William L. Keleher
William L. Keleher | |
|---|---|
Keleher c. 1951 | |
| 20th President of Boston College | |
| In office 1945–1951 | |
| Preceded by | William J. Murphy |
| Succeeded by | Joseph R. N. Maxwell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Lane Keleher January 27, 1906 Woburn, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | October 27, 1975 (aged 69) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Education | College of the Holy Cross (BA) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | June 1937 |
William Lane Keleher SJ (January 27, 1906 – October 27, 1975) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who was the president of Boston College from 1945 to 1951. During his tenure, the school oversaw rapid and significant growth in the number of students returning from World War II under the G.I. Bill. In the span of five years, enrollment increased from approximately 200 students to over 7,500.
To accommodate this growth, Keleher oversaw construction of three permanent buildings, including Fulton Hall, for the School of Management, and Lyons Hall. He also relocated several military structures onto the campus for use as student housing. While meant to be temporary, the structures remained for almost 20 years. In 1946, Boston College's School of Nursing was established, and in 1948, the college's ROTC program was created.