Jesuit Ivy
Encyclopedia
"Jesuit Ivy" is the title of a commencement speech
delivered at and, subsequently, a nickname
given to Boston College
, a Jesuit university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
, United States
. The term was coined in a 1956 commencement address by then-Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy
. Speaking at the Jesuit university, he was likely making reference to the Ivy League
which had been formally established two years prior, in 1954. The term "Jesuit Ivy" was somewhat of a contradiction in terms
. The Ivy League's members were generally Protestant-founded institutions; Boston College had itself been founded in part because Catholics were being denied admission to Harvard University
in the nineteenth century. The nickname suggested both Boston College's rising stature and the declining prevalence of discrimination at elite American universities. A Catholic whose family were longtime Boston College benefactors, Kennedy graduated from Harvard in 1940.
Senator and President of the United States
—more frequently than he visited any other university, including his own alma mater
, Harvard. In addition to commencement and convocation speeches, Kennedy addressed BC's Alumni Association, Varsity Club, and College of Business Administration (forerunner to the Carroll School of Management
), and offered a series of seminars in the spring semester of 1958. While the Jesuit Ivy speech is perhaps his most well-known address at Boston College, Kennedy's 1963 Convocation Address would prove to be the most historic. It was both the inaugural event of BC's centennial commemoration and one of Kennedy's last public appearances before his assassination.
, Boston's second Irish-Catholic mayor and a member of the Boston College Class of 1885. John F. Kennedy's father, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr, became the first Kennedy to attend Harvard instead of Boston College though he remained a long-time Boston College benefactor. In 1946, the Kennedys established the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation
and funded the construction of the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.
Memorial Hall at Boston College, now a part of Campion Hall and home to BC's Lynch School of Education
. The foundation was led by Senator Edward M. Kennedy up until his death in August 2009. Other Kennedys who have attended Boston College include Kerry Kennedy
, Christopher Kennedy Lawford
, Christopher George Kennedy
, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
, former director of BC's Watershed Institute.
Commencement speech
A commencement speech or commencement address is a speech given to graduating students, generally at a university, although the term is also used for secondary education institutions. The "commencement" is a ceremony in which degrees or diplomas are conferred upon graduating students...
delivered at and, subsequently, a nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
given to Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, a Jesuit university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Chestnut Hill is a wealthy New England village located six miles west of downtown Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Like all Massachusetts villages, Chestnut Hill is not an incorporated municipal entity, but unlike most of them, it encompasses parts of three separate municipalities, each of...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The term was coined in a 1956 commencement address by then-Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
. Speaking at the Jesuit university, he was likely making reference to the Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
which had been formally established two years prior, in 1954. The term "Jesuit Ivy" was somewhat of a contradiction in terms
Contradiction
In classical logic, a contradiction consists of a logical incompatibility between two or more propositions. It occurs when the propositions, taken together, yield two conclusions which form the logical, usually opposite inversions of each other...
. The Ivy League's members were generally Protestant-founded institutions; Boston College had itself been founded in part because Catholics were being denied admission to Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in the nineteenth century. The nickname suggested both Boston College's rising stature and the declining prevalence of discrimination at elite American universities. A Catholic whose family were longtime Boston College benefactors, Kennedy graduated from Harvard in 1940.
JFK at BC
John F. Kennedy visited Boston College in an official capacity seven times during his tenures as MassachusettsMassachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
Senator and President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
—more frequently than he visited any other university, including his own alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, Harvard. In addition to commencement and convocation speeches, Kennedy addressed BC's Alumni Association, Varsity Club, and College of Business Administration (forerunner to the Carroll School of Management
Carroll School of Management
Established in 1938, The Wallace E. Carroll School of Management, or "CSOM", as it is colloquially known, is the business school of Boston College, in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States....
), and offered a series of seminars in the spring semester of 1958. While the Jesuit Ivy speech is perhaps his most well-known address at Boston College, Kennedy's 1963 Convocation Address would prove to be the most historic. It was both the inaugural event of BC's centennial commemoration and one of Kennedy's last public appearances before his assassination.
The Jesuit Ivy Address
The following is an excerpt of the address given by Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy at the Boston College commencement exercises in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts on 26 June 1956.The Kennedys and Boston College
The ties between the Kennedy family and Boston College date to John F. Kennedy's grandfather, John F. "Honey Fitz" FitzgeraldJohn F. Fitzgerald
John Francis "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald was an Irish-American politician and the maternal grandfather of three prominent United States politicians—President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Senators Robert Francis Kennedy and Edward Moore Kennedy.-Early life and family:Fitzgerald was born in...
, Boston's second Irish-Catholic mayor and a member of the Boston College Class of 1885. John F. Kennedy's father, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr, became the first Kennedy to attend Harvard instead of Boston College though he remained a long-time Boston College benefactor. In 1946, the Kennedys established the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation
Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation
The Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation is a non-profit foundation founded by Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. in 1946 in memory of his son Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.. The foundation was led by his youngest brother, U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, until his death in 2009. The foundation funded the...
and funded the construction of the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.
Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.
Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy, Jr. was an American bomber pilot during World War II. He was the eldest of nine children born to Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Sr., and Rose Elizabeth Kennedy....
Memorial Hall at Boston College, now a part of Campion Hall and home to BC's Lynch School of Education
Lynch School of Education
The Lynch School of Education is a professional school of Boston College. Joseph O'Keefe, S.J. is the current dean.The Lynch School of Education offers graduate and undergraduate programs in education, psychology, and human development. The mission of the school is to improve the human condition...
. The foundation was led by Senator Edward M. Kennedy up until his death in August 2009. Other Kennedys who have attended Boston College include Kerry Kennedy
Kerry Kennedy
Mary Kerry Kennedy is an American human rights activist and writer. She is the seventh of the eleven children of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel Kennedy. She was known as Kerry Kennedy Cuomo from 1991 until 2003.-Early life:...
, Christopher Kennedy Lawford
Christopher Lawford
Christopher Kennedy Lawford is an American author, actor and activist and member of the prominent Kennedy family.-Life and career:...
, Christopher George Kennedy
Christopher George Kennedy
Christopher George Kennedy is an American businessman.He is president of , a commercial-property management firm based in Chicago, Illinois, which manages various properties including The Merchandise Mart in Chicago and the in Los Angeles, California, and the in Boston, Massachusetts.He is the...
, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Robert Francis Kennedy, Jr. is an American radio host, activist, and attorney specializing in environmental law. He is the third of eleven children born to Ethel Skakel Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy and is the nephew of John F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy...
, former director of BC's Watershed Institute.
See also
- Ivy LeagueIvy LeagueThe Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
- Little IviesLittle IviesLittle Ivies is a colloquialism referring to a group of small, selective American liberal arts colleges; however, it does not denote any official organization....
- Little ThreeLittle ThreeThe "Little Three" is an unofficial athletic conference of three elite liberal arts colleges in New England, United States. The "Little Three" are:* Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts* Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut...
- Public Ivies
- Seven Sisters (colleges)Seven Sisters (colleges)The Seven Sisters are seven liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern United States that are historically women's colleges. They are Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College, Smith College, Vassar College, and Wellesley College. All were founded between 1837 and...
- Southern Ivies
Further reading
- Time. "Education: BEST CATHOLIC COLLEGES" Friday, Feb. 09, 1962. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,938328,00.html