07-08-2023 12:00 AM
George A. Hess was born as the first child of a very religious couple, Mr. David M. Hess and Mrs. Julia Cleary Hess at Bayonne, New Jersey, U.S.A. on 10th October, 1919. His initial schooling was at the Gonzaga College High School in the U.S.A. He then went on to study Physics and Philosophy at Georgetown University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1943 and earned an L. Phil. in 1944 along with a Master of Arts degree in Teaching in 1945 from Woodstock College, Maryland. In 1976, Fr. Hess graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Education from Stanford University. He was honoured with a Doctor of Humane Letters (Honorary Degree) by Gonzaga College in 1987.
At 24 he joined the Society of Jesus at Wernersville, U.S.A. and was ordained a priest on 18th June, 1950. He belonged to the Maryland Province of the Jesuit Society. In 1952, he came to India and his prime years of work were in 3 important educational institutions of the Jamshedpur Province. From 1952 to 1962 (10 years), he was Rector and Principal of Loyola School in Jamshedpur. From 1963 to 1979 (16 years), he was the Principal of De Nobili School in Dhanbad and from 1979 to 1996 (17 years), he was the Principal of Loyola College of Education, in Jamshedpur. All these were in the State of Bihar, now Jharkhand.
In Jamshedpur he developed Loyola School in different ways and put up two blocks on Straight Mile Road that served as family quarters for a dozen families. He also put up a block for the use of the bachelors and spinsters.
At De Nobili School, Fr. Hess developed the school and introduced the + 2 system making it co-educational. He was a great builder as can be seen from the Grand Science Block cum Library cum Canteen that he built at De Nobili School. He built a separate Block for the Junior School, two blocks for family quarters, one block for bachelors and smaller quarters for the supporting staff. His original contribution to the educational efforts of the Jamshedpur Province is the system of Branch Schools (six of them), he started in response to the requests made by different companies. All the branch schools were co-educational from the beginning. These schools are his gift to Dhanbad.
While he was the Principal of Loyola School in Jamshedpur, Fr. Hess realised that several schools including his were not given due recognition by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination. In order to remedy this situation, he started working on the formation of an Association and its recognition by the Council. With the help and support of like-minded educators, he founded the Association of Schools for the Indian School Certificate. He also managed to get the ASISC recognised by the Council. Today the Association has nearly 2000 members. Hats off to Fr. Hess for his great contribution to education in India.
Fr. Hess was closely associated with the Lions Club in Dhanbad and was its President. He was well known for developing the Blind School with the support of the Lions Club.
After completing 16 years at De Nobili School in Dhanbad, Fr. Hess was transferred back to Jamshedpur, where he spent 17 years as Principal of Loyola College of Education. Simultaneously, he served as Professor of Communications at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute of Management (X.L.R.I.)
From Jamshedpur, in Jharkhand he moved to Bhubaneswar in Orissa, where he was a Professor of Communications at the Xavier Institute of Management (X.I.M.) until 2001.
He passed away 0n 30th July 2013 at the age of 94.