This collection contains papers related to Fr. Gerald J. Kernan's theater productions at St. Joseph's and Wheeling Colleges; his graduate school work and teaching career; and his spiritual and personal life.
The Gerald J. Kernan, SJ Papers are on deposit at Georgetown University and are the property of the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus. As stewards of the Archives, the Georgetown University Library’s Booth Family Center for Special Collections is responsible for managing access to the material based on policies set forth by the USA East Province. Researchers may view these materials in the Reading Room of the Booth Family Center for Special Collections. General policies for using Special Collections can be found here.
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1. All Archives materials dated or bearing solely on events occurring before January 1, 1940, shall be open for review unless otherwise restricted, subject to Library policies and procedures.
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Gerald J. Kernan, SJ (1911-1968) was born in Baltimore to John J. (1883-1939) and Margaret Fitzgerald Kernan (1880-1965) alongside brother John J., Jr. (1924-1958) and sisters Catherine (1913-1993), Margaret (1916-1988), Agnes (~1921-2017), and Mary Jane (1923-2015). After graduating from Loyola High School (now Loyola Blakefield) in 1929, he entered the Society of Jesus at St. Andrew-on-Hudson (1929-1930, Poughkeepsie). He was then stationed at St. Isaac Jogues (1931-1933, Wernersville) and at Mount St. Michael (1934-1936, Spokane), where he received an MA at Gonzaga University (1936). Next he was at St. John’s College (1937-1938, Fordham), St. Peter’s College (1939, Jersey City), and Woodstock (1940-1943). In 1941 he completed a second MA at Fordham and in 1942 he was ordained.
In 1944 he was briefly at St. Robert’s Hall (Pomfret Center, Connecticut) before becoming an English teacher at St. Joseph’s College (1945-1953, Philadelphia), where he was faculty moderator for the Cap and Bells dramatic society. He also completed doctoral work in English at the University of Pennsylvania (1947-1950, 1953-1954) and performed scholarly research in Europe between 1951 and 1952. In 1954 he was a guest professor at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City. Fr. Kernan then joined the English department at Wheeling College (1956-1959, West Virginia), where he was faculty moderator for the Caviar Club dramatic society. Next he was at Georgetown University (1960-1967) as an English professor before joining the faculty at the College of Guam (1968, Agana). Fr. Kernan died in 1968.
1 Cubic Feet (1 box)
English
Latin
Likely transferred from the Georgetown University Jesuit residence after his death in 1968.
Part of the Georgetown University Manuscripts Repository