Michael Scanlan (priest)

Vincent Michael Scanlan, T.O.R. (December 1, 1931 – January 7, 2017) was an American Catholic priest of the Franciscan Third Order Regular. He was responsible for the revival of the College of Steubenville, now known as Franciscan University of Steubenville. Scanlan served as president of the university for 26 years and then 11 years as chancellor before retiring in 2011. He died in 2017 and was later accused of covering up sexual misconduct, and of sexually abusing a child.

Scanlan was born on December 1, 1931, in Cedarhurst, New York, a small village on the South Shore of Long Island, to Margaret O'Keefe Scanlan and Vincent Scanlan. When he was three, his parents separated. His father moved to Mexico, while his mother remarried and moved to New York City. Scanlan remained with his mother in New York and was heavily affected by the social and cultural dispositions of New York City. The community that Scanlan was raised in was predominantly lower-class Irish families; because of this, he grew to despise the rich. However, his parents and his stepfather were all concerned with success, especially monetary success, and they tried to force this mentality upon Scanlan. He adopted this disposition and began seeking perfection in his academics, athletics, and social life. This attitude did not last long; Scanlan's restless nature never allowed him to do the same thing for too long. In his autobiographical work, Let the Fire Fall, Scanlan stated: "I decided that I could do anything, but not everything. I could live with lower grades if my goal for the semester was to become captain of the tennis team, as I did in prep school, or to become socially popular, as I strived to do in college. If a course bored me, I would settle for a 'B'."

Young Scanlan's restlessness allowed him to compromise in some areas of his life, but he was always a man of devout Roman Catholic faith. Although his mother had left the Roman Catholic Church after her separation, she brought him up in the faith and encouraged him to be faithful to the Church, even though she was not. Scanlan's stepfather, though, hated the Church and took every opportunity to denounce it.

Scanlan's faith deepened as he grew older, despite the religious turmoil at home. At Coindre Hall Boarding School on Long Island, Scanlan was able to deepen his faith under the instruction of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, who ran the school. He credits one particular brother, Brother Bertin Ryan, S.C., as being vital in his faith formation. In his autobiography, Scanlan states: "Brother Bertin combined the highest standards for personal conduct and academic performance with an irresistible loving nature." It was this kind of attitude that left a lasting impression upon Scanlan; he quickly took his faith as a metaphor for his life. This paradigm change caused Scanlan to conquer his restless attitude and quickly reach the top of his class.

Scanlan graduated from Coindre Hall and received a scholarship to New Hampton School, a college preparatory school in New Hampshire. Scanlan graduated from New Hampton at the top of his class and received an all-around excellence medal.

After graduating from prep school, Scanlan entered Williams College in Massachusetts. Scanlan performed well academically, but his Roman Catholic faith was shaken by the secular approach of his professors. Scanlan found himself questioning the existence of God. In a moment of frustration, he reports leaving the college, going out to the nearby woods, and remaining there for half a day, promising that he would not leave the woods until God gave him strong conviction. That evening, Scanlan felt the presence of God. This experience redirected his entire life; Scanlan returned to the Roman Catholic faith with renewed effort.

Scanlan graduated from Williams College and was accepted into Harvard Law School. During his second year, he had exhausted himself by attempting to become the top student. This endeavor caused him to be hospitalized with the flu and exhaustion. During his period of sickness, Scanlan once again re-examined his life. He became determined to live out his faith again as he had done as a boy. However, he found this very difficult while finishing his degree at Harvard Law School. (During the summer following his second year of law school, he worked as a student legal assistant in the office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York working on cases involving organized crime.)

Walking back to Harvard Law School from Mass one morning, Scanlan felt the presence of God once again. At that moment, he understood that God was calling him to the Roman Catholic priesthood. Scanlan was profoundly amazed by the spiritual revelation, but decided to finish his degree first.