Patrick Francis Healy was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who was an influential president of Georgetown University, becoming known as its "second founder". The university's flagship building, Healy Hall, bears his name. Though he considered himself and was widely accepted as White, Healy was posthumously recognized as the first Black American to earn a PhD, as well as the first to enter the Jesuit order and to become the president of a predominantly White university.
Patrick Francis Healy became the first African-American inaugurated as president of a predominantly white university, Georgetown University.
On July 31, in the year 1874, Patrick Francis Healy became the first African-American inaugurated as president of a predominantly white university, Georgetown University. This event is recorded as a Historical Events event in the history of July 31, one of 389 recorded events on this date across all of history.
Key Facts
- This event took place on July 31, 1874 (AD era).
- It is categorised as a Historical Events event in recorded history.
- Referenced in 3 Wikipedia articles.
- Wikipedia source last updated on 7 March 2026.
On This Date in History 389
This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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