Archives: Datelines

Rev. William Becker, S.J. was born April 15, 1830, and entered the Society of Jesus at Gorheim, February 10, 1853.

He taught Humanities at Fribourg in 1861 and was Superior of the Bonn residence in 1869. The following year, he was appointed the first Superior of the Buffalo Mission. In 1872, he was in charge of the elementary school at Saint Michael's.

In 1877, Father Becker was sent to Burlington, IA, to open a residence there and was appointed the Vice-Superior for the period of one year. In 1880, he was made Vice-Rector of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. I n 1894, Father Becker returned to Buffalo as Spiritual Father at Saint Ann's. He was appointed the Superior for one year and then is listed as a Parish Priest.  During the 1886, he was spiritual father and procurator in Cleveland.

During his term of office, the following items are note-worthy:

• 1870 -- two-story brick house on Ellicott Street was bought and remodeled. Later, Saint Michael's school was built on this site.
• 1870, for one year, the Fathers connected with the school cared for St. Vincent's Church.
• 1871 -- John I. Zahm, later a President of Canisius University, was a student at this time.
• 1871 -- Ground broken for the first unit of the old Washington Street building. This was the central part of the old school.
• 1872 -- corner-stone laid by Bishop Ryan on April 27.

Father Becker died at Saint Ann's on January 22, 1899 at the age of 69 years, 46 of them being spent as a Jesuit.