Editing Wheeling University (section)

==History==
Richard Whelan, bishop of the [[Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston|Diocese of Wheeling]], lobbied the Society of Jesus in the 19th century to establish a university in the growing city.  Over a century later, Whelan's original vision came to fruition.  After a donor, Sara Tracy, left her estate to the diocese, it purchased land for a Jesuit college from Mt. De Chantal Visitation Academy.<ref>"Home in a New Land: The Uncanny Jesuit Journey to Wheeling." In ''Wheeling'', Winter 2009: 32–33. Print.</ref>

Wheeling College was founded through a partnership of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston with the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus. Ground was broken on November 24, 1953, and the college was officially incorporated on September 25, 1954. It opened to students on September 26, 1955. The establishment of the college required $2.75 million in start-up costs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1220 |title=E-WV: Wheeling Jesuit University |publisher=Wvencyclopedia.org |access-date=November 13, 2011}}</ref> Overcoming the difficulties of temporary facilities and a faculty of twelve Jesuit priests and four lay professors, the school grew considerably.

For the 1987–1988 school year, the university became Wheeling Jesuit College, and in July 1996, gained university status.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wju.edu/about/history/1980s.asp |title=Wheeling Jesuit University – the 1980s |publisher=Wheeling Jesuit University |access-date=November 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928185206/http://www.wju.edu/about/history/1980s.asp |archive-date=September 28, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2012, university leadership was accused by the federal government of misappropriating [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]] grant money received for sponsored programs. Wheeling Jesuit settled with the federal government in 2015, paying $2.3 million in restitution.<ref name="justice.gov">{{cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/federal-grant-fraud-claims-settled-wheeling-jesuit-university |title=Federal grant fraud claims settled with Wheeling Jesuit University |publisher=United States Department of Justice |date=August 3, 2015 |access-date=December 31, 2015}}</ref>

In March 2013, the university announced the selection of James Fleming as its tenth president.  Fleming took office effective July 1, 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wju.edu/transition/release.asp |title=Rev. James Fleming, SJ, Ph.D., is Appointed the Tenth President of Wheeling Jesuit University |publisher=Wheeling Jesuit University |access-date=August 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130311105528/http://www.wju.edu/transition/release.asp |archive-date=March 11, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Fleming resigned from the presidency on January 3, 2017.

In 2019, the school eliminated majors in history, theology, philosophy, literature, and engineering and cut 20 of the university's full-time faculty members.<ref name="Wheeling President Placed on Leave"/>

===Jesuit heritage===
Prior to 2019, the Jesuit community was active in the process of education at Wheeling. In addition, the Jesuits were involved in many other academic works, such as the Appalachian Institute on campus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wju.edu/ai/ |title=Appalachian Institute – Wheeling Jesuit University |publisher=Wheeling Jesuit University |access-date=November 13, 2011}}</ref> Members of Wheeling's Jesuit Community reside at Whelan Hall, dedicated in 1955.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wju.edu/about/jesuits/house.asp |title=House – Wheeling Jesuit University |publisher=Wheeling Jesuit University |access-date=November 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111101193202/http://www.wju.edu/about/jesuits/house.asp |archive-date=November 1, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The Jesuit community and tradition for critical thinking were reflected in the school's curriculum and mission.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wju.edu/about/jesuited/default.asp |title=Value of a Jesuit Education – Wheeling Jesuit University |publisher=Wheeling Jesuit University |access-date=November 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928185435/http://www.wju.edu/about/jesuited/default.asp |archive-date=September 28, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Wheeling Jesuit University was a member of the [[Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities]].<ref>I Make A Difference: National Jesuit Alumni Service Days 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2016, from http://www.ajcunet.edu/</ref><ref name=Jesuit_no_longer>{{cite web |url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/04/11/jesuits-balk-affiliation-downsized-wheeling |title=After Cuts, Jesuits End Ties to Wheeling Jesuit |first=Greg |last=Toppo |work=[[Inside Higher Ed]] |date=April 11, 2019 |access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref>

