Patrick Francis Healy inaugurated president of Georgetown University

Background. Patrick Francis Healy was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who became an influential president of Georgetown University. He received his doctorate in philosophy in 1864 at the Catholic University of Louvain. He returned to America to serve as the chair of philosophy at Georgetown, which was recovering from the Civil War. Healy was elected president in 1873 and appointed rector the following year.

Inauguration. On July 31, 1874, Healy was officially inaugurated as president and rector of Georgetown University. This event established him as the first Black president of a predominantly White university in the United States. His mixed race background was known during his presidency, though he identified as White. Healy later became known as the 'second founder' of Georgetown for presiding over unprecedented growth.

Legacy. Healy Hall, the university's flagship building, bears his name. In the 1960s and 1970s, Georgetown University began publicly identifying Healy as Black. He was posthumously recognized as the first Black American to earn a PhD, enter the Jesuit order, and become the president of a predominantly White university. His legacy includes the Patrick Healy Award, created in 1969.