In Memoriam: William J. Byron, S.J., BS '51, H '93 (1927-2024)

Saint Joseph’s University mourns dedicated educator and scholar, William J. Byron, S.J., BS ‘52, H ‘93, professor emeritus of business and society, and Jesuit higher education leader. There are few Jesuit campuses across the U.S. that do not bear the fruits of Fr. Byron’s influence, and his loss is felt deeply across them all.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1927, Fr. Byron was raised in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood and graduated from St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Philadelphia in 1945. He then enlisted in the U.S. army, where he served in the 508th Parachute Infantry regiment. Fr. Byron joined the University in 1947 as a student, where he discerned his calling toward religious life and left Saint Joseph’s to join the Jesuit order in 1950. He went on to receive bachelor’s and master’s degrees from St. Louis University, as well as an additional bachelor’s degree in sacred theology from Woodstock College in 1960, a doctorate in economics from the University of Maryland in 1969 and a certificate from Harvard University’s Institute for Educational Management in 1974. Fr. Byron held more than 25 honorary degrees from U.S. colleges and universities. For his dedication to the advancement of Catholic higher education, he received the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities’ Theodore M. Hesburgh Award in 1999.

“Admired for his discerning intelligence, sense of commitment, and the Ignatian practice of cura personalis, Father Byron embodies the highest qualities expected of a Jesuit educator and priest,” writes Fr. Patrick Samway, S.J., in his biography of Fr. Byron.

Before returning to Saint Joseph’s in 2008, Fr. Byron held a number of prestigious positions at Jesuit institutions across the United States. In addition to his presidency at the University of Scranton (1975-1982), he was president of Catholic University of America from 1982 to 1992 and of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School from 2006 to 2008. He taught mathematics at Scranton Preparatory School; served as an assistant professor of economics at Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland; was named dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana; served as professor, rector of the Jesuit community and director of the Center of Advanced Study of Ethics at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.; and was named assistant editor of America Magazine in 1962. Fr. Byron also served as an adjunct professor of pastoral theology, associate professor of social ethics, director of field education and finally, rector of the Jesuit community at Woodstock College, a former Jesuit seminary, from 1967-1973.

“Fr. Byron’s selection to head one of the most prestigious institutions of learning in our country is evidence of his outstanding qualifications as a Jesuit priest dedicated to the Church’s apostolate of higher education,” said Bishop J. Carroll McCormick, former head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton, in a 1982 news article, announcing Fr. Byron’s presidency at Catholic University. “During his seven-year term as President of the University of Scranton, Fr. Byron has distinguished himself by his many contributions to the welfare of our city and area. For these, he will be long remembered here. But most of all, he will be remembered for his warm, cheerful and compassionate disposition. He shows a genuine concern for the improvement of humanity.”

At Saint Joseph’s, Fr. Byron taught courses focused on business and society. In addition to his leadership and academic roles, he published 11 books in his lifetime on topics ranging from stewardship and corporate ethics to Ignatian spirituality and world hunger. His 1989 book, Quadrangle Considerations, won the Catholic Press Association’s best educational book award. Until his retirement in 2015, he wrote a syndicated bi-weekly column for the Catholic News Service, as well as a number of articles and opinion pieces in America Magazine. 

Above all else, Fr. Byron remained steadfast in his faith and dedication to his Church. As he led the 2016 Democratic National Convention in opening prayer, he said, “Help us, Lord, to work unceasingly for justice, to know what is good and seek it without fail and to be truly humble as we walk with you into an unknown but hope-filled future.”