The Josephinum Review, June 1961: Reporting on the Class of 1961

The Class of 1961-College

by John J. Fritscher

The Class of 1961 of the Josephinum College Department received Bachelor of Arts degrees on May 31, 1961, and John J. Fritscher (Jack Fritscher) reported the ceremony for The Josephinum Review in June 1961. His account names the commencement speaker, the dean who presented the candidates, the bishop who conferred the degrees and the rector who closed the exercises at Pontifical College Josephinum in Ohio.

The Class of 1961 Commencement

On the occasion of the May 31 graduation exercises of the Josephinum College Department, the Right Reverend Monsignor Leo F. Miller, Professor of Theology at the Josephinum, who recently celebrated the golden jubilee of his ordination as a priest, gave the commencement address. His theme was the ideals of education a priest should strive for throughout his life.

After the Commencement Address, 24 graduates of the senior class were awarded the Bachelor of Arts degree, with a major in Scholastic Philosophy and a minor in Latin.

Monsignor Leonard J. Fick, Dean of the College, presented the candidates for the degrees, which were awarded by His Excellency, the Most Reverend Clarence G. Issenmann, Bishop of Columbus and Vice-Ordinary of the Josephinum, who presided at the Commencement Exercises.

Bishop Issenmann addressed the students on the importance of their intellectual preparation for their ministry in the priesthood.

Monsignor Paul A. Gieringer, P.A., Rector of the Josephinum and President of the College, concluded the ceremony with an address to the graduates and the whole assembly.

©1961, 2002 Jack Fritscher

More on the Class of 1961 and the Josephinum

For more of Fritscher’s writing for the Review and other Catholic magazines, see the Annotated Bibliography: Catholic Press. To see the campus, classmates and priests behind this report on the Class of 1961, visit the Josephinum Photo Gallery.