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Rev. Francis X. Grollig, SJ Colombiere Center, Clarkston, MI

Jesuit priest, teacher, scholar and 36 year veteran of Loyola University Chicago, Rev. Francis X. Grollig, SJ, died Saturday August 20, 2005

In 1959 Fr. Grollig became the first chairman of the Anthropology Department at Loyola University Chicago.

Fr. Grollig, a native of Cincinnati, OH, attended grade school at St. Ursula Academy and graduated from St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati. Shortly after his high school graduation in 1940 Fr. Grollig entered the Jesuits at Milford, OH. During his studies to become a priest, he earned an AB in Latin in 1947 and a MA in History and Philosophy in 1950 from Loyola University Chicago. Subsequently he earned a PhD from Indiana University in Anthropology in 1959.

He was granted a licentiate in philosophy from West Baden College in Indiana in 1949 and a licentiate in sacred theology. During his Jesuit training he also taught history and English at St. Xavier High School and Latin at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, IL. Fr. Grollig was ordained a priest on June 17, 1953 at West Baden, Indiana. After ordination Fr. Grollig was first assigned to St. Xavier Church in Cincinnati and then in 1955, to Loyola University Chicago where he became a teaching fellow in the history department.

In 1959 Fr. Grollig became the first chairman of the Anthropology Department at Loyola University Chicago. As chairman of that department, he began the Annual Peru Program in 1961 and the Annual Mexican Program in 1978. In 1989 Fr. Grollig was named director of the Latin American Studies Program at Loyola University Chicago, a position he held until 1991. Throughout his many years there he edited and wrote several books on both anthropology and Latin American studies.

Fr. Raymond Baumhart, SJ, former president of Loyola University remembered Fr. Grollig as, "A quiet scholar with a dry wit. He was helpful to students and others in need." Fr. Baumhart went on to say, "Fr. Grollig was proud of his priesthood."

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Memorial gifts may be made to Jesuit Partnership, 2059 North Sedgwick Street, Chicago, IL 60614 or online at http://jesuitsmidwest.org/.

The Chicago Province Jesuits consist of 250 men serving in a number of ministries including 5 high schools and 2 universities. Loyola University currently serves 13,000 students and has 120,000 active alumni in the United States and abroad. The 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States have over 1 million alumni nationwide.

The Jesuits are the world's largest order of Catholic priests.