James A. Burns
| The Reverend James A. Burns C.S.C. | |
|---|---|
| 9th President of the University of Notre Dame | |
|
In office 1919–1922 | |
| Preceded by | John W. Cavanaugh |
| Succeeded by | Matthew J. Walsh |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
February 13, 1867 Michigan City, Indiana |
| Died |
September 9, 1940 (aged 73) South Bend, Indiana |
| Alma mater | University of Notre Dame |
The Rev. James A. Burns, C.S.C. (February 13, 1867; September 9, 1940) was an American priest and President of the University of Notre Dame from 1919 to 1922. He was crucial in transforming Notre Dame into a national research university. He was professor of chemistry at Notre Dame from 1895 to 1900. He was a theorist of education, and wrote numerous books on the topic.
President of the University of Notre Dame
Rev. Burns was Notre Dame's greatest theorist of education, and was pivotal in moving the University towards its academic and scholastic prominence. Immediately after Burns became .president, he divided the University into four distinct colleges: Arts and Letters, Science, Engineering, and Law. In 1919 he eliminated the prep school to make more room on campus for college students. Focusing on academic matters, added no new buildings to the campus during his tenure, but in his final year set the foundations for a large expansion of the University. He began a campaign to raise $750,000, which, if raised secured $250,000 from the Rockefeller Foundation and $75,000 from the Carnegie foundation. He dramatically upgraded the Law School, and established the University's first endowment and a board of lay advisors to oversee it.[1] In 1922 Burns decided not to serve another term and to devote his time to fund- raising activities. During this endeavor, he raised a decent amount of money, but more importantly was crucial in spreading the name and recognition of the University. He died September 9, 1940.[2]
References
- ↑ Dame, ENR/PAZ // University Communications: Web // University of Notre. "History of the Presidency // Office of the President // University of Notre Dame". president.nd.edu. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
- ↑ Miller, Greg. "A Notre Dame Procession" (PDF). Scholastic Archive. The Scholastic. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
External links
- "Notre Dame -- 100 Years: Chapter XXIV". archives.nd.edu. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
- "findaids/ead/xml/bur". archives.nd.edu. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
- ENR/PAZ // University Communications: Web // University of Notre Dame. "History of the Presidency // Office of the President // University of Notre Dame". president.nd.edu. Retrieved 2016-11-27.