President: 1949-1952
Fr. J. Hunter Guthrie, S.J., served as Georgetown's 42nd president from 1949-1952. Though president for only three years, Fr. Guthrie enacted substantial administrative reforms and dissolved the University's football program.
Early Academic Career
Upon graduating from Fordham High School, Fr. Hunter Guthrie joined the Society of Jesus in 1917. After studying Philosophy at Woodstock and running a seminary in the Philippines, Fr. Guthrie taught philosophy at Fordham University. In 1943, Fr. Guthrie came to Georgetown where he served as Dean of the Graduate School and then Chairman of the Deans.1
During his tenure as Dean, Fr. Guthrie strengthened the University’s economics, history, and political science programs and created a new philosophy program. Fr. Guthrie recruited several professors from Europe as their refugee status enabled the University to afford their salaries. Fr. Guthrie also initiated the admission of women to the Graduate School. On February 18, 1949, Fr. Guthrie succeeded Fr. Lawrence Gorman and became the University’s forty-second president.2
Administrative Reforms
One of Fr. Guthrie’s primary goals was the restructuring of the University's administration. He restored the Board of Regents which had been dissolved in the 1930s. Renamed the “President’s Council,” the twenty-one lay men worked to promote, fundraise, and advise the president. A few months later, Fr. Guthrie incorporated the Alumni Association into a permanent and independent organization. In 1951, Fr. Guthrie created an Office of University Development, which began developing a building program and a necessary capital fundraising campaign. Building on the efforts of his predecessor, Fr. Gorman, the 1952 building program laid out plans for the conversion of Ryan Gymnasium into an academic building, an undergraduate dining hall, a library, academic buildings for the School of Foreign Service and Graduate School, a nurse’s residence, additions to the hospital and medical-dental schools, endowments, and scholarships.3
As one of his colleagues remarked, “Before Guthrie, the organization of the University had been like a feudal kingdom, each school a virtually independent barony with its own budget, accounting systems, purchasing, investments-if any. Guthrie had the great courage, in the face of strong opposition, to unify the entire financial operation budgeting, purchasing, investing, accounting and all, Georgetown became a University, not an academic conglomerate.”4
McDonough Construction
The reapings of Fr. Gorman’s successful fundraising campaign passed to Fr. Guthrie, and with it, the task of building the University a new gymnasium. Fr. Guthrie was eager to see the project completed, “Sound education is not confined to the classrooms, and an adequate gymnasium is an essential feature of a University.”5 In May 1950, the University broke ground on a site south of the Observatory for a two-story facility large enough to accommodate a 5,000 person basketball arena capable of doubling as a convocation space with a built-in stage. When the Korean War broke out a month later, the ensuing shortage of steel and increased cost of labor forced the University to reduce the gymnasium’s planned size. The McDonough Memorial Gymnasium, with a capacity for 2,500 persons, officially opened in December 1951 with a basketball game against Fordham.6
Discontinuing Georgetown football
In March 1951, several months before the new gymnasium opened, Fr. Guthrie announced the unanimous decision by the University’s Directors to abandon intercollegiate football. Football, including both student scholarships and income from games, cost the University an estimated $135,000 annually. Other Jesuit schools had successfully discontinued their football programs, and the promise of prestige and advertising value from football had failed to materialize. Of the 5,330 students who enrolled at Georgetown in the fall of 1950, only 72 indicated athletics as their motivation to attend Georgetown. In a letter to the Alumni Association, Fr. Guthrie cited these factors writing, "As far as student interest goes, Georgetown football is something they read about in the papers. Eight out of ten games are played "away." Washington is certainly not interested in us; a 9,000 gate is considered good. I do not see how we can continue this $100,000.00 Roman holiday any longer.” Hundreds of University alumni responded to the announcement. Their letters to University Administration averaged seven in favor to one against, while letters to the Alumni Association averaged four in favor to one against.7
Resignation
Fr. Guthrie’s first term ended in February 1952, but his second term lasted mere months. He left the University in July for a retreat and fundraising but had not returned by the start of the fall semester. In October, amid rumors of poor health and discontent among the Jesuit superiors, Fr. Guthrie submitted his resignation. He was succeed by Fr. Edward Bunn.
- 1“Fr. Hunter Guthrie, S.J. Celebrates Golden Jubilee.” Catholic Standard and Times. 22 Sept. 1967, p.13.
- 2Emmett Curran, Robert. “A History of Georgetown University The Quest for Excellence, 1889-1964.” 2010, p.246-48.
- 3Id. at 266.
- 4Rev. Gerard F. Yates, S.J. The Hoya. 22 Nov. 1974, p.6.
- 5“President’s Message.” Georgetown University Alumni Magazine, Vol 3, No. 1, 1950, p.2.
- 6“A History of Georgetown University The Quest for Excellence, 1889-1964,” p.268-69.
- 7“Down the Path of Glory: The End of a Football Era.” Georgetown University Alumni Magazine, Vol 3, No. 1, 1950, p.16-17.
