Ambrose Burke
Encyclopedia
Monsignor
Ambrose J. Burke (November 27, 1895 – October 6, 1998) was an English professor and Catholic priest who served as the eighth president of Saint Ambrose University
(then Saint Ambrose College) from 1940 through 1956. A native of Iowa, he attended the college's high school program, and then the college itself, but was expelled from the seminary for a year and a half by the school's administrator for planning an evening of carousing. He eventually acquired a master's degree and a doctorate in English from Yale University
and returned to St. Ambrose in 1921 as an instructor. He was appointed the school's president in 1940 and served for sixteen years, then the longest tenure of any St. Ambrose president. He worked as a pastor and a chaplain for many decades after and remained active until shortly before his death in October 1998, at the age of 102.
. At the age of 14 he attended St. Ambrose Academy in Davenport, Iowa
, which was then the high school program for Saint Ambrose University
(then known as Saint Ambrose College) and has now been merged into Assumption High School
. He then moved on to St. Ambrose College, but was expelled in his second year when his plans to go carousing were discovered by the school authorities. He was not permitted to return to the seminary
for a year and a half. He was eventually ordained a priest
of the Catholic Church in 1921 in Baltimore
, Maryland
.
and doctorate
in English studies
from Yale University
and returned to St. Ambrose in 1921 as an English instructor, eventually becoming the head of the department. In 1940 he was appointed to the presidency of the college by Henry Rohlman
, then Bishop
of the Diocese of Davenport
, replacing Carl Meinberg after the latter's retirement. Although he claimed original that he did not want the job, as he would have preferred to continue teaching instead, he served in this capacity for sixteen years, the longest tenure in the post until Edward Rogalski's. During his presidency a library, an administrative building (McMullen Hall), and the Christ the King Chapel were constructed and enrollment reached a then-peak of over 1500 students. During this time he also hosted a three-part series on NBC
's Catholic Hour entitled Sainthood, the Universal Vocation. He left the school in 1956 after accepting a position as pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church.
at the city's Mercy Hospital. Although he was officially retired by 1986, he remained active into his late 90s and continued to attend conventions on Catholicism in Clinton. For his 100th birthday
he celebrated a public mass in Clinton and attended a party the following day at St. Ambrose. He died on October 6, 1998, at the age of 102, in Clinton and was buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery
in Davenport.
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
Ambrose J. Burke (November 27, 1895 – October 6, 1998) was an English professor and Catholic priest who served as the eighth president of Saint Ambrose University
Saint Ambrose University
St. Ambrose University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport. It is located in a residential area of Davenport, Iowa.-History:...
(then Saint Ambrose College) from 1940 through 1956. A native of Iowa, he attended the college's high school program, and then the college itself, but was expelled from the seminary for a year and a half by the school's administrator for planning an evening of carousing. He eventually acquired a master's degree and a doctorate in English from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and returned to St. Ambrose in 1921 as an instructor. He was appointed the school's president in 1940 and served for sixteen years, then the longest tenure of any St. Ambrose president. He worked as a pastor and a chaplain for many decades after and remained active until shortly before his death in October 1998, at the age of 102.
Early life
Burke was born November 27, 1895 in Sigourney, IowaSigourney, Iowa
Sigourney is a city in Keokuk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,059 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Keokuk County.-History:...
. At the age of 14 he attended St. Ambrose Academy in Davenport, Iowa
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
, which was then the high school program for Saint Ambrose University
Saint Ambrose University
St. Ambrose University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport. It is located in a residential area of Davenport, Iowa.-History:...
(then known as Saint Ambrose College) and has now been merged into Assumption High School
Assumption High School (Davenport, Iowa)
Assumption High School is a Roman Catholic high school in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport. Charles Elbert is the current principal of Assumption High....
. He then moved on to St. Ambrose College, but was expelled in his second year when his plans to go carousing were discovered by the school authorities. He was not permitted to return to the seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
for a year and a half. He was eventually ordained a priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
of the Catholic Church in 1921 in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
Career at St. Ambrose
Burke had also obtained his master's degreeMaster's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
and doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in English studies
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and returned to St. Ambrose in 1921 as an English instructor, eventually becoming the head of the department. In 1940 he was appointed to the presidency of the college by Henry Rohlman
Henry Rohlman
Henry Patrick Rohlman was a 20th century bishop in the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Davenport from 1927–1944 and as coadjutor archbishop and archbishop of the Archdiocese of Dubuque from 1944-1954.-Early Life & Ministry:Rohlman was born in...
, then Bishop
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
of the Diocese of Davenport
Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport is a diocese of the Catholic Church for the southeastern quarter of the state of Iowa. There are within the diocese...
, replacing Carl Meinberg after the latter's retirement. Although he claimed original that he did not want the job, as he would have preferred to continue teaching instead, he served in this capacity for sixteen years, the longest tenure in the post until Edward Rogalski's. During his presidency a library, an administrative building (McMullen Hall), and the Christ the King Chapel were constructed and enrollment reached a then-peak of over 1500 students. During this time he also hosted a three-part series on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Catholic Hour entitled Sainthood, the Universal Vocation. He left the school in 1956 after accepting a position as pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church.
Later life
Burke remained at St. Mary's until 1973, when he reached his mandatory retirement, and then served for over a decade as chaplainChaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
at the city's Mercy Hospital. Although he was officially retired by 1986, he remained active into his late 90s and continued to attend conventions on Catholicism in Clinton. For his 100th birthday
Centenarian
A centenarian is a person who is or lives beyond the age of 100 years. Because current average life expectancies across the world are less than 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. Much rarer, a supercentenarian is a person who has lived to the age of 110 or more, something only...
he celebrated a public mass in Clinton and attended a party the following day at St. Ambrose. He died on October 6, 1998, at the age of 102, in Clinton and was buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery
Mount Calvary Cemetery (Davenport, Iowa)
Mount Calvary Cemetery is located in north-central Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was established as St. Marguerite’s Cemetery in the 1850s on of property donated by Antoine LeClaire. At the time the cemetery lay outside the city of Davenport...
in Davenport.