Fr. McHugh was no stranger to challenges when he became the first President of Wheeling College in 1955. He had served as a Navy chaplain in World War II, and flew in dive bombers at Cecil Field in Jacksonville, FL. He also began theology studies in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1936, before being expelled by the Nazis three years later shortly after the Anschluss. He saw Adolph Hitler first-hand at a Nazi victory parade in Innsbruck in 1938.

Fr. McHugh came to Wheeling from Georgetown University, where he was director of admissions and assistant dean of students. He worked closely with Bishop Swint in the building of the college. He was born in Baltimore in 1907, graduated from Loyola University in 1927, and entered the Society of Jesus on August 14, 1927. He also held an M.A. in Philosophy from Woodstock University. Fr. McHugh died April 8, 1988, at the age of 80.

Fr. Troy came to Wheeling in 1955 to serve as the college's first dean of the faculty, and he is credited with an important role in the college's rapid growth. He was very involved with the community, serving as president of the Wheeling Area Conference on Community Development and Oglebay Institute, as well as being on the board of the Iroquois Council of Boy Scouts, United Fund and Community Chest of Wheeling. He was born in Reading, PA, April 8, 1920, and was ordained in Woodstock, MD, on June 18, 1950. He left the college in 1966 to work at the Jesuit order's regional headquarters in Baltimore, and died November 14, 1967, at age 47. He was remembered by his successor, Fr. Frank R. Haig, S.J., who said, "I suppose one could say Fr. Troy was first of all a priest, a religious leader, who felt his job was to advance the development of Wheeling. Most of all, he was considerate, kind and gentle. We will miss him." Troy Associates was formed in 1980 to recognize significant donors to the college.

A member of the physics department since 1963, Fr. Haig took over as college President July 15, 1966. "The world will be what our men and women of insight make it to be," Haig said at his inauguration. "It is a challenge to be asked to help them see all right." He resigned August 21, 1972, to become president of LeMoyne College in Syracuse, NY. He is the brother of Alexander M. Haig, who was a member of President Ronald Reagan's cabinet and served as a military advisor to President Richard Nixon.

Fr. Currie came to Wheeling College at a time of great financial difficulty and declining enrollment. He arrived amid rumors that he planned to close the college, but instead he became committed to building on the goals of the original founders and expanding the impact the college had on the Ohio Valley. A major boost in funding came through Title III (Advanced Institutional Development Program), which brought the college $1.5 million in federal funds from 1976-81. Along with supplementary funds from the Benedum Foundation (in business) and HEW Health Resources Division (in nursing), the college was able to begin new programs, increase student retention, develop a strong data-based management system including computer capability and provide funds for faculty and administrative development. After five years, Wheeling College became one of the few schools in the nation to quit the Title III program voluntarily. Fr. Currie left with an 80 percent rise in enrollment, gifts from private sources reaching $1 million per year, an evening division and 12 new programs. Although the college still had a $1 million debt by the time he left, Currie was able to balance the yearly budget.

He was born July 9, 1930, in Overbrook, PA, and entered the Society of Jesus in 1950. He held degrees from Boston College and Weston College in Massachusetts, and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He was ordained on June 16, 1963. In 1964, he was the host of an NBC television program, "New World on Campus." He currently serves as President of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities in Washington, DC.

Fr. Acker had the longest term of any Wheeling University president. He has overseen a number of building projects at the college, including the Alma Grace McDonough Recreation and Health Complex, as well as the establishment of a relationship with NASA that brought the college the Robert C. Byrd National Technology Transfer Center and the Erma Ora Byrd Center for Educational Technologies which features the Classroom of the Future and Challenger Learning Center. During Acker's tenure, enrollment increased from 988 in 1982 to 1,527 in 1999. The annual operating budget of the college expanded to more than $45 million. The number of employees grew to approximately 500. Under Acker's leadership, seven new buildings were added and millions of dollars of renovations completed to existing buildings, including the addition of a new campus store.

