Canisius alumnus is first lay president
Administrator Hurley follows Cooke in July
When John J. Hurley was a student at Canisius College he was pretty sure he wanted to be a lawyer, but he never thought he would one day be president of his alma mater.
That day came Tuesday when Hurley Ô an attorney who returned to the college a dozen years ago as a top administrator — was named as the first lay president of Canisius.
"There's much work to be done," Hurley said. "I'm humbled by the appointment."
The board of trustees selected Hurley as the college's 24th president at a meeting Monday, a decision announced Tuesday morning at the Montante Cultural Center on campus.
The college's executive vice president since 2007, Hurley, 53, will take over as president in July.
He succeeds the Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, who will retire after 17 years as head of the college founded by the Jesuit order in 1870.
"My task in the months and years ahead is to put this entire campus community on the same page and to go out and get the job done," Hurley said.
His appointment was not a big surprise. He has long been rumored as Cooke's successor.
"I'm very, very grateful for your guidance and mentorship all of these years," Hurley said to Cooke at Tuesday's news conference.
A Buffalo native and alumnus of St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, Hurley is a 1978 graduate of the college — five brothers also are Canisius alumni — and received his law degree from the University of Notre Dame.
Hurley practiced law for 16 years, including 13 years at the Buffalo firm of Phillips Lytle.
In 1997, Cooke brought him back to campus to serve as general counsel and vice president for college relations, overseeing development, public relations, creative and Web services, alumni relations and government relations.
Over the years, he has led the Canisius capital campaign, orchestrated the college's employer-assisted housing program and worked with Cooke to acquire the HealthNow building on Main Street for a science center.
Hurley has always been considered an "ultimate Canisius man" and told friends upon his return to the college that he had achieved his dream job.
As Jesuits relinquished the helm of many of their colleges and universities in recent years, however, it became apparent that Hurley's dream job ultimately could include the college presidency.
The two other finalists to replace Cooke were Steven R. DiSalvo, president and founder of the Hopewell Group, and Guiyou Huang, a dean at St. Thomas University. All held extensive meetings on campus with students, faculty and staff during a presidential search that began in May.
None of the finalists was a Jesuit. That could have caused concern if not for the trustees' confidence that Canisius will thrive as a Catholic institution under Hurley's leadership, said Joseph J. "Jerry" Castiglia, the former Pratt and Lambert chief executive officer and longtime Canisius board member.
"John has been selected precisely because of his long connection with the Jesuits and his devotion to his Catholic faith and the church here in Buffalo," Castiglia said.
Bishop Edward U. Kmiec said Hurley is an excellent choice to lead Canisius.
"I have known John since I arrived in Buffalo five years ago and have been impressed with his involvement in the tremendous growth of the college during the presidency of Father Vincent Cooke," Kmiec said. "Based on John's leadership skills and his extensive institutional knowledge of the college, I am confident that Canisius College will continue as a premiere Jesuit college and a major contributor to improving the quality of life in the city of Buffalo."
In the audience Tuesday was Hurley's mother, Doris; his wife, Maureen, a top executive at Rich Products; and his brother, Paul, president of Trocaire College.
Hurley's oldest daughter, Caroline, is a junior at Canisius; his son, Brian, is a freshman at the University of Scranton; and his youngest daughter, Millie, is an eighth-grader at Nardin Academy.
News Staff Reporter Jay Rey contributed to this report.
rmccarthy@buffnews.com and swatson@buffnews.com
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