Hogan, Jeremiah Joseph

by Donal McCartney

Hogan, Jeremiah Joseph (1902–82), academic and president of UCD, was born 21 April 1902 at 23 Dame St., Dublin, son of Thomas J. Hogan, wine and spirit merchant, and Johanna Mary Hogan (née Hogan). He was educated at the Catholic University School, Leeson St., matriculated in 1919, and enrolled in UCD that autumn. He obtained the BA with first-class honours in English and French (1922), the MA with first-class honours in English (1923), the travelling studentship of the NUI, and a B.Litt. (1926) from Oxford (where he was a non-collegiate student), and carried on further study at the University of Rome. He returned to UCD to teach in the department of English, and became professor of English (1934), dean of the faculty of arts (1947), registrar (1953), and president (1964–72).

His lectures on Shakespeare and the romantic poets were fondly remembered by a generation of students, among whom were many who later became distinguished writers and academics. He was the author of The English language in Ireland (1927), edited a series of Shakespeare's plays, and contributed chapters to A tribute to Newman (1945) and to Struggle with fortune (1954), both of which, dealing with aspects of the history of UCD, were edited by Michael Tierney (qv). A close friend of Tierney, he gave strong support to the latter's Belfield project, with which his brother, Michael Hogan, a professor in the department of mechanical engineering, was closely associated. It was J. J. Hogan who drafted the brochure U.C.D. and its building plans (1959), which set out the arguments in favour of the decision to transfer the college to Belfield. Shortly before he took up office as president in 1964, the first of the Belfield buildings had been occupied by the departments of physics and chemistry. It was his major task to proceed with the development of the new campus. This involved him in long and difficult negotiations with the government about the financing and timing of each new building, and with the staff and students about the details of the transfer. When he retired after eight years in the presidency the buildings for Arts/Commerce/Law, Administration, the restaurant, and the library (phase 1) had been completed, and the landscaping of the 300-acre campus, in which he had taken a special interest, had been well advanced.

Promotional opportunities for staff also became a major concern of his presidency. Several associate professorships were established by statute, and an even larger number of statutory lectureships were made available throughout all faculties. Senior administrative grades were also created. In 1967 Donogh O'Malley (qv), minister for education, suddenly announced that there was to be one university in Dublin to contain two colleges – UCD and TCD. Hogan's initial reaction to the proposed merger was that it could be best achieved by a complete unification of the two institutions. Much of his time and energy during the remaining years of his presidency was devoted to the projected merger, which in the end never did materialise. In the meantime student numbers had rocketed from roughly 7,000 to 10,000 during his term in office. The increased numbers and lack of proper facilities added to the tensions of the late 1960s, since this was also the time of student unrest in universities all over Europe and America. The so-called ‘Gentle revolution’ of 1969 in UCD resulted in mass demonstrations, the occupation of offices, and some disruption of normal college routine. Hogan expressed his shock at this revolt against the authorities. Among the honours he received outside of Irish universities were an honorary doctorate from the University of Uppsala and the German Cross of Merit for service to culture and education. J. J. Hogan died 10 July 1982.

He married Áine, daughter of John Marcus O'Sullivan (qv), professor of history at UCD (1910–48) and minister for education (1925–32). They had one son.