James Demske

James M. Demske, S.J., ( 1922 – June 15, 1994) was an American Jesuit priest, academic, academic administrator and, expert on existentialism. Demske served as the President of Canisius College, a private Jesuit college in Buffalo, New York, for 27-years from 1966 until 1993. Under Demske's administration, Canisius College established its school of business. Demske also increased Canisius' endowment from just $1 million in 1966 to more than $27 million by 1993. He entered the Society of Jesus, also in 1947. However, Demske remained at Canisius as chancellor from 1993 until his death in 1994.

Demske was an openly admitted enemy of Paul Snyder and the Buffalo Braves, believing the professional basketball team to be a threat to the Canisius basketball team's viability. In his capacity with Canisius, according to Snyder, Demske tried to block the Braves from getting viable dates to use Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, forcing the team to play part of its home schedule in Toronto and play much of the rest on off-prime days. Snyder later cited this feuding as the primary reason for his dismantling, sale and ultimate relocation of the Braves in the late 1970s.

Father James Demske died from complications of leukemia at Sisters of Charity Hospital in Buffalo, New York, on June 15, 1994, at the age of 72. He had first been diagnosed with leukemia in May 1992.