Retired president of Mount St. Mary's University dies at age 68

Published: 2008-01-28

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- George R. Houston Jr., who was president of Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Md., from 1994 to 2003, died Jan 19 from pancreatic cancer at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington. He was 68. A funeral Mass was celebrated for him Jan. 25 in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at Mount St. Mary's, followed by burial on the campus. "Our hearts and prayers go out to his family," said the university's current president, Thomas H. Powell. "President-emeritus Houston was an inspiration and an effective leader. He was recently honored with a bicentennial medal recognizing his generosity of spirit and his unyielding support to strengthen the Mount's foundation," Powell said in a statement. "His legacy will continue to benefit future generations of Mount students." During Houston's tenure, the campus added and upgraded major buildings, including building the Knott Auditorium and the McGowan Center. He completed the largest capital campaign in the school's history, raising $39 million, and he led the fundraising campaigns with generous personal donations. To honor him, the university established the George R. Houston Jr. Endowed Scholarship Fund for business students.

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