William P. Leahy, of the Wisconsin Province of the Society of Jesus, became the 25th President of Boston College in July 1996. Coming to Boston College from Marquette University, where he served for five years as executive vice president, Fr. Leahy brought to his position a diverse background as a university administrator and as a scholar in 20th century American social and religious history.
Fr. Leahy holds a Ph.D. in history from Stanford University, an M.A. in U.S. History from St. Louis University, and a master's degree in divinity and sacred theology from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California. He is the author of Adapting to America: Catholics, Jesuits and Higher Education in the Twentieth Century, as well as numerous scholarly articles on religious and educational history in the United States. He currently serves as a trustee of Boston College, Weston Jesuit School of Theology, Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, and is chair of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.