Loyola University New Orleans Mourns the Passing of President Emeritus Reverend James C. Carter, S.J.

NEW ORLEANS, LA - Loyola University New Orleans mourns the loss of Reverend James C. Carter, S.J., Ph.D., the university's longest-serving president and one of the most influential leaders in Loyola's history. He died Friday, May 22, 2026, at St. Ignatius Hall in Florissant, Missouri. He was 98 years old.

Earlier this year, Father Carter celebrated an extraordinary milestone: 81 years as a Jesuit.

Father Carter devoted more than six decades of his life to Loyola University New Orleans as a student, professor, priest, administrator, and president. He served as Loyola's fourteenth president from 1974 to 1995, guiding the university through a period of significant academic growth and institutional advancement while remaining steadfastly committed to Loyola's Jesuit and Catholic identity.

"Father Carter embodied the very best of Loyola University New Orleans," said Loyola President Xavier. A Cole. "His intellect, compassion, humility, and unwavering dedication to Jesuit education shaped generations of students and helped strengthen the foundation of this university for decades to come. His legacy lives on in the countless lives he impacted across Loyola and the broader New Orleans community."

Born in New York City in 1927 and raised in Louisiana, Father Carter entered the novitiate of the former New Orleans Province in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, in 1945. After being ordained a Jesuit priest in 1958, he returned to Loyola in 1960 to teach physics. He was named provost and academic vice president in 1970 before becoming president in 1974.

Father Carter's academic career was remarkably wide-ranging, with scholarly work spanning nuclear physics, evolution, and religion. Deeply committed to exploring the relationship between faith and science, he became beloved by generations of students for his course "Faith, Science and Religion," one of Loyola's most popular classes during his later years on campus. Even into his 90s, Father Carter continued to inspire students with his wisdom, humor, intellectual curiosity, and enduring love of teaching.

Throughout his leadership and ministry, Father Carter remained deeply devoted to Loyola's Jesuit and Catholic mission. Reflecting on his presidency years later, he said, "The thing that meant the most to me was the effort to maintain our Jesuit and Catholic identity."

After retiring from the presidency in 1995, Father Carter became Loyola's first chancellor before serving as pastor and superior of the Jesuit community from 2001 to 2004. He later returned to Loyola as a pastoral minister and part-time professor, continuing a lifelong commitment to accompanying and mentoring students.

In 2017, Father Carter reflected on his remarkable journey at Loyola in the oral history video "Five Lessons from a Lifetime at Loyola," produced by a Loyola student.

Father Carter also served the broader New Orleans community through leadership roles with the Metropolitan Area Committee and the National Conference for Community and Justice.

Over his lifetime, Father Carter received numerous honors recognizing both his scholarship and service, including an honorary doctorate from Loyola University New Orleans in 1995.

In 2020, Father Carter transitioned to a ministry of prayer, first at the St. Alphonsus Rodriguez Pavilion in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, and later at St. Ignatius Hall in Florissant, Missouri.

Father Carter earned a Bachelor of Science in physics from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, a Master of Science in physics from Fordham University, in the Bronx, New York, and a doctorate from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He completed a licentiate in sacred theology at Woodstock College.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in the chapel of St. Ignatius Hall, the Jesuit Community at Garden Villas North, in Florissant, Missouri, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 30, 2026, with a visitation beginning at 9 a.m. in the same location. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in St.Louis immediately following the funeral.

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About Loyola University New Orleans Loyola University New Orleans is a Jesuit, Catholic university located in the heart of New Orleans. Grounded in a tradition of academic excellence and a commitment to educating the whole person, Loyola prepares students to lead lives of purpose, service, and impact. Through a rigorous liberal arts foundation and a wide range of professional programs, Loyola equips graduates to think critically, act ethically, and contribute meaningfully to a global society. For more information, visit https://www.loyno.edu/.