Joseph Shea

Joseph Shea (1829–1881) was a Jesuit priest and president of St. John's College (now Fordham University) from 1868 to 1874.

Early years Joseph Shea was born in Quebec, Lower Canada on December 31, 1829. At the age of 21, he entered the Jesuits, and upon completing his course of studies, became an ordained priest.

St. John's College He became the tenth president of St. John's College (now known as Fordham University) in 1868, and held the office until 1874. Shea tried to ease the tension through numerous concessions, including the introduction of a smoking room, permitting some students to live in private rooms on the upper floors seminaries, and by introducing a six year commercial course of studies as an alternative to the classics-based curriculum.

Shea's attempt to expand the so-called commercial course (as opposed to the "classics course" based on the traditional Jesuit curriculum known as Ratio studiorum) was short-lived, but the commercial course would prove over the long-term to be lucrative.