William F. Troy

William Francis Troy, SJ (8 April 1920 – 14 November 1967) was an American Jesuit, academic, and college administrator. He served as President of Wheeling College (now Wheeling Jesuit University) from 1959 to 1966.

Biography

Early life and education William Francis Troy was born on 8 April 1920 in Reading, Pennsylvania, United States. He entered the Society of Jesus on 14 August 1937 at the age of 17. After novitiate, he received a Bachelor of Arts from Georgetown University, and later a Master of Education from Woodstock College. He was ordained a priest on 18 June 1950 in Woodstock, Maryland. His first assignment was as headmaster of Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., where he served from 1950 to 1955.

President of Wheeling College In 1955, Troy began his work at the newly established Wheeling College (now Wheeling Jesuit University). He served for four years as the college's first dean. Then, on 31 July 1959, he became the college's second president. Troy, with his down-to-earth and informal style, quickly established a rapport with the students, and joining in on sing-alongs and games of charades. He got around campus in an old, rusty maintenance truck, and encouraged students to come by his office to speak with him freely.

Later life and death After leaving Wheeling, Troy went to Baltimore, Maryland, to work at the regional headquarters of the Jesuits' Maryland Province. There, he directed the graduate studies and career preparations of young Jesuits, 300 to 400 in number.

Troy died on 14 November 1967 at the Gonzaga Villa in Cape May, New Jersey, at the age of 47.