In April 2019, as part of a broader restructuring of its academic programs, the university announced the elimination of its programs in theology and philosophy that are key to its identity as a Jesuit institution.<ref name=sportjobs>{{cite news |work=Inside Higher Ed |url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/04/05/two-years-after-rescue-wheeling-jesuit-guts-faculty-programs |access-date=April 24, 2019 |date= April 5, 2019 |title=A Jesuit University Without History or Philosophy? |first=Greg |last=Toppo}}</ref> The Jesuits in turn decided to end their academic affiliation with the university at the end of the 2018–2019 academic year, while continuing to provide "an ongoing Jesuit presence" through its campus ministry and other programs.<ref name=theologygone>{{cite news |url=https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2019/04/24/order-to-end-affiliation-with-wheeling-jesuit-university-in-west-virginia/ |work=Crux |access-date=April 24, 2019 |date=April 24, 2019 |agency=Catholic News Service |title= Order to end affiliation with Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia}}</ref> Two months later, Monsignor Kevin Quirk resigned from his position as chair of the university's board of trustees after ''[[The Washington Post]]'' published details from a confidential report alleging that one of his [[Michael J. Bransfield|former colleagues]] was guilty of sexual abuse and financial impropriety.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/06/11/tied-bishop-scandal-wheeling-jesuit-chairman-steps-down-months-after-exigency |title=When Should the Board Have Known? |first=Rick |last=Seltzer |publisher=[[Inside Higher Ed]] |date=June 11, 2019 |access-date=June 11, 2019}}</ref> In July, the university formally dropped "Jesuit" from its name and became Wheeling University.

===Presidents===
*Lawrence R. McHugh, 1954–1959
*[[William F. Troy]], 1959–1966
*[[Frank R. Haig]], 1966–1972<ref>former physics professor and later university president, younger brother of [[Alexander Haig]]</ref>
*Charles L. Currie Jr., 1972–1982
*Thomas S. Acker, 1982–2000<ref>Rev. Fr. Thomas S. Acker, S.J., Ph.D., former President and biology professor at Wheeling Jesuit University (1982–2000); under Fr. Acker's leadership, Wheeling College became Wheeling Jesuit University.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0-QbCQ5t8I|title=Rev. Thomas Acker -- Wheeling Jesuit University 60th Anniversary |date=June 9, 2014|access-date=October 13, 2015|via=YouTube|publisher=Wheeling Jesuit University|last=Wheeling|first=WV}}</ref>
*[[George Lundy]], 2000–2003
*Joseph R. Hacala, 2003–2006
*James F. Birge, (interim), 2006–2007<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wju.edu/about/adm_news_story.asp?iNewsID=2332&strBack=%2FDefault.asp|title=University Remembers Former President, Rev. Joseph Hacala|access-date=July 10, 2019}}</ref>
*Julio Giulietti, 2007–2009<ref name=iwr>{{cite news |first=Heather |last=Ziegler |title=WJU President Fired |url=http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/526870.html?nav=515 |work=[[The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register]]|date=August 6, 2009 |access-date=February 26, 2010}}</ref><ref name=ppg>{{cite news|first=Eleanor|last=Chute|title=Wheeling Jesuit U. names interim president |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10036/1033774-100.stm|work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |date=February 5, 2010 |access-date=February 26, 2010}}</ref>
*[[Davitt McAteer]] (acting), 2009–2010<ref name=ppg />
*Francis Marie Thrailkill (interim), 2010<ref name="ppg" /><ref name="iwr2">{{cite news|first=J.W.|last=Johnson Jr.|title=WJU Introduces Interim President|url=http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/534443.html|work=[[The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register]]|date=February 16, 2010|access-date=February 26, 2010|archive-date=March 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305180443/http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/534443.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>''
*Richard A. Beyer, 2011–2013
*James J. Fleming, 2013–2017<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.wju.edu/transition/release.asp |title=President's Welcome |publisher= Wheeling Jesuit University |access-date=August 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130311105528/http://www.wju.edu/transition/release.asp |archive-date=March 11, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*Debra M. Townsley, 2017–2018
*Mark Phillips, interim, summer 2018
*[[Michael P. Mihalyo]], Jr., 2018–2019
*[[Ginny Favede]], 2019–2024
*[[Dianna Vargo]], 2024–present<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Dianna Vargo Named Wheeling University President |url=https://www.theintelligencer.net/news/top-headlines/2024/09/diana-vargo-named-wheeling-university-president-2/ |access-date=2024-09-06 |website=theintelligencer.net |language=en-US}}</ref>