Before coming to Wheeling, he was dean of arts and sciences at St. Joseph's College in Philadelphia. He has been project director of the U.S. Peace Corps in Nepal, and taught biology at the University of San Francisco, the University of Detroit and John Carroll University. He holds a Doctorate of Philosophy (Biology) from Stanford University and a Licentiate in Philosophy and a Bachelor's in Classical Language from Loyola University.

Rev. George F. Lundy, S.J. assumed duties as the sixth president of Wheeling Jesuit University on July 31, 2000. Lundy brought 30 years of professional experience in education to his new post.

Lundy, a Chicago native, joined the Society of Jesus at 19. He earned an A.B. in sociology from Loyola University of New Orleans. Lundy received a master of divinity degree from Loyola University of Chicago and a Ph.D. in educational administration from the University of Chicago.

Before coming to Wheeling Jesuit, Lundy served as the academic vice president and provost of the University of Detroit Mercy from 1995 to July 2000. Lundy served in numerous positions, including acting president, interim vice president for academic affairs and senior vice president/dean of faculties. He also served as the director of the Loyola University, New Orleans Institute of Human Relations. During that time, Lundy taught courses with the Institute's Labor Studies Program.

Appointed as President in July of 2003, Fr. Hacala placed a renewed emphasis on the mission and identity of Wheeling Jesuit University, establishing a new student service learning component, revitalizing the campus’ Sponsored Programs, and reinstating the Mass of the Holy Spirit and other yearly liturgical celebrations. Fr. Hacala deepened the partnership with the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston and the Society of Jesus, enrolled the largest class in the University’s history, and restructured the Board of Directors.

Ordained in 1975, Fr. Hacala served as an assistant to WJU’s fourth president, Fr. Charles Currie, then served as Rector of the Jesuit Community at WJU from 1980 to 1984 and 2001 to 2003. He was Senior Advisor to the President for Social Justice, Director of the University’s Mission and Identity, and was founder and Executive Director of the Clifford M. Lewis, S.J., Appalachian Institute. A native West Virginian, Fr. Hacala is one of only three Jesuits in the world from this Appalachian state.

From 1997 to 2001, Fr. Hacala served as Special Assistant to the Secretary at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and as the Director of HUD’s Innovative Center for Community and Interfaith Partnerships. He also served as the Executive Director of the Domestic Anti-Poverty Program of the U.S. Catholic Bishops, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development at the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, and as Director of the Office of Jesuit Social Ministries for the United States at the National Jesuit Conference, 1984 to 1990.

Born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Fr. Hacala holds an undergraduate degree in Sociology from Loyola University, Chicago, and graduate degrees in Social Work from the University of Illinois and Divinity from Regis College at the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Fr. Hacala resigned the presidency on September 16, 2006, due to a medical condition.

Eighth President - Rev. Julio Giulietti S.J., 2007 – 2009

Rev. Julio Giulietti, S.J. assumed duties as the eighth president of the University in August 2007.

A native New Yorker, Giulietti was ordained a priest on May 27, 1972. He brought more than 30 years of experience in higher learning in the United States and abroad to his role as president. Prior to becoming president, he spent six years as director of the Center for Ignatian Spirituality at Boston College, where he worked primarily with faculty and staff in spirituality and personal development.

Giulietti was also the director at Georgetown University’s Center for Intercultural Education and Development from 1991-2001. In this position he directed Georgetown’s educational and leadership programs in 18 developing countries in Southeast Asia, South and Central America and Eastern Europe. From 1982 to 1990, Giulietti served at Boston College where he taught in the theology department, founded the undergraduate interdisciplinary minor “The Program for the Study of Faith, Peace and Justice,” and formed the Boston College International Volunteer Program, which later became the Jesuit Volunteer International.

Giulietti's ministry has long included seminars and retreats on Ignatian spirituality. He has served on a number of national boards and was a consultant to the Daughters of Charity Health Care System. He was a founding member of Partners in Health. He also spent seven years working in Japan.

He has graduate degrees in theology, comparative religions and counseling, and completed a doctorate degree at the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass.