JOSEPH McGOWAN

McGOWAN--Joseph J. Jr.

Joseph J. "Jay" McGowan Jr., visionary president of Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY, died suddenly and peacefully at his home on Tuesday of a pulmonary embolism. He was 71. His tenacious pursuit of academic excellence and sustainable growth at Bellarmine developed for Louisville a preeminent private university that serves the public interest and has gained national renown. His personal grace, compassion and lightning-fast wit brought energy and light to all who met him. When Dr. McGowan assumed the leadership of then- Bellarmine College in 1990, the school was a largely commuter liberal-arts college with 15 mostly yellow-brick buildings and 2,500 students. Today Bellarmine is a distinguished, bustling university with 46 buildings and it attracts 4,000 students from all over the world to its stunning Italianate campus and its curriculum steeped in the Catholic tradition of academic excellence and ethical awareness. Dr. McGowan was the third and longest-serving president of Bellarmine, which was founded in 1950. "Jay McGowan was a visionary leader who took Bellarmine from college to university, from a local learning institution to an international destination for innovation and knowledge," said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. Joseph J. McGowan Jr. was born to Joseph and Joan McGowan on Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, LA, but moved with his parents to Scranton, PA as a child. He spoke about growing up in Scranton, where he played little league baseball with Vice President Joe Biden and once turned an unassisted triple play. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Notre Dame, and his doctorate in higher education from Columbia University. He later graduated from Harvard University's Institute for Educational Management. Before taking the reins at Bellarmine, President McGowan served for 21 years at Fordham University in New York City as vice president of student affairs and dean of students. "The world of higher education has lost a giant in Dr. McGowan," said Joseph M. McShane, SJ, president of Fordham University. "A man of great vision and integrity, his transformation of Bellarmine was nothing less than miraculous." At Bellarmine, Dr. McGowan sought to instill a "vision built on hope," which was the title of his 1990 inaugural address. His vision for Bellarmine included faculty development, intellectual and personal growth of students, a firm commitment to the liberal arts, new and renovated facilities and the intellectual and spiritual presence of Thomas Merton, whose spirit "inspires the development of Bellarmine as the intellectual center of the region considering such issues as peace and justice, world religions and East-West and North-South dialogues." The Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University, which is the official repository of Merton's artistic estate and archives more than 50,000 Merton-related materials, is a destination for international scholars. In 2005, Dr. McGowan launched Vision 2020, his plan for Bellarmine to become "the premier independent Catholic university in the South, and thereby the leading private institution in the Commonwealth and region." He envisioned growing Bellarmine into a nationally preeminent private university of significant size and stature. His vision gave birth to Bellarmine's first doctoral programs and graduate programs in fields like education and social change, analytics, physical therapy and digital media, as well as a reinvigorated liberal-arts undergraduate academic core. Dr. McGowan displayed a passion for architecture, remaking Bellarmine's hilly campus in the style of his beloved Tuscany (birthplace of school namesake St. Roberto Bellarmino). The Siena residential complex--widely acclaimed as one of the nation's most beautiful, Our Lady of the Woods Chapel and the new hilltop Centro are among the projects that routinely drop jaws of alumni and friends who visit after a time away. St. Robert's Gate at the school's entrance is emblematic of the University's culture of hospitality, welcoming new people and new ideas. A longtime virtuoso of student-life leadership at Fordham, Dr. McGowan recognized the need to invigorate the quality of residential life at Bellarmine, and he more than tripled the number of students living in residence on campus. Bellarmine was classified as "primarily residential" and has since added 24 intramural sports, as well as NCAA Division I men's lacrosse. The men's basketball team won the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2011. Throughout the stunning growth, President McGowan zealously safeguarded Bellarmine's values, integrity, small class sizes, independent Catholic ideals and respect for all people. Famous for his competitive spirit and ability to spot opportunities others overlooked, President McGowan will perhaps be missed most for his sense of humor. "Jay was brilliant, charming, hilarious and always exciting to be around; the rare university president known for an Elvis impersonation," said US Representative John Yarmuth. The Reverend Theodore Martin Hesburgh, president of Notre Dame for 35 years, was a mentor to Dr. McGowan and wrote to him on the 20th anniversary of his presidency: "Under your leadership, Bellarmine has thrived in every conceivable way," the Reverend Hesburgh wrote, "and the Academy, the Church, and our Nation, are better and stronger because of your inspired vision." Dr. McGowan is survived by his loving wife, Maureen McRaith McGowan, and their fraternal twin sons, Joseph and Matthew; their daughters-in-law Emma and Heidi; and five adoring grandchildren, Alessia, Sofia, Neve, Fiona, and Luke; his sister, Mary Hoban (William); his brother, Timothy (Theresa); his uncle, Thomas J. Rittenhouse, Jr. (Joyce); and a large extended family.