Rev. Aloysius Varsi, SJ, (9 March 1830 - 27 November 1900) was an American educator and college president.

Varsi was born in Cagliari

Cagliari

Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name Casteddu literally means castle. It has about 156,000 inhabitants, or about 480,000 including the outlying townships : Elmas, Assemini, Capoterra, Selargius, Sestu, Monserrato, Quartucciu, Quartu...

, Sardinia

Sardinia

Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...

 and entered the Society of Jesus

Society of Jesus

The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...

, an order of the Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

, on May 2, 1845. He was educated at St. Teresa's College in Cagliari, and he went to Turin

Turin

Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...

, Toulouse

Toulouse

Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...

, and Vals

Vals

Vals is the Spanish word for waltz.Vals may also refer to:* Vals , a Peruvian style of music* VALS, "Values And Lifestyles," a psychographic segmentation tool...

 for advanced training in literature and philosophy. Shortly afterward, he continued studies of physics and higher mathematics at the University of Paris

University of Paris

The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...

.

In 1861, Fr. Varsi sailed to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and studied theology in Boston, Massachusetts, where he also taught physics and chemistry. He moved to California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 in 1865 and took up a professorship in physics at Santa Clara College

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...

; two years thereafter he was assigned the presidency (1868–1876). During his tenure, the original chapel was destroyed in an earthquake, and a large new theatre building, Exhibition Hall, replaced the old edifice.

After 1876, Varsi was assigned to St. Ignatius College

University of San Francisco

The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...

 in San Francisco, where he became the superior of the California Mission, (similar to a province), and constructed the first college buildings, including St. Ignatius Church

Saint Ignatius Church (San Francisco)

Saint Ignatius Church is a church on the campus of the University of San Francisco in San Francisco, California, USA. The church serves a parish of the Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco and is the university's chapel...

, many of which were destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. He died in San Francisco in 1900 making front-page news all around the world..

External Sources

University of Santa Clara. University of Santa Clara: a history from the founding of Santa Clara Mission in 1777 to the beginning of the University in 1912 (Page 24)

Gerald McKevitt, S.J. The University of Santa Clara: A History, 1851-1977 (Page 93-95)

Salvatore John LaGumina. The Italian American experience: an encyclopedia (Page 285)
Santa Clara College (corporate authorship). Souvenir of Santa Clara College. Santa Clara, CA: University Press, 1901. (Page 20)