William Patrick Power

Infobox University President
name =Fr. William P. Power, C.S.Sp.


image_size =200px
caption =
order =1st
university =Rector of the
Pittsburgh Catholic College
term_start =1878
term_end =1885
birth_date =1843
birth_place =Ireland
death_date =Death year and age|1919|1843
death_place =
predecessor =
successor =Rev. John Willms
alumna =
residence =
profession =
religion =
salary =
website =
footnotes =|

Father William Patrick Power, C.S.Sp. (1843-1919) was the first head of Duquesne University, founded as the "Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost". [Rishel 1997, 2.] Power was born in 1843 and ordained in 1866; he had spent many years teaching in Spiritan missions in India, Mauritius and Trinidad before coming to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [cite web | title = Spiritan Campus Ministry bulletin | publisher = Duquesne University | date = 2008-01-28 | url = http://www.campusministry.duq.edu/bulletin/07-08/Jan08/vol8iss17Jan27.pdf | accessdate =2008-01-30]

Father Joseph Strub, the founder of the College, was not happy with the Spiritan Superior General's choice of Father Power as the first rector, since he believed Pittsburgh's immigrant Catholics would perceive a German rector as more industrious and disciplined than an Irish one. [Rishel 1997, 2.] In fact, he specifically requested that the rector not be Fr. Power, but he was selected nonetheless. [Rishel 1997, 2.]

While the German Holy Ghost Father John Bernard Graff served in Power's capacity as he traveled from Ireland, the Irish-born bishop of Pittsburgh, John Tuigg, showed his animosity for the interim rector's nationality and offered little support for the newly-established institution, even refusing the Holy Ghost Fathers the right to exercise priestly functions at the College, such as saying Mass or hearing confessions. [Rishel 1997, 3.] Father Strub left two weeks after the College was opened on 1 October 1878 for Arkansas, eager to avoid further provoking Bishop Tuigg. [Rishel 1997, 3.]

Power was rector during an essentially formative stage of what is now Duquesne University's history: he was in office when the College received its state charter on 7 July 1882, and as the Old Main administration building was built on Boyd's Hill overlooking the Monongahela River. [Rishel 1997, 3-4.] The "Victorian Medievalistic" structure was at that time the highest point on Pittsburgh's skyline. [Rishel 1997, 4.]

Father Power's tenure was brief: only two months after the administration building was dedicated in April 1884, Power was assigned to St. Mary College in Trinidad. [Rishel 1997, 5.]

Power Center

On 14 March 2006 Duquesne University began construction on a convert|130000|sqft|m2|sing=on facility named in honor of Father Power.cite web | title = Power Center | publisher = Duquesne University | url = http://www.duq.edu/powercenter/ | accessdate =2008-01-28] The building dedicates convert|80000|sqft|m2 to fitness facilities, and also includes a Barnes & Noble branch and a casual dining restaurant. The Power Center officially opened at the beginning of the Spring 2008 semester.

References

Bibliography

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succession box
before= New position
title= Rector of the Pittsburgh Catholic College
years= 1878–1885
after= Rev. John Willms