Boland family

John T. Boland was born on June 13, 1867 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the oldest of five children. His parents, James Joseph Boland and Catherine Frawley Boland, immigrated to Cincinnati from Limerick, Ireland, and married in 1866. John Boland began studying for the priesthood at the University of Notre Dame in 1884. He was ordained on July 31, 1892, and said his first mass at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in Cincinnati.

Father Boland remained at Notre Dame following his ordination, and served as a Prefect of Discipline (hall rector). In 1899 he was sent to take over the administration of St. Edward's College (now known as St. Edward's University) in Austin, Texas. In 1907, he resigned as president of St. Edward's, citing health concerns, and was transferred to Holy Cross College in New Orleans, Louisiana. His ill health continued, and Father Boland was advised by doctors to move to a cooler climate. In 1909 he briefly served as the pastor of St. Bernard's Church in Watertown, Wisconsin, before returning to St. Edward's College to resume the presidency from 1909 to 1914. From 1914 to 1919, he served as the president of the University of Portland (a college run by the Holy Cross in Portland, Oregon); his health problems continued during this period.

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