DATE: 18 JANUARY 2006

MEMO TO   :    THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY

FROM   :    THE PRESIDENT

SUBJECT   :    DEATH OF FR. FRANCISCO Z. ARANETA, S.J.

            This is to inform the Ateneo de Manila community of the passing away of FR. FRANCISCO Z. ARANETA, S.J., former President of the Ateneo de Manila University.

            He died of respiratory failure about 10:45 p.m. last night in the Jesuit Residence, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City.  He was 87 years of age.  Fr. Araneta entered the Society on 30 May 1936 and was ordained a priest on 20 June 1948.

            He studied Theology at Woodstock College in Maryland, U.S.A. and obtained his M.A. in Economics from Fordham University in 1953.  He was Dean and Professor in the Ateneo de Cagayan, 1953 to 1956, and Rector/President of Ateneo de Cagayan, 1956 to 1959.  It was in his presidency that Ateneo de Cagayan obtained university status and became Xavier University in 1958.

            He was Rector/President of the Ateneo de Manila, 1959 to 1965.  It was in his term that Ateneo de Manila became a university during its centennial in 1959.  He was Regent of the Law School and Dean of the Graduate School of Business, 1965 to 1967.  He returned to the Ateneo de Manila as Rector and President in 1970 to 1972.

            He served as Parish Priest for a number of years in Muntinlupa.  Since 1999, he has been at the Jesuit Residence Infirmary.  We remember him as a great leader who led Xavier University and the Ateneo de Manila University in important years of transition.  He also led the Society of Jesus and the Ateneo de Manila in areas of social concern through the Ateneo Summer Institute for Social Action (ASISA) and through the SPES Institute.