Father John Early was an Irish-American Jesuit educator and founder of the Loyola College in Maryland

Loyola College in Maryland

Loyola University Maryland is a Roman Catholic, Jesuit private university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Established as Loyola College in Maryland by John Early and eight other members of the Society of Jesus in 1852, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges...

. He was also the President of Georgetown University

Georgetown University

Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...

 from 1858-1866 and again from 1870-1873.

Early life

Born to farmers in Maguiresbridge

Maguiresbridge

Maguiresbridge is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The village is named after the bridge over the Colebrooke River, first built by the local Maguire family about 1760. The village is 8 miles from Enniskillen and 3 miles from Lisnaskea....

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

 in 1814, Early left his home at a young age to study at the Armagh Academy. Hoping to become a priest he applied to the seminary at St Patrick's College, Maynooth

St Patrick's College, Maynooth

St Patrick's College, Maynooth is the "National Seminary for Ireland" , and a Pontifical University, located in the village of Maynooth, 15 miles from Dublin, Ireland. The college and seminary are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was officially established as the Royal College...

 where he was unable to gain admission.

Education

Frustrated, the nineteen year old then moved to the United States and enrolled as a third-year college student at Mount Saint Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

. After gaining some academic momentum, Early then left St. Mary's for Georgetown University

Georgetown University

Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...

 where he sought enrollment in the Society of Jesus

Society of Jesus

The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...

, due to the influence of his mentor Father John McElroy.

Presidency at the College of the Holy Cross

In 1848, thirty-four-year-old Father John Early was mandated the presidency of the College of the Holy Cross

College of the Holy Cross

The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...

 in Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....

. Young and newly ordained, Early became quickly frustrated as the college exhibited two large problems since it had yet to be chartered. First off, since it had not been chartered with the state it was unable to distribute diplomas. Secondly, a non-chartered school was subject to very large taxation. With the help of Boston's Bishop John Fitzpatrick, and a current senior's father, Orestes Brownson

Orestes Brownson

Orestes Augustus Brownson was a New England intellectual and activist, preacher, labor organizer, and noted Catholic convert and writer...

, Early wrote up a petition to the state that included privileges of six of the school's Jesuits. He, however, was not included because of his lack of American citizenship. The state of Massachusetts quickly rejected because of Bishop Fitzpatrick's clause which Fr. Early highly criticized that insisted only Catholics be allowed to enroll. Holy Cross would not distribute diplomas for another sixteen years. In 1851 Father Early handed the rein

Rein

Reins are items of horse tack, used to direct a horse or other animal used for riding or driving. Reins can be made of leather, nylon, metal, or other materials, and attach to a bridle via either its bit or its noseband.-Use for riding:...

s over to Anthony Ciampi, who had the arduous task of rebuilding the college after it caught fire in July 1852.

Founding of Loyola College

After his presidency at the College of the Holy Cross, Early continued his training as a Jesuit under Father Felix Spranis. During this time he ventured to Baltimore, visiting his sister who was at the Carmelite convent. During these trips he would preach at Saint Patrick's church in Fells Point which was led by pastor James Dolan. James Dolan had for a long time been wanting to open up a university in Baltimore for the sons of upper class Catholics. After he failed to get Father Aschwanden for the job, due to health issues, he asked Fr. Early to begin the task on August 15, which happened to be exactly the same day that Father Charles Stonestreet was handed the position of provincial.