By CatholicPhilly Staff Report • Posted July 21, 2025

Jesuit Father Nicholas S. Rashford, a priest for 54 years who served as president of St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia for 17 years, died July 14 at the Manresa Hall Jesuit health center. He was 85.

His funeral Mass will be celebrated Wednesday, July 23 at noon, preceded by a viewing at 10 a.m., at St. Joseph’s Chapel on the university’s campus.

Having led the university during a period of rapid change from 1986 to 2003,  Father Rashford  helped shape St. Joseph’s future, campus and surrounding communities into what they are today.

His presence was felt across the university’s campus, from Mandeville Hall, whose construction he oversaw, to the echo of his voice in every classroom asking, “So what have you learned?” — a question he famously posed to his students.

“Father Rashford was an inspired leader who left an indelible mark on our students and university,” said President Cheryl A. McConnell. “He was not only a transformative thinker — establishing our EMBA program, spearheading the construction of McShain Bridge, modernizing our classrooms — but he was also an educator who cared deeply about his students. He was a man of faith and vision. St. Joseph’s wouldn’t be what it is today without Father Rashford.”

Born in 1940 in Peoria, Illinois, Father Rashford joined the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1964, and was ordained a priest in 1971 in Peoria. He began his academic career at St. Louis University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in sociology and philosophy, and a Master of Science in urban affairs and theology.

He later received a Doctor of Science in behavioral science from Johns Hopkins University in 1976, and was an Alfred P. Sloan fellow in organizational leadership at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

After serving as dean of Rockhurst College’s school of management for three years, Father Rashford set foot on Hawk Hill in 1986 as president. He emphasized campus expansion and beautification, as well as infrastructure enhancement during his tenure.

“It’s exciting to be associated with a Jesuit university with 134 years of history,” Father Rashford told The Philadelphia Inquirer in December 1985. “The next 10 years is going to see education change more dramatically than it has changed in a long time.”

He was proved right. A little over a decade later,the university constructed the $25 million Owen A. Mandeville Hall and established the now decades-long relationship with Erivan K. Haub and the Tengelmann Group. Father Rashford often stressed the importance of students being global citizens and he made sure the new home for the Erivan K. Haub School of Business featured best-in-class technological enhancements that allowed Hawks to interact with people around the globe in real time — including a satellite teleconference to the Vatican at the building’s dedication ceremony in 1998.

Fr. Rashford told the Chronicle of Higher Education, “I wanted to enhance the classroom experience to teach process as well as content … to get students in the classroom to use some of the programs and techniques that they would eventually encounter in the business world.”

In 1988 Pennsylvania Gov. Bob Casey appointed  Father Rashford chairman of the Delaware River Port Authority, a role that enabled him to shape the economic development of the City of Philadelphia.

Among his notable contributions was the introduction of stacked shipping containers — an innovation  that saved the region’s railroad freight business.

In recognition of his accomplishments, Father Rashford was awarded a Golden Amtrak pass, which granted him unlimited travel along the passenger rail. It was a fitting honor for the train-loving priest who proudly displayed a model train set in St. Joseph’s Regis Hall.

Father Rashford also played a critical role in founding the City Avenue District, which he chaired for four years. It was his vision to make the City Avenue District the entrance to the City of Philadelphia, starting with the construction of McShain Bridge, which connected Lower Merion to Philadelphia.

He forged partnerships with the Irish and Italian governments that benefited the Haub School and its students. He also created international programs in China, Italy, Germany and Ireland that increased the number of international students on Hawk Hill.

He also oversaw the addition of five varsity sports programs, the renovation of Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse (now Hagan Arena), and construction of the Robert M. Gillin Jr. Boathouse — the first boathouse to be built on the Schuylkill River in 98 years.

“Father Rashford was a true visionary when it came to athletics, as evidenced by his longtime membership on the NCAA President’s Commission, along with being chairman of the Atlantic 10 Presidents Council,” said Don DiJulia, advancement officer and former vice president of athletics during Father Rashford’s tenure.

“He strongly believed in athletics’ value to the university and in providing student-athletes the opportunities to learn and grow by moving the needle on facility enhancements and scholarship opportunities.”

After stepping down as president in 2003, Father Rashford remained at SJU as university professor of management until 2021. He is remembered around campus as a devoted mentor and advisor to decades of students, preferring to meet with students than to be isolated in his office.

He also served as visiting professor at Universidad Alberto Hurtado in Santiago, Chile, and at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, where he held dual citizenship.

Father Rashford’s two loves, photography and travel, informed many of his on- and off-hours at SJU. He was often found on the sidelines at Hawks basketball games snapping pictures of players and fans. Photos from his international travels continue to grace the walls of many SJU buildings today.

“Father Nicholas Rashford is one of those rare individuals who define a new era,” said Jesuit Father Daniel R.J. Joyce, vice president of mission and ministry. “His impact on higher education, the Philadelphia business community and global educational partnerships created new horizons for us all.”