Thomas Ignatius Gasson

Thomas Ignatius Gasson (September 23, 1859 – February 27, 1930) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit. Born in England, he emigrated to the United States at the age of 13, and was taken under the care of two Catholic women in Philadelphia, which led to his conversion to Catholicism soon thereafter. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1875, and studied theology at the University of Innsbruck in Austria, where he was ordained a priest. Upon his return to the United States, he became a professor at Boston College, before being named President of Boston College in 1907.

As president, he initiated the college's relocation from the South End of Boston to a new campus in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that he purchased. He oversaw the construction of the new campus' first building, the recitation hall, which was later named Gasson Hall. For this, he became known as Boston College's "second founder." His tenure came to an end in 1914, and he moved first to Maryland and then to Georgetown University, where he served as graduate dean for sociology for nine years. He then briefly led the Manresa Institute on Staten Island, before being stationed at Loyola College in Montreal, where he died in 1930.

Early life Thomas Ignatius Gasson was born on September 23, 1859, in Sevenoaks, Kent in England. His ancestry on his father's side was French Huguenot, while that on his mother's side was a longtime family of Kent, which produced several rectors of St. Nicholas Church in Sevenoaks. He was sent to St. Stephen's School in London, before immigrating to the United States in 1872. He had little money or belongings, and sustained himself as an errand boy. Though he had intended to live in Philadelphia with his older brother, he was taken under the care of two Catholic women.

Gasson returned to the United States in the summer of 1892. He taught poetry to students in Frederick, Maryland, for two years, before beginning his study of ascetical theology for one year. Upon completion of his studies, he was made a professor of ethics and economics at Boston College in August 1895. He simultaneously served as pastor of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in the South End of Boston. Just two months after his inauguration, he suggested to the Jesuit provincial superior that Boston College might inquire into purchasing a tract of land, including the farm of Amos Adams Lawrence, on Commonwealth Avenue near the Brighton neighborhood of Boston and relocate the school from the South End. On November 11, 1907, the Boston College board of trustees settled on a specific parcel of land in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and voted to purchase it. This was quickly followed by purchases of adjacent lands.

On January 25, 1909, he convened a competition of architects to design new buildings for the site. The winning design called for 15 buildings in the English Gothic style and sports fields. Gasson broke ground on the centerpiece of the plan, the recitation building, on June 19, 1909. Construction of the building was slow and inhibited by lack of funds; as a result, Gasson sold a portion of the land previously purchased, to finance the building. The recitation building finally opened for class on March 28, 1913. The recitation building later came to be known as Gasson Hall.

Graduate curriculum

Several Catholic laymen sought to establish a graduate night school in Catholic philosophy. In response, Gasson opened a graduate department in December 1912, which provided lectures on philosophy, literature, and professional ethics. The following year, it began granting master's degrees. This program was disestablished shortly after the end of his presidency in 1914. Gasson's term as president came to an end on January 11, 1914, and he was succeeded by Charles W. Lyons.

Later years Following the end of his presidency, Gasson moved to the Jesuit retirement home in Woodstock, Maryland. Five months later, he was transferred to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he worked various jobs,

Gasson became ill and underwent surgery. He died on February 27, 1930. Upon his death, The Stylus of Boston College compiled eulogies of him by such people as the Mayor of Boston, John F. Fitzgerald; the President of Boston University, Lemuel Herbert Murlin; and The Boston Post.