Mount St. Joseph High School has announced the appointment of George Andrews Jr. as president of the school. The announcement from the Irvington school follows the Dec. 3, 2011 death of Andrews’ predecessor, Xaverian Brother James Kelly.
Andrews, appointed by the school’s board of directors, starts his new post in July.
“This is great news for Mount Saint Joseph,” principal Barry Fitzpatrick said. “As we mourn the loss of Brother James, part of our comfort comes in the knowledge that a man Brother knew, a man the Mount knows, will be taking over as our president. George and I had a wonderful evening with Brother the Tuesday night before he died, and the Xaverian connection was very evident as the two of them talked about George’s great-grandfather who attended St. Mary’s Industrial School around the same time as Babe Ruth.”
Andrews is a 1981 graduate of Ryken High School (now St. Mary’s Ryken High School) in Leonardtown. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, W.Va. And a master’s in history from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.
He arrived at Mount St. Joseph in 1987 where he taught in the social studies department for 11 years. During that time, he also served as the director of admissions and the director of staff formation. He left in 1998 to become principal at York Catholic High School in York, Pa.
“Brother was very happy to know that George might be succeeding him in this role,” Fitzpatrick said. “George is a genuine Catholic educator, very much in touch with students, and a superb finance man. Five of our students and one alumnus from last year met with him in December, and the ultimate compliment came from them, when one of them said, ‘I liked him a lot. I hope he gets the job!’”
Andrews expressed elation at the appointment.
“I am very excited to return to Mount St. Joseph. Coming back is, in a way, like coming home,” said Andrews. “In my time at Ryken High School, the Brothers looked after us as if we were their family. I am thrilled to return to my Xaverian roots and help lead Mount St. Joseph into the future.”
“George Andrews is a product of Xaverian education – as a student, teacher and administrator,” said Christopher DiLullo, chairman of the Mount St. Joseph board of directors “The board of directors recognized George as someone who not only understands Xaverian education, but also has a track record of success leading Catholic schools as they meet the challenges of Catholic education in the 21st century. Our board is thrilled to welcome George back to Mount St. Joseph and we look forward to working with him as we build on the successes of our past. The future is very bright for Mount St. Joseph, and we are fortunate to have a true leader in Catholic education at our helm.”