The Charter

Although USF is a Jesuit Catholic University, tracing its lineage to the founding of the Society of Jesus by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in 1540, its authority to grant college degrees comes from a decidedly secular source: the State of California. The founding president of Saint Ignatius Academy, Anthony Maraschi, S.J., understood this when in 1859 he sought to incorporate the Academy under California state law and to secure a charter to issue college degrees. In applying to the governor of California, the superintendent of public instruction, and the board of education for a charter, Fr. Maraschi “humbly prayed the Honorable Lords of Education that the seminary of learning, now of four years existence, be incorporated as a college by the name and title of Saint Ignatius College.” Fr. Maraschi also sought approval for “a Board of Trustees for the purpose of managing the affairs” of the college. Fr. Maraschi proposed the names of thirteen Jesuits, including himself, and the Dominican Archbishop of San Francisco, Joseph Alemany, to serve on the board of trustees. Fr. Maraschi and the archbishop apparently had some political clout, because in less than two months, the governor of California, John Weller; the superintendent of public instruction, Andrew Moulder; and the board of education granted Fr. Maraschi’s petition, and Saint Ignatius College was incorporated under California state law and granted its state charter. In the charter, the governor and the superintendent of public instruction noted that the college had “an endowment of twenty thousand dollars” and it “also appears that the proposed Trustees are capable men.”

In 1959, USF commemorated the 100th anniversary of the issuing of its state charter. A number of special events were held, including an art exhibit in Gleeson Library, an exhibit of pictures and documents from the university archives, a centennial concert, a lecture by USF historian and archivist John McGloin, S.J., and an address by Judge Preston Devine of the San Francisco Superior Court. During his talk, Judge Devine opined that “it is indeed fitting that, on this night when we close the chartered century, the University stands on these noble heights, its lights beaming as symbols to him who looks from home to hill, its lights within illuminating the minds and hearts of young men and women, in faith kept with God, with its saintly fathers, and with the republic of which it merits well.”

Today the original charter from the State of California gives our institution all of its state approved ?rights, privileges and immunities.? The charter is carried in the inauguration of each new USF president as a symbol of his authority. On December 13, 2002, during commencement ceremonies, USF’s current president, Stephen Privett, S.J., will refer to this charter when he says ?by the virtue of the authority granted by the charter to the University of San Francisco from the State of California, and of the powers vested in me by the Board of Trustees, I hereby confer upon you the degrees certified by your Dean and Faculty.? For almost 150 years, through 27 presidents, this educational mandate from the state has remained unbroken.



Bibliographic note: The best resource for information on our institution’s state charter is Jesuits by the Golden Gate: The Society of Jesus in San Francisco, 1849 –1969 written by the late John McGloin, S.J., former history professor and archivist of USF. The appendices of his book contain a copy of the original petition for a state charter submitted by Fr. Maraschi, as well as the full charter signed by the governor, the president of the board of education, the surveyor general of the State of California, and the superintendent of public instruction.