University of Santa Clara - Redwood Yearbook (Santa Clara, CA)

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REV, WILLIAM C. GIANERA, S.J. President The University of Santa Clara, like the other universities and col- leges of the United States, is proud of her sons v ho distinguished themselves in the recent war. They brought a glory to them- selves and their Alma Mater which will never fade. Particularly is Santa Clara proud of her eighty-four sons who made the supreme sacrifice of their lives through devotion to their country and what the country stands for. The University of Santa Clara will not forget those heroic sons nor does she wish future generations of students at Santa Clara to for- get them. That they may not be forgotten is the reason that this book has been dedicated to them. Fitting as this tribute is it is far from adequate, a more lasting memorial should be erected to their memory. When circumstan- ces permit it is the hope of the authorities of the University that a Student Memorial Union can be built. In a suitable place a plaque will be placed on which will be inscribed the names of all those who gave their lives that future generations of Americans might continue to live in the enjoyment of the freedom and happinss which is guaranteed them by the principles set forth in the Consti- tution of the United States. The memory of the heroic sons of Santa Clara must be kept alive as a example of devotion, loyalty and uprightness. Their memory should be an inspiration for future sons of Santa Clara to shape their lives in accordance with the pur- pose for which Santa Clara was founded to mould men after the model of the Man-God, and thus form them to serve their fellow- men, their country and their God. Rev. William C. Gianera, S.J., president of Santa Clara University, is no stranger to the students or alumni of this institution. His appointment to the presi- dency last October came during his twentieth year of service to the school. In 1926 Father Gianera was ap- pointed director of discipline and two years later assumed the duties of the Dean of Faculities, a position which he held until the announcement of his promotion to the office of president.

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ADMIIVISTRATDRS

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REV. CHARLES J. WALSH, SJ. The appointment of Rev. William C. Gianera, S.J., succeed- ing Pev. Charles J. Walsh, S.J., as president of the University of Santa Clara, may well be taken as the occasion for the emer- gence of Santa Clara from a time of war which drained it of over four fifth of its student body and drastically curtailed its extra curricular activities. To Father Gianera in this period of rejuvenation falls the task of reconversion and the expected post-war expansion which includes the construction of a student union. Plans for the erection of this building had been under way in 1941 but were cancelled the after Pearl Harbor attack because of the shortage of materials during war. It is proper here, however, to comment on the work of Father Walsh, who, as war president , found the last three years of his term infected with the slow paralysis of a world war demand- ing for its needs the young men who would ordinarily have filled Santa Clara ' s halls and added many pages to the history of the Mission School ' s glorious tradition. The Ryland Debate, Owl Oratorical, the House of Philhistorians and the Senate, the Stephen M. White Debating Society, The Redwood, The Owl, campus liter- ary monthly, the Dramatic Art Contest, varsity football and baseball became the victims of a war which at one time called all but 58 students to the colors. It was during this trying period that Father Walsh led Santa Clara and instilled in her men a love for and devotion to their alma mater. It was when the going was rockiest that he initia- ted the Emergency Fund which accounted for more than $100,000 in donations used to defray operating expenses of the university when its income was far exceeded by cost of operation. And it was while contemplating a bigger and better Santa Clara that Father Walsh decided to establish a Centennial Endowment Fund with a goal of one million dollars by 1 95 1, the money to be used in furthering the educational facilities of the university. To Father Walsh Santa Clara is grateful and to Father Gianera it looks for leadership in the future.