Former Scranton President New Superior of Scranton Jesuit Community

A warm welcome greeted Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., H’04, the 23^rd President of The University of Scranton, on his return to campus to begin service as the new Superior for the Scranton Jesuit Community. Faculty, staff, administrators, current and former trustees and the University’s current President, Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., joined him at a reception held in the Weinberg Memorial Library on July 31, following a Mass on the Feast Day of St. Ignatius.

“I encounter with every face I look at memories which are good,” said Father McShane, who spoke of “faculty who are compelling and never gave up on students; faculty who believed in students more than the students believed in themselves.” Father McShane spoke of staff members who have conscientiously cared for and cherished the University.

Father McShane also said that, together, faculty and staff at Scranton have “defined and maintained a great sense of community and of mission and, throughout, have also maintained a great sense of humility. Part of the great charm and the great grace of Scranton is its excellence, combined with a humble human touch. I want to learn from all of you.”

In a campus announcement regarding his appointment by Rev. Joseph M. O’Keefe, S.J., Provincial of the USA East Province, as Superior for the Scranton Jesuit Community, Father Marina noted Father McShane’s numerous contributions to Scranton during his time as President from 1998 to 2003.

“During his tenure at Scranton, Fr. McShane’s many accomplishments included efforts to celebrate student academic achievements and to assist students in successfully competing for prestigious fellowships and scholarships,” wrote Father Marina. “The University renovated O’Hara Hall, built Brennan Hall, the home of the Kania School of Management, Romero Plaza and Madison Square, successfully completed the Campaign for Scranton (a $48.5 million capital campaign), inaugurated the President's Business Council, and created Founder’s Green.”

Father McShane left Scranton to serve as the 32nd President of Fordham University. During his tenure as President there from 2003 to his retirement in 2022, Fordham University invested $1 billion in new construction and infrastructure improvements, raised more than $1 billion in donations, and increased its endowment to more than $1 billion, among other accomplishments. In 2022, Fordham’s Board of Trustees elected Father McShane as President Emeritus.

A native of New York, Father McShane entered the Society of Jesus in 1967 and was ordained a priest in 1977. He received both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Boston College, and master's degrees in theology from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley in 1977. He completed his doctorate, in the history of Christianity, at the University of Chicago in 1981.

Father McShane served as a member of the Department of Religious Studies at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, from 1981 to 1992. He served as the dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill from 1992 to 1998. After his service as President of The University of Scranton and his retirement as President of Fordham University, Father McShane served as special assistant to the President of Canisius University in Buffalo, New York, until starting as Superior of the Jesuit Community at Scranton on July 31. He serves on the boards of Santa Clara University and the University of Detroit Mercy.

The University of Scranton bestowed an honorary degree upon Father McShane in 2004 and dedicated the Executive Education Center on the fifth floor of Brennan Hall in his honor in 2005.

Among his more recent honors, Father McShane received the 2024 Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, CSC, Award from the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, in recognition of his many contributions to Catholic higher education.