The Rev. Brian J. Shanley, a self-described opera fan and sports fanatic, graduated from the school in 1980, today becomes the school's 12th president.

09:19 AM EDT on Friday, July 1, 2005

BY JENNIFER D. JORDAN
Journal Staff Writer

PROVIDENCE -- Returning to Providence College is a homecoming for the Rev. Brian J. Shanley.

Journal photo / Mary Murphy

The Rev. Brian J. Shanley, the new president of Providence College, says one of his priorities is to boost the school's endowment, which now stands at about $105 million.

This is where his father, Joseph, the son of Irish immigrants, became the first in his family to attend college. His mother, Elaine, was the librarian for 25 years and the first woman at PC to earn tenure. He graduated from the college summa cum laude in 1980.

And it was here that young Brian Shanley, Warwick native, athlete and honor student, found his calling. At first, he thought he would practice law. By graduation day, he knew he would become a priest.

Today, Father Shanley becomes the 12th president of Providence College. The Rev. Philip A. Smith stepped down at age 71 after serving 11 years.

"This is home to me," Father Shanley said. "Coming back here, I feel very much at ease."

At 47, Father Shanley is the second-youngest president to lead PC. He may also be the first to describe himself as an opera buff and "a sports fanatic" who is addicted to ESPN, to admit that "the celibacy thing is really tough" and to practice a Chinese form of martial arts called Xing Yi each morning.

"It's a great stress reliever," Father Shanley said. "I hope it helps my golf game."

His youth is a strength, said David Duffy, who cofounded the Providence public relations firm Duffy & Shanley with Father Shanley's late father more than three decades ago. Duffy is also chairman of the President's Council of Providence College.

"He will bring a new sense of energy and vigor to the college."

Father Shanley's new job is different from the academic career he has pursued for the past 25 years. After he graduated from college, he went on to receive master's and doctorate degrees in philosophy and theology. In 1987, he was ordained a priest in the Dominican order. He specialized in the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas, medieval philosophy and metaphysics and is widely published in academic journals. Father Shanley has taught at PC, the University of Toronto and Catholic University in Washington, D.C., among other places.

"I've had a relatively easy life as a philosophy professor, and it's been a great life," Father Shanley said. "Now I have all these worries."

Chief among his concerns is boosting the college's endowment. Under Father Smith, PC's endowment grew from less than $25 million to $105 million -- an impressive feat, but one that Father Shanley hopes to beat.

"Compared to BC and Holy Cross, our endowment is anemic," Father Shanley said. Boston College's endowment is $1.1 billion; Holy Cross's is about $419 million. This irks the priest, known to be a tough competitor in all things, whether it be a golf game or a crossword puzzle. "So the question is, how do I raise money?"

"An endowment just gives you all sorts of wiggle room," Father Shanley said. "If you're a tuition-driven school, as we are, an endowment isn't just about being able to build buildings. It's about being able to create opportunities for students and attract faculty."

Asking for money for Providence College won't be hard for the priest.

"I love PC," Father Shanley said. "I have a passion for the college that you only have because you went there." Other alumni share his affection, he said. "They love this place because something happened to them from ages 18 to 22 that changed them. That happened to me. I literally found myself here."

FATHER SHANLEY IS the youngest of five children born into a tight-knit family, most of whom stayed close to Rhode Island. His fraternal twin, Paul Shanley, is a police captain in Warwick. His brother, Andrew, works for an advertising and public relations firm in Saratoga, N.Y.; another brother, Michael, is assistant to the president at Fitchburg State College. His sister, Kathryn, is vice president of external affairs for Delta Dental in Providence.

"We are really, really happy to have him here, after having Brian so far away in D.C. for 15 years," Kathryn Shanley said. Father Shanley is close to his siblings, nieces and nephews, and plans to continue the tradition of taking a week's vacation with them all in Narragansett.

"We've rented a house in Narragansett for the past 11 years, and it's become even more important since we lost our parents," Kathryn Shanley said. Elaine Shanley died in 1996; Joseph Shanley died in 2001.

"He may have his cell phone on the beach with him, but he'll be there," she said. "In past years, he always teased us about that. Now he has [a cell phone], too."

Those who know Father Shanley best -- friends, mentors and family -- say it feels right to have him return to lead the campus.

"When he left the college, I kind of thought to myself, 'Someday, that kid is going to be president,' " said Richard Grace, a history professor at PC for the past 40 years. Father Shanley credits Grace with serving as a sounding board as he wrestled with the decision to become a priest.

Grace said his former student possesses many qualities essential to a college president: he is a scholar, he is personable, and he knows how to listen.

"He is passionate about the things he holds important -- his religion, the college he dearly loves and his scholarship," Grace said.

Constance Russo, a PC history professor who became friends with Father Shanley when they were both freshmen in the college's honors history program, is also looking forward to working for her new boss.

"I remember he was very insightful and thoughtful, and even then, I got the sense there was a great deal of spiritual depth in him," Russo said.

THE FIRST FEW months of his presidency, Father Shanley says, he'll spend listening. "I intend to be out of the office a lot, talking to people, meeting with students, faculty, staff, trustees and the Providence community," he said.

Father Shanley also plans to delegate as much administrative work as possible and focus on connecting with students and "generating interest and money for the college."

"I don't want to be stuck behind my desk, managing people," he said.

He will continue Father Smith's commitment to the college's Dominican character, which emphasizes the unity of faith and reason. He has selected a group of relatively young Dominican priests -- in their late 40s and early 50s -- to hold key leadership positions at PC.

"Symbolically, the most important thing we will do is create a new vice president position for mission and ministry that says, 'This is what I value most,' " Father Shanley said. He knows the number of Dominican Friars is dwindling.

A decade ago, the college had 46 Dominican faculty members. Today, that number is 35. Father Shanley also plans to open a Center for Catholic and Dominican Studies that will bring in speakers and run programs.

He also hopes to return to the classroom, perhaps next year.

"It's a big loss for me, getting out of the classroom. So I'm going to try to get back into it as soon as I can." Father Shanley is used to interacting with college students. "I don't want to lose touch with them," he said.

Father Shanley intends to wear his white Dominican habit while on campus and will occupy the third floor of Dominic Hall, the president's house. It's smaller and less formal than the other floors, and the priest thought his belongings would not fill the larger rooms, said Ed Caron, vice president of college relations.

While assuming the presidency seems a natural step for Father Shanley, he knows the position will change his life.

"For me, doing this job is an act of faith in God," he said. "I feel like this is what I should be doing now."

Jennifer D. Jordan can be reached at jjordan [at] projo.com