Charles W. Lyons

Charles W. Lyons (January 31, 1868 – January 31, 1939) was an American Roman Catholic priest and member of the Society of Jesus. He served as the President of Gonzaga College (which became Gonzaga College High School), Saint Joseph's College, Boston College, and Georgetown University, making him the only Jesuit to have served as the president of five colleges.

Charles Lyons was born on January 31, 1868 in Boston, Massachusetts. He moved to South Boston and became a parishioner of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. Attending the Boston public schools, he graduated from The English High School. Upon graduating from high school, he went to work in the wool industry, where he advanced quickly. During this time, he studied Latin on his own, and joined the Young Men's Catholic Association, on whose board he eventually became a member.

Jesuit formation

As a result of these influences, Lyons was motivated to join the Society of Jesus, and he was accepted by Fr. Thomas J. Campbell, the superior of the Maryland-New York province of the Jesuits. He entered the novitiate on August 14, 1890 at Frederick, Maryland.After some time, he found his formation at Frederick difficult and suffered a nervous breakdown. As a result, he was sent to Georgetown University, where he was appointed prefect of the young students, who were fond of him. He remained in this position for one year, until resuming his studies in Frederick. Lyons completed his juniorate in 1895 and commenced his study of philosophy at Woodstock College; he also gained a reputation for a pleasant tenor singing voice at Woodstock. During this time, he was also a catechist at St. Alphonsus Church in Woodstock, Maryland.

Following his philosophical studies, Lyons was sent to Gonzaga College in Washington, D.C., were he taught chemistry to high school boys. He was then sent to Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland in 1901 to teach grammar and mathematics. The following year, Lyons returned to Woodstock to study theology. During his studies there, he was ordained a priest in 1904. In 1906, he was again sent to Georgetown to be the prefect of discipline. For his tertianship, Lyons was then sent to St. Andrew-on-Hudson in Hyde Park, New York for one year.

Following the tertianship, Lyons was appointed a professor of philosophy and political economy at St. Francis Xavier College in New York City (which became known as Xavier High School).

Lyons became the twentieth president of Gonzaga College (later known as Gonzaga College High School) on December 27, 1908, following Fr. Joseph J. Himmel, S.J. Shortly after he took office, the Messina, Italy earthquake of 1908 struck, and the school offered a solemn high requiem mass for the victims, which was celebrated by Bishop Diomede Falconio and sung by Fr. Bonaventura Cerretti; in attendance were Bishop Denis J. O'Connell, Attorney General Charles Joseph Bonaparte, and the Italian ambassador to the United States.

A banquet was held to honor the new president on February 10, which was attended by Congressman William Bourke Cockran. Lyons was succeeded as president by Fr. Eugene DeL. McDonnell, S.J. on July 8, 1909.