AJCU Remembers Rev. Charles J. Beirne, SJ, 1938-2010

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July 16, 2010

The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) announces the passing of former Le Moyne College president Fr. Charles Beirne, SJ, who died on July 14 from cancer. He served as president of Le Moyne from 2000-2007. At the time of his death, he held the post of visiting professor in the Graduate School of Education at Fordham University.

"Charlie 's leadership at Le Moyne was marked by a strong commitment to scholarship, service and and social justice," said Fr. Charles Currie, SJ, president of AJCU. "He was also strongly committed to internationalization and made that a priority during his tenure as president."

Before serving as Le Moyne's president, Fr. Beirne was academic vice president at the Universidad Rafael Landivar in Guatemala, where he held the post of professor of education from 1996 to 2000. Prior to that, he held administrative and teaching positions at Santa Clara University, Georgetown University Business School, Regis High School and Colegio San Ignacio in Puerto Rico.

In 1989, when six Jesuits, their housekeeper and her daugther were murdered by members of the Salvadoran army, Fr. Beirne went to the Universidad Centroamericana in San Salvador to serve as academic vice president there from 1989 to 1993.

Among his many contributions to the Le Moyne campus during his time as president, Fr. Beirne led a comprehensive five-year strategic plan, created a new mission statement and worked toward establishing an architectural master plan for the Le Moyne.

Born in 1938 and ordained a Jesuit priest in 1969, Fr. Beirne earned a doctorate in education from the University of Chicago; bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Fordham University; and master’s and licentiate degrees from Woodstock College in Maryland. He served on several boards, including the Assocation of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, and authored three books: Jesuit Education and Social Change in El Salvador, Libros de Texto en El Salvador, and The Problem of Americanization in the Catholic Schools of Puerto Rico.

"We will miss Charlie's spirit and his determination to make the world a more just place, especially for those individuals living at the margins of society," said Fr. Currie. "We are saddened by his passing, but we celebrate his life and the many gifts he brought to the world. May he rest in peace."