William McSherry

William McSherry (July 19, 1799 – December 18, 1839) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit. He became the first provincial superior of the Jesuits' Maryland Province from 1833 to 1837. He then briefly became the president of Georgetown College in 1837, and was simultaneously made provincial superior for a second time in 1839, despite suffering illness. He made several discoveries of significant, forgotten holdings in the Jesuit archives, which improved historians' knowledge of the early European settling of Maryland and of the language of Indian tribes there. He was one of the first Americans to complete the traditional Jesuit course of training, and studied in Rome to be educated for the priesthood. He died of illness several months after his return to the U.S., and was buried in New York City, New York. He is buried at Mount Carmel, Maryland, with his wife and two brothers, who were also Jesuits. He also is survived by his wife, Anastasia "Anne" Lilly, and two sons, Richard and Thomas. The couple was of Irish ancestry, and Richard was a farmer of tomato, okra and fruit.