Fifth Provincial of Region, 1950-1956
William E. FitzGerald was born on October 16, 1901 in Providence RI. He graduated from LaSalle Academy, Providence and entered the Society at Yonkers, NY in 1919. His juniorate, 1921 until 1923, was conducted at St. Andrew-on-Hudson, NY, followed by the study of philosophy at Weston College, Weston, MA from 1923 until 1926. He then taught freshmen and sophomores at Boston College, MA from 1926 until 1929. From 1929 until 1933 he studied theology at Lyons, France at the College d’Immaculee Conception and was ordained in 1932 at Innsbruck, Austria. From 1933 until 1937, he studied classics at the Sorbonne, Paris, France and returned to Boston College in January 1937. His tertianship was spent at St. Robert’s Hall, Pomfret, CT from 1937 until 1938, followed by private Latin study at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA from 1938 until 1939.
From 1939 until 1942, he taught Latin in the Boston College Graduate School and was the Director of St. Ignatius House of Studies, Boston College. On July 31, 1942, he became the first Rector of Cheverus High School, Portland, ME where he was also the first Jesuit Principal. In 1948 he spent a year at Loyola House, Boston, MA and gave retreats. In 1949, he was appointed dean of Fairfield University, CT.
nbsp; He became Provincial on October 10, 1950, serving until August 15, 1956. From 1956 until 1957, he was the director of construction for the new novitiate, Shadowbrook in Lenox, MA. From 1957 until 1969, he taught at Boston College: theology, 1957-1958; philosophy, 1958-1966 in the School of Education, when he also served as its director of the Special Honors Program.; philosophy, 1966-1969. In 1969 he became professor emeritus and remained active in parish apostolates until his death on February 24, 1978 at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Brighton, MA.