Dates

• Existence: 1823-05-02 - 1886-11-18

Biography

Father Aloysius Masnata, S.J. served as the fifth president of Santa Clara college from 1865-1868. It was recorded that the Genoese priest had “little to do” apart from continuing to diminish debt from predecessors. Given the size of the debt at this time was nearly $99,000, the scarcity of benefactors for the school, and the high interest rate of 12 percent, this proved a daunting task. Father Masnata was able to lower the debt by removing $28,000 from it which was no easy task. Known as a shy priest who could not speak English well, Father Masnata was replaced in 1868 by a more well equipped administrator, Father Varsi.