Robert J. Fulton

Robert James Fulton was born on June 28, 1826, in the city of Alexandria, then located in the District of Columbia. Both of Irish descent, his father was Presbyterian and his mother was Catholic. His paternal ancestors had emigrated to the United States in the 18th century and initially settled near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. His maternal ancestors were of the O'Brien clan from County Clare and initially settled near Baltimore, Maryland.[1] Among his relatives were the president of the United States, Benjamin Harrison, and the governor of Virginia, Henry A. Wise. Fulton attended his mother's church for the first years of his life, and when his father sought to have him instead attend his Presbyterian church, Robert protested and his father reluctantly acquiesced.[2]

Fulton's father was wealthy but encountered significant financial difficulty soon before his father's death, when Fulton was seven years old, leaving his widow and son poor. In order to support the family, Fulton's mother opened a small, private school, which she ran, and later opened a boarding house. Fulton attended his mother's school for a time.[1]

When he was nine years old, Fulton enrolled at a school in Washington, D.C. Through a relative, Senator William S. Fulton of Arkansas, Fulton was appointed a Page of the United States Senate, a position he held for four years.[1] He explored various occupations, first attempting to study medicine with several books and instruments he borrowed from a physician.[3] He then decided to seek entrance to the United States Military Academy at West Point.[4] In preparation for this, he enrolled at Georgetown College at 16 years of age.[5] Fulton likely worked at the college during his studies to remit part of his tuition.[4]

While at Georgetown, Fultondecided that he would enter the Jesuit order. Upon hearing this, his mother decided that she would also enter religious life. They both rid themselves of their possessions, including manumitting their slaves,[6] and then Fulton entered the Society of Jesus on September 1, 1843, at the novitiate in Frederick, Maryland,[7] while his mother entered the Georgetown Visitation Monastery,[6] taking the name Sister Olympias.[5]

Portrait of Fulton in 1876

After his novice year in the Society of Jesus, Fulton taught at Saint John's College in Frederick for three years. He then taught for a year each at Georgetown College and the Washington Seminary. Fulton began his study of philosophy at Georgetown in 1849, but in 1850 was sent to teach for one year each at the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, Georgetown, and Loyola College in Maryland. He completed his philosophical studies at Georgetown in 1853,[8] and studied theology from 1854 to 1857. On July 25, 1857, Fulton was ordained a priest by Francis Kenrick, the Archbishop of Baltimore, at Georgetown.[9]

Fulton completed his theological studies in 1858, and was then appointed a professor of rhetoric at Georgetown. He completed his tertianship in 1861, and in March of that year,[9] was sent to Boston College to teach a course on moral theology to the Jesuit scholastics.[10] On August 15, 1862, he professed his fourth vow.[7] From 1862 to 1863, he again taught rhetoric in Frederick.[9]

Portrait of Fulton

Fulton was named to succeed Robert W. Brady as the provincial superior of the Jesuit Maryland-New York Province, assuming office on May 28, 1882.[41] As provincial, he attended the Jesuit General Congregation in Rome in 1883, which elected Anton Anderledy as the Superior General.[42][43]

In December 1886, Anderledy made him the canonical visitor to the Jesuits' Irish Province.[42] He remained as provincial superior of the Maryland-New York Province until he was succeeded by Thomas J. Campbell on May 21, 1888.[41]

Fulton again returned to Boston College as president on July 4, 1888, succeeding Nicholas Russo.[44] He raised $125,000 (equivalent to approximately $3.4 million in 2021)[33] to expand the facilitates of the Young Men's Catholic Association, and construction began in 1889.[45] Work was delayed due to strikes by the laborers, and the expansion was completed in 1890.[46]

Upon the suggestion of the Archbishop of Boston, John Joseph Williams, Fulton separated an English high school division, as a distinct course of study, from the college in September 1889.[47] The two institutions were further separated over the following years, giving rise to Boston College High School.[48] By this time Fulton's health had begun to deteriorate. On October 16, 1890, he left for Hot Springs, Arkansas, to recuperate. When it became clear that his health was not improving, the provincial superior appointed Edward I. Devitt as vice-rector of the college on January 8, 1891, who assumed management of its affairs.[49] Devitt officially succeeded Fulton as rector and president of the college on September 3, 1891.[50]

In his later years, Fulton spent time at Jesuit facilities in New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. and was eventually named the chair of English literature at Georgetown, teaching postgraduate students. Soon, however, his health deteriorated further, and he was sent to recuperate in California. Once his health slightly improved, he traveled to San Francisco and finally to Santa Clara University.[51][52] On the evening of September 4, 1895, he died at the university.[53] He was buried in the Santa Clara Mission Cemetery.[52]

Fulton Hall, named for Robert Fulton, opened in 1948,[54] at Boston College's Chestnut Hill campus.[55] It currently houses the Carroll School of Management.[56]

• "Fulton, Robert, 1826–1895, Jesuit priest". Irish Jesuit Archives. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
• "Robert James Fulton". Find a Grave. Retrieved October 2, 2022.