Eighth Provincial of Region, 1968-1974
William G. Guindon was born October 29, 1916 in Dorchester, MA to Frederick A. and Catherine A. (Gartland) Guindon. He graduated from Boston College High School and then attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA from 1934 until 1936, and entering the Society on August 14, 1936 at Shadowbrook, Lenox, MA for two years of novitiate. From 1938 until 1940, he attended the Boston College School of Liberal Arts division at Shadowbrook and from 1940 until 1943 he attended Weston College, Weston, MA for philosophy studies. The summer of 1943, he taught physics and mathematics at Cranwell Preparatory School, Lenox, MA and that Fall, he went to Boston College where he taught physics until 1945. During the summer of 1944, he was an instructor in physics and mathematics at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA. From 1945 until 1947 he studied physics at MIT, earning a doctorate in theoretical nuclear physics in 1948. He returned to Weston College from 1947 until 1951, studying theology, and was ordained there on June 17, 1950. From 1951 until 1952, he was assistant professor of physics at Fairfield University, CT. His tertianship was in Florence, Italy from 1952 until 1953, returning to Boston College as assistant professor of physics and the chair of the Physics Department from 1953 until 1964. In 1964 he was associate professor of physics at the College of the Holy Cross until 1968 when he also became the director of the Data Processing Center from 1965 until 1966 and then Vice President and Dean of the College from 1966 until 1968.
In 1968 Fr. Guindon was appointed Provincial of the New England Province, serving until 1974. In 1974, he went on sabbatical in Rome, Italy. In 1975, he was appointed dean of the Jesuit School of Theology, Chicago, IL and, in 1976, he was named its President and Dean, serving as such until 1981. From 1981 until 1982, he was at Campion Hall, Oxford, England and in 1982, was named special assistant to the Provincial, serving in this capacity until 1999. From 1983 until 1985, he was superior of Loyola House, Boston, MA. He also was named assistant chaplain at Smith College, Northampton, MA in 1983, a position he kept until 1988. From 1985 until 1986, he was minister at the College of the Holy Cross. In 1989, he moved to Loyola House, Boston, MA and in 1991 he became its community treasurer and librarian. In 1998, he went to live at Campion Center, Weston, MA where he died October 4, 2006.