Father WiIfrid Parsons, S.J. (1887-1958)

Today marks the death of Father Wilfrid Parsons, S.J. (1887-1958), who served as editor-in-chief of the Jesuits’ America magazine from 1925 to 1936. Father Parsons joined the Jesuits at age sixteen and took his vows in 1905. He pursued philosophy studies in Belgium before teaching at several Jesuit schools in Massachusetts and New York. He studied theology at Woodstock College, Maryland, and was ordained in 1919. After ordaintion he was sent to Rome for graduate studies. When he returned, he taught Theology at Woodstock. He was then appointed assistant editor of America magazine. In February 1925, he was appointed Editor-in-Chief, a post he held until 1936. As editor one of his big concerns was the persecution of the Church in Mexico, and he wrote a book on the subject titled Mexican Martyrdom. From 1936-1940,Father Parsons served as Director of the Riggs Memorial Library and the university Archives of Georgetown University prior to serving as Georgetown Professor of Political Science (1937-1938). He, subsequently, served as Dean of the Georgetown University Graduate School (1938-1940) after which he held Catholic University’s Chair of Political Philosophy. Parsons returned to Georgetown University in 1952 where he spent his remaining years as Professor of Political Science and writer/correspondent for America Magazine.
(From the Georgetown University Archives website)