Michael P. Walsh | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Michael_P._Walsh,_SJ_photograph.jpg) Walsh c. 1964 | |
| 29th President of Fordham University | |
| In office 1969–1972 | |
| Preceded by | Leo P. McLaughlin |
| Succeeded by | James C. Finlay |
| 22nd President of Boston College | |
| In office 1958–1968 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph R. N. Maxwell |
| Succeeded by | W. Seavey Joyce |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 28, 1912 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | April 23, 1982 (aged 70) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Alma mater | |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1941 |
Michael Patrick Walsh SJ (February 28, 1912 – April 23, 1982) was an American Catholic priest, Jesuit, and biologist. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he entered the Society of Jesus in 1929, was ordained a priest in 1941, and received his doctorate in biology from Fordham University in 1948. Walsh became a professor and later chairman of the department of biology at Boston College.
In 1958, Walsh was appointed the president of Boston College. He oversaw the construction of 15 new buildings, the creation of many new doctoral programs, and the overhaul of the undergraduate curriculum. He also reduced the requirements of students to attend daily Mass and annual retreats.
In 1969, Walsh left Boston College to become the president of Fordham University. He significantly improved the school's distressed finances and increased enrollment. He oversaw a period of significant campus turmoil, in part related to the Vietnam War. Walsh returned to Boston in 1972, where he spent his final years.