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       A Niagara Falls, NY native, Fr. Cornelius attended Sacred Heart, and St. Mary's high school in Niagara before enrolling in St. Bonaventure's College in 1933.  In 1935 he entered the Order of Friars Minor, known as the Franciscans. He continued religious studies at St. Anthony's Monastery in Butler, N.J., and Holy Name College in Washington D.C. Ordained on June 9, 1941, in Washington, Fr. Cornelius returned to St. Bonaventure  year later as an instructor in mathematics, but also added duties as registrar.  After earning a Doctor of Philosophy degree in education at Cornell University in 1947, he was reassigned to the local campus to teach in the department of education.  He later became the education department's dean and in 1955, was appointed dean of the university. He went on to serve successively as academic vice president , executive vice president , assistant to the president and then acting president.  He retired in late 1975 from the university administration and continued as an active member of the faculty up until his death in November of 1985. He was an avid photographer and shared his expertise with the university community. 

Bibliography: 

St. Bonaventure University, Presidents Files. 

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This page was created by Kevin Lawless as part of an internship during the Fall 2004 semester.  Any changes, other than minor editing, are noted at the bottom of the page.

Created 08/30/04 by Kevin Lawless
Last updated:  03/02/06