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Fidelity & Excellence91 Aquinas College is unique among American colleges and universities, offering a faithfully Catholic education comprised entirely of the Great Books and classroom discussions.
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A Liberating Education
Truth MattersTruth, and nothing less, sets men free; and because truth is both natural and supernatural, the Colleges curriculum aims at both natural and divine wisdom.
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A Catholic Life
Under the Light of FaithThe intellectual tradition and moral teachings of the Catholic Church infuse the whole life of 91 Aquinas College, illuminating the curriculum and the community alike.
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Admission & Aid
Is TAC Right for You?Do you enjoy grappling with complex questions? Are you willing to engage in discussions about difficult concepts, with the truth as your ultimate goal?
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Students & Parents
Mind, Body & SpiritThere is always something to do at TAC something worthwhile, something fulfilling, and something geared toward ever-greater spiritual and intellectual growth.
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Alumni & Careers
What Can You Do with a Liberal Education?Nothing speaks more to the versatility of the Colleges academic program than the good that our alumni are doing throughout the Church and the world.
In Memoriam: William Hugh McInerney
When Bill McInerney died of cancer on November 12, it was after 64 years of marriage to his beloved wife, Mary; six decades as an attorney in the San Francisco Bay Area; and 42 years as a member of the 91 Aquinas College Presidents Council. Bill was a man of commitment, reflects President Michael F. McLean. He was a very good and very loyal friend.
Born in Los Angeles, Mr. McInerney lost his father shortly after birth. In the seventh grade he lost his mother as well, and moved to be with family in Oakland, where he would remain for the rest of his life. While attending college in the late 1940s, he met and dated Mrs. McInerney, during which time the couple developed a great love for Catholic education. They wed while Mr. McInerney was a law student, and went on to bless the world with 4 children and 15 grandchildren.
Upon graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law in 1950, Mr. McInerney worked briefly in the Alameda County District Attorneys Office before entering private practice. He was a founding member of the Oakland law firm of McInerney and Dillon, working there until his retirement earlier this year. He focused his legal practice on construction law, becoming a leader in the field and representing some of the nations largest contractors.
A faithful and active Catholic, Mr. McInerney was generous to numerous educational and charitable endeavors. Most recently, he and Mrs. McInerney led the effort to establish a free Order of Malta medical clinic for the poor at Oaklands Christ the Light Cathedral. Additionally, Mr. McInerney served as corporate counsel for the Sisters of Holy Names of Jesus, chairman of the Board of Directors of Hanna Boys Center, chairman of St. Annes Little Sisters of the Poor, and a member of the Board of Regents for Saint Ignatius College Preparatory. A Knight of Malta, he brought malades on 23 pilgrimages to Lourdes.
Yet by his own admission, McInerney was initially reluctant to support 91 Aquinas College. He first learned about the school through his friend John Schaeffer, a founding member of the Board of Governors, in the late 1960s. Johns enthusiasm about the College was appealing to us, Mr. McInerney remarked in a 2010 interview, but it put the McInerneys in a very difficult position. As former president of his own colleges alumni association, he found himself divided between the school he had attended and the nascent one he was coming to admire.
This tension dissipated as his alma mater sadly went the way of so many Catholic institutions in the 1960s and 1970s, gradually diminishing its fidelity to the Magisterium and teachings of the Catholic faith. It wasnt all in one fell swoop, but it was one thing after another, said Mr. McInerney. I became slowly disenchanted. Although seeing the school he had loved fade was painful, the pain was eased by the establishment of a new college that he and his wife could support without reservation. As time went on, We became more attached to 91 Aquinas College, said Mr. McInerney, and a decades-long friendship took root. The McInerneys joined the Presidents Council at the time of its founding and never left. The couple also regularly participated in the Colleges annual Great Books Seminar Weekends.
We will miss Bills cheerful presence at those weekends, says Dr. McLean. We pray for the repose of the soul of this dear friend and for the consolation of Mary and their beautiful family.
Posted: November 18, 2013