Professor of Philosophy, Joseph J. Godfrey, S.J., has been named the inaugural holder of the Reverend Joseph S. Hogan, S.J. ’03 Endowed Chair in Philosophy.

“I am grateful to colleagues and the University for the appointment, and eager to expand my teaching, research and service in the spirit of the Chair,” said Fr. Godfrey. “As the donor and the University wish, the Chair will contribute to conversations between philosophy and Catholic understanding and life, within and beyond Saint Joseph's.”

According to Brice Wachterhauser, Ph.D., Provost, the Chair was established by William A. Conway ’43B in 2002. “It was Mr. Conway’s wish that the first holder of the chair be a member of the Society of Jesus, and in particular, a Jesuit who exemplifies the characteristics of Fr. Hogan,” Wachterhauser said. “After an extensive national search, Fr. Godfrey emerged as the clear choice for the Hogan Chair.”

Joseph Stanislaus Hogan was born in 1882 in Philadelphia, and entered the Society of Jesus in 1901. An alumnus of Saint Joseph's College's Class of 1903, he began his teaching career at Saint Joseph’s in 1922 as a professor of classics, becoming a professor of philosophy in 1927. During the celebration of his 50th anniversary as a member of the Society of Jesus in 1951, Fr. Hogan was described as “a champion of the Faith” and “a teacher of rare wit and wisdom and kindly charm, of imagination and intellectual vigor.”

Fr. Godfrey joined SJU’s philosophy department in 1976. His area of specialization is the philosophy of religion. A dedicated teacher and advisor, he received teaching awards in 1986 and 1992, and served as Rector of the Jesuit Community from 1997-2003. He has held visiting professorships at Marquette University, as the Francis C. Wade, S.J., Chair, and at Santa Clara University as the Bannan Scholar in the philosophy department. His most recent book, Trust of People, Words, and God: A Route in Philosophy of Religion, has been accepted for publication by the University of Notre Dame Press.