ended in 1928. Lyons spent his final years as a missionary, and was awarded the Order of the Star of Romania.